Navy commander says he wants a 'Canadian from the core' corvette fleet

OTTAWA — The commander of the Royal Canadian Navy says the service is working to narrow down what it wants from a new fleet of continental defence corvettes it’s hoping to acquire about a decade from now.

Vice-Admiral Angus Topshee tells The Canadian Press he’s looking for ships with a long range that pack a punch in combat and can also deal with Arctic ice.

That likely will result in a set of requirements unique to Canada’s military.

Topshee says the navy wants the ships to be “Canadian from the core” and “absolutely built in Canada,” wherever possible.

The navy is still in the early stages of its search for a dozen or more corvette warships that would be smaller than frigates – one of the next major procurement projects the military is expected to pursue after it settles on a new fle