Ottawa In Talks With Britain to Create Joint Shipbuilding Program

Britain’s secretary of defence says close talks are taking place with Canada to co-create vessels to replace their ageing navies.

Britain does navies well, right? Let’s hope so, because just as Ottawa plans to partner with the U.S. to build a new fleet of F-35 fighter jets, the government is in talks to link up with Britain to create the next generation of navy frigates. While the F-35 project was a joint venture from the start, Britain had planned to go it along on the new navy vessels until austerity measures forced sharp cuts to its military budget last year. Since then British defence contractor BAE Systems Inc. has been looking for an international partner for the so-called Global Combat Ship program. Canada’s current fleet of 26 Halifax-class frigates is expected to reach the end of its lifespan in 2025.