Latest News About River-Class Frigate

Here are the latest publicly known developments about the River-class frigate.

• Canada’s River-class destroyers (the official Canadian Surface Combatant program) are progressing under Irving Shipbuilding as part of the National Shipbuilding Strategy. The production test module construction began in 2024, with full-rate production slated to begin after testing and workflow optimizations, and the class is intended to replace the Halifax-class frigates in Royal Canadian Navy service.[3][4][7]
• In early 2025, there were indications from industry briefings and defense coverage that Lockheed Martin and partners continued to discuss and showcase combat system integration, including radar and sensor suites such as the SPY-7 family and related combat management system work, in the context of the River-class program and similar European designs (e.g., Spain’s F-110) to illustrate cross-program capabilities.[2]
• Historical context: the River-class designation in Canada stems from the plan to base the design on the UK Type 26, adapted for Canada’s naval needs, with a focus on ASW and integrated air defense, and the plan to field a 15-ship fleet in the coming decades.[1][3]
• Public references to specifics like hull, armament, and sensors vary by source, but typical features discussed include vertical launch cells for air defense missiles, a mix of close-in and medium-caliber weapons, and advanced sonar and radar suites designed for modern surface combatant roles.[4][7][1]

Illustrative note

• A concise snapshot: the River-class program is Canada’s major surface combatant modernization effort, expanding domestic shipbuilding activity and aiming to deliver a modern, networked fleet to replace aging Halifax-class frigates; production testing is a key milestone toward full-rate build.[3][4]

If you’d like, I can pull the most recent official defense press releases or industry briefings and summarize any new milestones or schedule updates with direct quotes.