Ontario Shipyards shows off new look at Vigilance 100

It's been a while since we have seen anything new from the Vigilance 100—since CANSEC, really. Vard’s proposal for the Continental Defence Corvette has closely followed the ever-changing nature of the project itself. Starting with the Vigilance-class OPV (now Vigilance 75 Flight I) back in 2023, which evolved into the up-armed Flight II, and now her larger sister in the Vigilance 100 unveiled at this year's CANSEC: The Vigilance proposal.

Talking about Vigilance was one of the first things I did on Substack, and so it holds a special place in my heart and interests to keep documenting. I was also the person who coined the term "Frankencorvette," so perhaps I could have been nicer back then.

Anywho, as CDC has evolved from a small, modular corvette into something more akin to a Minifax, so has Vard and their partners in Ontario Shipyards, Thales, Fincantieri, and SH Defence had to evolve the Vigilance platform to meet these increased demands of the Royal Canadian Navy.

Enter Vigilance 100, an evolution of the Vigilance 75 design that aimed to further expand the existing family with a high-end Corvette design. While both the Vigilance 75 and 100 share suppliers and many internal systems, including the Thales radar suite and SH Defence CUBE modules, the 100 is further expanded on the original design, moving the modular mission deck amidships, expanding the flight deck and hangar to accommodate the CH-148 Cyclone, and adding both NSM and 16 Mk.41 VLS cells.

Not too dissimilar to other high-end Corvette/Light Frigate designs on the market, such as the MEKO A100 family, Yarmook-class corvette, the Luerssen C90 corvette, or the proposed Navantia Tasman-class Corvette. All share similar combat capabilities and sensor suites. In any case, the Vigilance 100, while focused more highly on the modular mission space than most, is a respectable corvette proposal by any account.

So imagine my surprise when Ontario Shipyards just casually posts this image which, while 95 percent the same as previous images, decides to throw TWENTY-FOUR MK41 CELLS ONTO THIS FUCKER INSTEAD OF THE PREVIOUS SIXTEEN.

That's right. Vard and friends have decided to up the stakes a bit, and potentially tease me, by throwing 24 cells—same as the River—onto the Vigilance 100. Now, I don't know how many cells the Navy is considering for CDC. Hell, there is still some debate on if VLS will make the pass at all.

However, I don't think anyone has asked for 24 cells. That is a significant increase to the original proposal from May, and isn't something to just scoff at. That’s a one-third increase in the amount of VLS cells, and puts it in a league well above what I would consider a Corvette, even a high-end one. That's a full-on frigate in my books. It’s certainly more than the current Halifax-class.

Along with that, the graphic removes the previous Bofors 57mm and the visible NSM launchers. The outline is still there though, which makes me wonder if that's specifically for reference purposes or whether they are switching to a retractable launcher. I can see the desire for a retractable launcher if you're thinking about potential operations in the Arctic; however, even under current plans, the expectation is that CDC will be limited primarily to the July-October shipping months.

Of course, by this point I am tempted to call CDC a frigate for all intents and purposes. We are already at a stage where many expect them to match the combat capabilities of the Halifax-class, even if only a desire. A proposal like this would take it beyond the Halifax, and so I can't in my own mind consider them Corvettes. Someone will yell at me about STANAG 1166 and such, and everyone is free to debate, but this is a frigate, gang. It ain't fooling anyone.

Of course, admittedly, this is something of the direction I was worried about seeing, and something that silently makes me a bit anxious. We are getting very close to a vessel that one could argue is "good enough" to act as a potential substitute to the River-class.

The closer these get to the River-class in terms of capabilities—even if they will never be as capable—the easier it is for a future government to justify cuts to the "Large, Expensive, American" River-class. Before, I didn't have a whole lot of worries. While a Corvette is certainly capable, it isn't capable enough to me to justify cuts even at the political level.

NOT THIS THOUGH. CERTAINLY NOT. THIS IS THE KIND OF EVOLUTION I WAS SPECIFICALLY WORRIED ABOUT. I'm sorry for all the caps, but I want to try and convey my emotions accurately. Understand that while we might have a requirement for fifteen River-class, and so far both the Conservatives and Liberals have committed to the full order in spirit, it's impossible to predict the mentalities and policies of a government a decade from now.

Eventually the pendulum will swing back, the public will start turning against defence spending, the economy might falter, and stuff like the River-class will look like a tasty option for a future government looking to cut spending, especially if a Continental Defence Corvette is again "good enough."

I don't know. It's certainly a cool concept, no hate to Vard. However, I have some worries. I have some concerns when I see a proposal like this and question the future issues this might cause down the road. Maybe that's just me being overly paranoid and anxious for nothing. However, I can't shake that feeling.

We know little about Vigilance 100. We don't have numbers and Vard has been hesitant it seems to fully speak on it. Hopefully, this tease at least means we'll be getting some new info soon. That would be nice.

Anyways I wanted to quickly show this off. Hopefully y'all can gave some fun with this one!