Thales Canada has been awarded a contract by Lockheed Martin Canada to supply the S2087 towed array sonar system for the Royal Canadian Navy’s future River-class destroyers, in a deal that further extends the reach of a proven UK-origin capability across allied navies.
The contract was awarded under Canada’s new Build-Partner-Buy framework and aligns with Canada’s Defence Industrial Strategy, which prioritises cooperation with the UK and trusted European allies while delivering economic benefit through Canada’s Industrial and Technological Benefits Policy.
The Capability
The S2087 is a long-range, low-frequency towed array sonar designed to detect and track quiet submarines in both complex littoral and open-ocean environments. Already in service with the Royal Navy and selected for Australia’s Hunter-class frigates, the system’s selection by the Royal Canadian Navy makes it a genuinely Five Eyes-wide capability, strengthening interoperability across allied undersea warfare operations.
With this contract, Canada becomes the 20th navy to select a system from Thales’ CAPTAS sonar family, which reached its 100th order milestone in 2025.
The River-class destroyers will replace the Royal Canadian Navy’s Halifax-class frigates and Iroquois-class destroyers, forming the backbone of Canada’s future surface fleet. The S2087 integration is targeted to support 75% fleet serviceability, contributing to long-term operational availability and supportability.
SME and Supply Chain Dimension
Thales Canada has committed to working closely with Canadian industry partners to support the sonar systems across their full lifecycle, with maintenance and upgrade capabilities retained under Canadian sovereign control. The programme explicitly targets the integration of small and medium-sized businesses into the defence supply chain, consistent with Canada’s broader industrial strategy.
Lockheed Martin Canada, serving as Combat Systems Integrator, leads the wider programme team. Stephen Isaacs, General Manager for Lockheed Martin Canada Rotary and Mission Systems, noted that the River-class programme “brings advancements in Canadian technology and manufacturing all along the Canadian supply chain.”
Relevance for UK Industry
For UK defence suppliers, the S2087 contract is a useful marker of how British-origin capability travels through allied procurement programmes and generates sustained industrial activity across multiple nations. Thales UK’s Edinburgh facility, which featured at last week’s DPRTE Scottish Defence Summit, is a key part of the wider Thales sensor and sonar ecosystem.
As allied navies continue to invest in Anti-Submarine Warfare capability in response to an increasingly contested undersea domain, the pipeline of sonar-related procurement, integration, support and upgrade contracts across NATO and Five Eyes partners represents a significant and growing area of supply chain opportunity.
Image: © Thales
Post written by: Vicky Maggiani
Vicky has worked in media for over 25 years and has a wealth of experience in editing and creating copy for a variety of sectors.
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