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Fleetway Inc. Awards $32 Million Contract to Nova Scotia’s Modest Tree for River-Class Destroyer Training Program
Before the first River-class Destroyer enters service, Royal Canadian Navy sailors will already be training aboard it.
Modest Tree, a Nova Scotia–founded defence technology company, has been awarded a $32-million subcontract by Fleetway Inc. to deliver immersive, design-derived training systems supporting the Royal Canadian Navy’s transition from Halifax-class frigates to its future River-class Destroyers.
Built directly from validated River-class Destroyer digital ship design data and original equipment manufacturer documentation, the platform will convert complex engineering models into high-fidelity, interactive operational environments. Sailors will train on ship systems well before commissioning, accelerating readiness, reducing introduction-to-service risk, and strengthening Canada’s sovereign naval capability.
The subcontract reinforces Canada’s defence industrial base under the National Shipbuilding Strategy and anchors advanced digital engineering and software expertise in Atlantic Canada.
“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.”
“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 training system will integrate validated design data and technical documentation across the destroyer enterprise. Fleetway personnel will be trained to manage lifecycle courseware updates, ensuring configuration-accurate training evolves in step with the ship’s build and service life.
About Fleetway
Fleetway is Canada’s Design Agent for major combatants, providing engineering authority and in-service support to the nation’s frontline warships. For four decades, Fleetway has sustained Canada’s combat fleet, integrating new systems, managing risk, and preserving operational advantage at sea.
About Modest Tree
Founded in Nova Scotia in 2011, Modest Tree delivers advanced 3D training and digital engineering solutions for defence and industry, transforming complex technical data into immersive operational capability.