Thales Canada has secured a contract from Lockheed Martin Canada to supply the S2087 towed array sonar system for the Royal Canadian Navy’s next-generation River-class destroyers, enhancing the country’s anti-submarine warfare capabilities.
The S2087, a member of the CAPTAS sonar family, is engineered to detect and monitor underwater threats at extended ranges across both littoral waters and open oceans. Already deployed on the Royal Navy’s Type 23 frigates and selected for future Type 26 and Hunter-class frigates in the UK and Australia, the system has established itself as a key anti-submarine warfare sensor among allied navies.
Canada’s selection of the sonar strengthens commonality with partner fleets, making the Royal Canadian Navy the third Five Eyes member to operate the system. It also marks the 20th international customer for the CAPTAS family, reinforcing its position as one of the world’s most widely adopted naval sonar solutions.
As part of the agreement, Thales will work closely with Canadian industry to provide in-country support, maintenance, and modernization throughout the sonar’s operational life, ensuring national control over critical defence technologies.
The S2087 will be integrated into Canada’s future River-class destroyers, a flagship naval modernization effort under the National Shipbuilding Strategy. The program, led by Irving Shipbuilding with Lockheed Martin Canada acting as Combat Systems Integrator, will deliver 15 advanced warships over the coming decades.
Derived from BAE Systems’ Type 26 design, the 151-meter River-class vessels will replace both the Halifax-class frigates and the retired Iroquois-class destroyers. Scheduled to begin entering service in the early 2030s, the ships will feature a comprehensive suite of weapons, sensors, helicopters, drones, and support boats, providing the Royal Canadian Navy with a versatile and highly capable surface combatant force through the mid-21st century.
