The Canadian government and Irving Shipbuilding are extending the submission deadline for design bids for the Canadian surface combatant fleet.
It has been moved to November 30 to simplify submission requirements after bidders requested additional time.
The original deadline for the CA$60 billion (US$47 billion) project, described as, "the largest, most complex procurement undertaken by the government of Canada", was April 27, 2017.
The ships being built will form the backbone of the Royal Canadian Navy.
They are required to be a, "decisive combat power at sea and support during land operations", and be used for counter-piracy, counter-terrorism, interdiction and embargo operations, the delivery of humanitarian aid, search and rescue, law and sovereignty enforcement for regional engagements.
Up to 15 ships based on the winning design will be built to replace the Royal Canadian Navy's Iroquois-class destroyers and Halifax-class frigates.
Despite the delays, the Canadian government said the procurement process was still scheduled to conclude by 2018. Construction was expected to start in the early 2020s.
