HALIFAX — The federal government awarded U.S. defence giant Lockheed Martin a long-awaited contract to design its $60-billion fleet of warships despite lingering questions about the selection process and a legal challenge from a rival bidder. Procurement Minister Carla Qualtrough announced the deal in Halifax early Friday, saying the Royal Canadian Navy’s 15 new warships will be built by Irving and based on the British-designed Type 26 frigate. Qualtrough said Friday the design work is expected to take three to four years to complete, with construction set to begin in the early 2020s. Alion alleges that the Type 26 did not meet the navy’s requirements for speed and crew accommodations. But the first Type 26 frigates are only now being built by the British government and the design has not yet been tested in full operation.

Source: National Post February 08, 2019 12:35 UTC