Why Canada needs a continuous shipbuilding drumbeat

Should Canada begin a follow-on frigate and corvette program before the River-class run is complete?

Yes. A continuous construction drumbeat preserves skills and makes later ships cheaper than stopping and rebuilding the industrial base.

The answer favors a follow-on frigate or corvette program before River-class construction winds down. Continuous work allows a yard to retain institutional memory and become more efficient at building ships. Stopping production and later restarting it means paying to recover skills and knowledge that have dispersed. Gaps between the last Type 23s and Type 45 construction, and before the Type 26 program, are offered as British examples of this difficulty.