Individual ship price is only part of the industrial cost of producing a mixed fleet in Canada. Building a second design would require another yard or a more complex production arrangement, bringing tooling expense and political friction. FREMM is a capable general-purpose frigate, though it is neither the strongest specialist air-defence choice nor as ASW-focused as Type 26. If Canada paid the overhead of a split purchase, the second class would need to be optimized for the distinct role used to justify that expense.
Chapter · 1:09:49-1:12:06
Why a Canadian FREMM split buy could cost more without solving the fleet problem
Canadian construction rules, yard tooling, and the limits of FREMM's general-purpose balance complicate proposals to divide the surface-combatant program between different frigate types.