Before the first River-class Destroyer ever cuts through open water, Royal Canadian Navy sailors will already know its decks, systems, and engineering spaces intimately.
In a move that underscores how digital engineering is reshaping Canada’s defence enterprise, Fleetway Inc. has awarded a $32-million subcontract to Nova Scotia–founded technology firm Modest Tree to deliver immersive, design-derived training systems for the Royal Canadian Navy’s transition from the Halifax-class frigates to its future River-class Destroyers.
The initiative represents more than a training contract. It is a decisive step in how Canada prepares its sailors to operate some of the most complex surface combatants ever built for the Royal Canadian Navy—while strengthening the country’s sovereign naval capability under the National Shipbuilding Strategy.
Training the Fleet Before It Floats
The River-class Destroyer program marks a generational shift in Canadian naval capability. These ships will replace the aging Halifax-class frigates and serve as the backbone of Canada’s future surface fleet. But complexity at sea demands mastery long before commissioning.
Modest Tree’s solution is designed to close that gap.
Built directly from validated River-class Destroyer digital ship design data and original equipment manufacturer documentation, the training platform will transform complex engineering models into high-fidelity, interactive operational environments. Sailors will train on ship systems well before the first vessel enters service—accelerating readiness, reducing introduction-to-service risk, and ensuring crews arrive prepared from day one.
“As Canada builds its future fleet, we are building the training advantage alongside it,” said Emily Smits, CEO of Modest Tree. “We are transforming engineering design into operational readiness while creating high-value technology jobs here in Nova Scotia.”
By converting design models into immersive learning systems, the program bridges engineering and operations in a way that reflects the modern naval battlespace: digital, integrated, and data-driven.
From Engineering Model to Operational Mastery
At the heart of the effort is a powerful concept—training derived directly from the ship’s digital design environment.
Rather than waiting for physical platforms to be delivered, the system integrates validated design data and technical documentation across the destroyer enterprise. This ensures that what sailors see in training mirrors the evolving reality of the ship as it is built and ultimately sustained.
Fleetway personnel will be trained to manage lifecycle courseware updates, enabling configuration-accurate training that evolves in lockstep with the ship’s build and service life. As modifications occur, training content can be updated accordingly—ensuring crews always operate against the most current configuration.
“In complex warships, preparation is decisive,” said John Newton (Rear-Admiral retired), Managing Director, Fleetway Inc. “By generating training directly from the ship’s digital design, we are compressing the learning curve and forging crews ready to operate Canada’s most advanced surface combatants from day one.”
The approach compresses timelines, lowers operational risk, and reinforces the principle that readiness is not an afterthought—it is engineered from inception.
Anchoring Digital Sovereignty in Atlantic Canada
Beyond fleet readiness, the subcontract reinforces Canada’s defence industrial base under the National Shipbuilding Strategy. It anchors advanced digital engineering and software expertise in Atlantic Canada while supporting high-value technology employment in Nova Scotia.
By keeping this capability domestic, Canada strengthens sovereign control over naval training systems—an increasingly critical factor in an era where digital security and operational autonomy are inseparable from maritime power.
The collaboration between Fleetway and Modest Tree reflects a broader shift within Canada’s defence ecosystem: industrial partners are not simply suppliers, but capability builders embedded across the lifecycle of major platforms.
As the River-class Destroyers move from design to steel and sea trials, the crews who will operate them will already be learning, adapting, and mastering the systems that define Canada’s next generation of naval power.
In this new paradigm, the fleet is not just constructed—it is digitally rehearsed into existence.
