The federal government announced a $115 million investment into the Royal Canadian Navy on Friday morning.
Defence Minister Harjit S. Sajjan was at the CFB Esquimalt to announce two separate investments into the navy’s missile systems.
“These investments in our Royal Canadian Navy will provide our women and men in uniform with what they need for successful missions, and deliver jobs, both here in British Columbia and across Canada for years to come,” said Sajjan. “Our defence policy, Strong, Secure, Engaged, promised an agile, multi-purpose Navy and we are delivering on that promise with today’s $115 million investment.”
A $94.2 million contract will go to Lockheed Martin Canada to maintain and overhaul the navy’s “Reprogrammable Advance Multimode Shipboard Electronic Countermeasures System” (RAMSES).
RAMSES is an electronic attack system that protects Halifax-class ships against radio-frequency guided missiles. It uses jamming signals to track and distract missiles from hitting the ship.
Rheinmetall Canada was given a $21.1 million contract to install a third launcher onto the same ships, which will improve the current “Multi Ammunition Softkill System” (MASS). MASS is a firing system used to launch decoys out that will imitate ships, and act to protect ships against missiles guided by radio frequency, laser and infrared seekers. The installation of a third launcher will allow for 360-degree defence.
