Converting two civilian cargo ships to serve as resupply vessels for the navy would have been cheaper than building new ones, Canada's parliamentary budget officer has determined. (The previous, long-standing forecast was that the navy could get two purpose-built supply ships for $3.4 billion, but that sum quietly increased late last spring.) In response to the new PBO report, DND said the joint support ships have capabilities the modified civilian ships do not, such a mine avoidance system and defences against chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear agents. At the time, several observers wondered aloud whether the lease deal meant the death of the joint support ship program. The federal government's attempts to replace the navy's worn-out and now-retired supply ships have suffered multiple setbacks.

Source: CBC News November 17, 2020 21:37 UTC