HALIFAX — An expert on Canada's shipbuilding program says it's no surprise that the Royal Canadian Navy has underestimated how much it will cost to replace its fleet of frontline warships.
Ken Hansen, a research fellow with the Centre for Foreign Policy Studies at Halifax's Dalhousie University, is responding to a media report on the price tag.
Vice-Admiral Mark Norman, the commander of the navy, has told CBC that Canadians could be asked to pay as much as $30 billion to build 15 new warships, which is well above original estimates.
Hansen says military experts have long complained about the navy's low-ball estimate for the warships that will replace Canada's frigates and destroyers.
He says the navy has a long history of doing this in a bid to lower the political fallout that can come from the initial sticker shock.
However, Hansen says it's too soon to determine whether the navy will reduce the number of ships it wants or change their capabilities as negotiations with Irving Shipbuilding are just starting for vessels that haven't even been designed yet.
