North Vancouver shipbuilder Washington Marine Group (WMG) has teamed up with Thales Canada to bid for a contract to build six ice-breaking vessels for the Canadian Navy.
WMG said the alliance provides a single solution to build and support the navy's future arctic offshore patrol ships (AOPS).
"The award of a project of this magnitude would not only revitalize the B.C. shipbuilding industry, but also provide for significant future investment in facilities, processes and people," said WMG CEO Jonathan Whitworth.
The AOPS program is worth more than $2 billion, and is part of the federal government's $40 billion national shipbuilding procurement strategy.
The deal represents 700 to 800 jobs for shipbuilders in B.C., and another 40 to 60 high-tech jobs in Ontario.
Ottawa-based Thales builds communications, surveillance and tactical command systems for military and civil applications.
WMG has worked with the navy for more than 50 years, and currently supplies service support for its submarine fleet, mid-life extension for its patrol frigates and motorized lifeboats for the Canadian Coast Guard.
In the past, WMG built the navy's ORCA training vessels, patrol ships for the Royal Canadian Mountain Police and buoy tenders and ice breakers for the coast guard.