Irving Shipbuilding earns contract for Arctic Offshore Patrol Ships

Nova Scotia further establishes its position as a leader in Canada's defence work with the announcement that Irving Shipbuilding won the Definition Contract to begin the design work for the new Arctic Offshore Patrol Ships (AOPS). The engineering and project management work for naval combat vessels is expected to have a price tag of $288 million that will pump additional funds into the province and create more jobs. 

"Our focus over the next 30 months is on producing a detailed ship design that delivers the best value to Canada, while ensuring we meet the government's 2015 deadline to cut steel for the first ship - this is vital to our customer, our current workforce and their families," said Ross Langley, vice chairman of Irving Shipbuilding.

The company has already begun the recruiting process for the work, which requires highly-skilled professionals in engineering, supply chain management, program leaders and technical specialists. It anticipates additional recruiting to complete future work for the project. 

With access to a skilled labour pool, it makes sense that Nova Scotia companies win contracts for defence work. The province also has a solid infrastructure that makes it possible to complete specialized projects on a large scale.