The design competition is the most recent — and arguably most sensitive — phase in the entire $60-billion plan to build 15 new warships, construction of which is expected to begin in 2021. Defence companies were originally supposed to have submitted their proposed designs for the vessels in April, but the deadline has since been pushed back several times. The comments underscore the confusion — and extremely high stakes — that have surrounded the design competition, which involves many of the world’s largest defence and shipbuilding companies. There have long been concerns, including within the Department of National Defence, that any delay in the design competition will push the whole project off schedule. The government likely won’t be able to select the winning design until 2018, Campbell acknowledged, “but we still anticipate ship construction in the early 2020s.

Source: National Post September 06, 2017 20:03 UTC