How useful would Iroquois-class DDHs have been if retained and given life extensions in the early 2000s, before the River-class ships entered service?
Short answerThey would provide useful extra hulls for northern and secondary missions, though not heavily armed modern destroyers.
NotesRetaining the ships would give Canada additional hulls and more scope for simultaneous tasks. They could be treated as guided-missile destroyers, although the expected missile capacity would remain limited. One proposed use is supporting northern patrol ships. In that secondary role, the older Iroquois hulls are considered more expendable than the Halifax class.