Feds hope to fill Irving’s scheduling gap between patrol ships, warships
OTTAWA — The federal government is scrambling to close a looming gap in the construction of two new fleets of naval vessels in Halifax, which Irving Shipbuilding has previously warned could result in layoffs if left unaddressed.
Officials say they are facing the likelihood of a break between when construction ends on the last of the navy’s new Arctic patrol ships and when work begins on its new fleet of much larger warships.
The exact size of the gap still isn’t known, and will depend on whether the government ends up with five or six Arctic ships and how much extra work must be done on whatever design is chosen for the navy’s new warships.
Irving won’t know until at least next year whether it will be able to build six Arctic patrol vessels within the government’s $3.5-billion budget, or only five.