Canada’s River-class destroyers as large Type 26 derivatives

What are the prospects for Canada's River-class destroyers replacing the Halifax class in the 2040s?

They are promising all-round ASW ships with useful growth margin, and the Canadian choice of a larger hull is viewed as sensible.

Canada chose the larger option available within the Type 26 family rather than forcing its required systems into the smallest hull. That gives the River class room for a strong anti-submarine fit, balanced general-purpose capability, and future upgrades. The panel contrasts this decision with British and Australian efforts to compress related capabilities into less generous hulls. Growth margin is an operational asset when a surface combatant must remain useful for decades.