Ottawa is putting $12.3 million into a new wireless communications system aboard Canada's warships.
The systems will be installed on the country's frigates, including HMCS Charlottetown, which returned Tuesday from a nine-month naval deployment in the Middle East.
DRS Technologies Canada Ltd., a multinational company headquartered in Ottawa that has offices in Halifax, will deliver and support the network over the next five years.
The new mobile hand-held radios will help sailors communicate securely with each other and to points on land.
The contract for their delivery was announced Tuesday in Halifax by Bernard Valcourt, associate defence minister.
The multimillion-dollar contract wasn't expected to add new jobs to the Canadian navy or DRS, but company spokesman Michael Babec says the contract will help ensure the security of 50 DRS workers.
