The Type 26 Global Combat Ship has been officially chosen as the design for the Canadian Surface Combatant despite a legal challenge from a rival bidder, with the contract having now been awarded.

Canada follows Australia in selecting the Type 26 Frigate.

Irving Shipbuilding is the Canadian Surface Combatant Prime Contractor to the Canadian Government for the build of all 15 ships at its Halifax Shipyard.

This comes after Alion Canada, the company that pitched the Dutch-designed De Zeven Provincien class frigate for the competition, had asked for a judicial review of the tendering process that saw the Type 26 Frigate win the Canadian frigate competition, according to local media.

According to local media, the defence firm asked the court to set aside an October decision to select Lockheed Martin Canada the preferred bidder and to prevent the Canadian government from entering into negotiations with the company, which has offered up the BAE Systems designed Type 26 frigate.

Alion argued that the winning bid was “incapable of meeting three critical mandatory requirements” of the design tender. Specifically, they say the Type 26 cannot meet the mandatory speed requirements set out by the Royal Canadian Navy.

The challenge by Alion was rejected at the end of last month. An official statement read:

“The Canadian International Trade Tribunal has determined that Alion Science and Technology Canada Corporation and Alion Science and Technology Corporation did not have standing to file a complaint before the Canadian International Trade Tribunal.”

BAE Systems, CAE, L3 Technologies, MDA and Ultra Electronics have partnered with Lockheed Martin Canada in a successful offering to the Royal Canadian Navy of one of the most advanced and modern anti-submarine warships in the world.

The design is based upon the Type 26 Global Combat Ship with GLASGOW, first in class, currently in build for the Royal Navy at BAE Systems’ shipyard in Glasgow.