Defence Minister Harjit S. Sajjan announced a $115 million investment into updating maritime equipment for the Royal Canadian Navy at the Esquimalt base on Friday.
The contracts will upgrade technical systems aboard ships, ones that the government says is necessary to keep the Royal Canadian Navy agile and responsive.
The government says these updates to technological systems will help protect Canadian ships and sailors with modern and efficient equipment.
The $115 million upgrade will be overseen by two Canadian companies, split into two contracts.
A $94.2 million contract was awarded to Lockheed Martin Canada to overhaul an electronic attack system that protects modernized Halifax-class frigates against radio frequency guided missiles. The system is called RAMSES, and it employs jamming signals to track and distract anti-ship missiles from hitting ships.
The second $21.1 million contract was awarded to Rheinmetall Canada to install a third launcher on frigates and improve the current MASS to enable 360° anti-ship missile defence. MASS is a firing system used to launch decoys to protect vessels against anti-ship missiles.
“These investments in our Royal Canadian Navy will provide our women and men in uniform with what they need for successful missions, and deliver jobs, both here in British Columbia and across Canada for years to come,” said Sajjan.
Defence Minister Harjit S. Sajjan makes the investments aboard a Royal Canadian Nacy frigate in Esquimalt on Friday
At home, the projects are expected to add around 50 jobs per year, and Ottawa says it will provide a better-equipped military to protect Canadian crews and interests on the seas.
“These systems will provide the frigates of the Royal Canadian Navy with the modern equipment they need to do their jobs safely and securely in various environment, at home or abroad,” said Carla Qualtrough, Minister of Public Services and Procurement and Disability.
CHEK News
