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Because of a government-imposed cap of $26 billion on the CSC project, there is a risk that not enough ships would be built for the navy’s needs, the May 2015 DND document points out.

Solutions to that problem could include reducing some capabilities on the vessels and looking at the “re-use of Iroquois and Halifax Class equipments,” it noted.

The Conservative government has approved the building of “up to 15” of the new warships. Industry and military representatives have repeatedly raised concerns about the lack of money.

But on Monday, Conservative leader Stephen Harper dismissed concerns voiced by Liberal leader Justin Trudeau that naval shipbuilding needs more funding.

“All of our shipbuilders are up to their eyeballs in work because we have the largest shipbuilding program in history,” Harper said.

Trudeau has said he would cancel Canada’s participation in the F-35 stealth fighter program and redirect savings into shipbuilding.

DND did not provide details on what pieces of equipment it would be looking at transferring from its other warships to the Canadian Surface Combatants.

Department spokeswoman Dominique Tessier noted that since the CSC project is still in its definition phase, “no specific equipment has yet been confirmed or committed.”

“If it is operationally feasible and appropriate to do, this is an option that will be considered,” she added in an email.

But defence analyst Martin Shadwick said stripping the Iroquois and Halifax-class warships of equipment for the new vessels likely won’t yield much savings, if any.