Canada has been revealed as another potential market for BAE Systems’ Global Combat Ship (GCS). Dubbed the Type 26 in the UK, the frigate-sized ship is also being pitched to Australia, Brazil, Malaysia, New Zealand and Turkey. In common with many cash-strapped navies, the Canadians are refitting their current fleet of 12 Halifax class patrol frigates to extend their usefulness but they are expected to be replaced from around 2025.
The government has recently committed CDN$35 billion to a 20-year national shipbuilding strategy. Much of this will be taken up by the frigate replacement programme, with a Single Class Surface Combat ship. Under the plan, warships with different roles are to be built using the same hull design. This is essentially what the developing GCS design already offers.
