Canada awards contract to support Halifax-class frigate maintenance

Canada’s government has awarded an in-service support contract to Fleetway Inc. of Halifax, Nova Scotia, for the Royal Canadian Navy’s (RCN) Halifax-class of frigates.

Valued at CA$72.6 million for the first six years, with options to extend for up to 22 years, this contract will provide a full range of technical data management and systems engineering support services for the Halifax-class fleet.

 The value will be amended over the contract period based on the amount of work required for a total value of up to $552 million. 

Specifically, the contract will secure an expert team to store and manage thousands of critical ship documents, in addition to producing complex designs to support the installation of new equipment on board the ships. Their specialized knowledge and skills will make sure key information is up-to-date to support maintenance teams, and will enable the maintenance of the Halifax-class operational capability in support of CAF missions.

Awarded as part of the National Shipbuilding Strategy, this contract will ensure that the RCN and supporting shipyards continue to have the technical data required to support ongoing ship maintenance during planned docking work periods, while also providing local economic benefits.

Work for the contract began in April 2020, and will continue until the fleet is retired in the early 2040s. This contract is expected to sustain an estimated 140 Canadian jobs.

“The National Shipbuilding Strategy continues to support the members of the Royal Canadian Navy and is reinvigorating the marine industry. This engineering service contract award to Fleetway Inc. of Halifax, Nova Scotia, will help provide our navy with safe, reliable ships to carry out their important work on behalf of the Government of Canada, while also creating jobs and generating significant economic benefits in the regions of Canada,” Anita Anand, Minister of Public Services and Procurement, commented. 

“Our Halifax-class frigates remain the backbone of our Navy, enabling us to maintain our presence at sea both at home and abroad. As we continue to transition to our future fleet, it is essential that we continue to foster an environment that enables the RCN to keep our frigates floating, moving, and fighting. Fleetway Inc. brings world class technical data management and systems engineering support services which will help to ensure the RCN is ready to help, ready to lead and ready to fight,” Vice-Admiral Art McDonald, Commander of the Royal Canadian Navy, said.

Halifax-class ships monitor and control Canadian waters, defend Canada’s sovereignty, facilitate large-scale search and rescue activities, and provide emergency assistance when needed. The ships operate with and integrate into the United Nations, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and coalitions of allied states in support of international peace and security operations.

Introduced into service in the 1990s, the Canadian-built Halifax-class ships were recently modernized to remain operationally effective and relevant until the Canadian Surface Combatants enter into service.

The Canadian surface combatants will replace the Halifax-class frigates and the retired Iroquois-class destroyers, and will ensure the RCN has modern and capable ships to monitor and defend Canada’s waters, to continue to contribute to international naval operations for decades to come, and to rapidly deploy credible naval forces worldwide on short notice.