Canada announced Friday it had partnered with US weapons maker Lockheed Martin on a Can$185 million project to design 15 warships.

"Our government is providing the Royal Canadian Navy with the ships it needs to do its important work of protecting Canadians," Procurement Minister Carla Qualtrough said in Halifax, where the ships will be built.

Based on the British-designed Type 26 frigate, developed by BAE Systems for the British defense ministry, the ships will measure 492 feet (150 meters) from bow to stern.

Armed with sea-to-air missiles and with a range of 8,000 miles (13,000 kilometers) and a top speed of 26 knots (48 kilometers an hour), the ships will carry crews of between 157 and 208 sailors.

The design period is expected to last three to four years, with construction due to start in the early 2020s.

While the initial contract is for Can$185 million ($139 million), the cost of building all 15 warships will rise to Can$60 billion, according to the Radio-Canada public news service.

"These highly advanced, state-of-the-art warships will enable our navy to monitor and defend our waters here at home, help us support our international allies and keep Canadians safe," said Defense Minister Harjit Sajjan.

Since coming to office in 2015, the government of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has launched an extensive modernization program of Canada's armed forces, updating warplanes and submarines and buying new light armored vehicles and a new generation of precision-guided munitions.

The long-term aim is to bolster defense spending from the current one percent of gross domestic product to 1.4 percent by 2027.

BIW awarded $15.6M for USS Jackson yard services
(UPI) Feb 8, 2019 - Bath Iron Works, a subsidiary of General Dynamics, was awarded a $15.6 million contract for planning yard services of the USS Jackson and future Independence-variant littoral combat ships.

The work is specifically for waterjet assembly battle spares for the littoral class ships, the Navy announced Thursday.

Planning yard services include design, material kitting, logistics, planning and execution.

Nearly all of the work, which is expected to be complete by March 2021, will be performed in Chesapeake, Va., and the rest in Bath, Maine, the site of Independence-class ship building.

Fiscal 2018 other procurement Navy funding in the full amount will be obligated at award, and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year.

The shipyard uses the water jet cutting machine to fabricate new parts or replace worn parts while the ships are being maintained, according to the Navy. They cut a variety of materials using a high-pressure jet of water mixed with an abrasive substance.

The USS Jackson, named after the capital of Mississippi, entered Naval service in December 2015. It was the third LCS ship built by General Dynamics.

The USS Jackson's homeport is in San Diego and it has been identified as supporting the surface-to-surface missile module testing for the Indy variants, which should start in the third quarter of the 2019 fiscal year, according to USNI News.

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