Arctic/Offshore Patrol Ship AOPS

[Baz]

Will it be a problem that they don't have a beartrap haul down system?

The pitch and roll limits will be lower, which will be established by air trials, usually by AETE, but the Cyclone Combined Test Force may be able to do them.

 

[Uzlu]

Canada's new Arctic patrol ships could be tasked with hurricane relief

Navy expects to take possession of two new ships in the new year

The Canadian navy will take possession of two Arctic Offshore Patrol Ships in the new year — and it looks like they'll be spending as much time in the sunny south as they do in the Far North.

Vice-Admiral Art McDonald, the commander of the navy, told CBC News recently that military planners see the ships playing a role in delivering disaster relief in the Caribbean, where hurricanes have been increasing in size and destructive power.

"We can see a great opportunity to use this hurricane response as we go forward," McDonald said in a year-end interview. "Ironically, the Arctic offshore patrol vessel will find itself equally spending its time between our Far North and down south in support of our securing the continent."

The first of the long-awaited patrol ships, HMCS Harry DeWolf, conducted sea trials a few weeks ago under the supervision of its builder, Irving Shipbuilding of Halifax. It's due to be handed over to the navy in the spring, McDonald said.

Some members of the ship's inaugural crew took part in the shakedown to familiarize themselves with the new vessels.

"We've completed our training and we're ready to take it," McDonald said.

A second ship, HMCS Margaret Brooke, will be delivered to the navy in the fall.

Irving's Halifax Shipyard originally was slated to deliver the Harry DeWolf in 2018, but the deadline was pushed ahead to the end of 2019 and then pushed again into 2020.

That new timeline puts the date of delivery nearly five years after construction started.

McDonald said there are always delays when the first ships in a new class of vessels are introduced and the navy is satisfied it will receive fully functional, capable ships.

"We know that the lessons learned from tackling those production challenges, they're being folded into the second ship and into the third ship," he said.

Major component blocks of the third ship are being assembled at the Halifax yard now, and company officials, speaking recently on background, said production has become exponentially more efficient since the completion of the second vessel.

Steel for the fourth ship is being cut and shaped.

The brainchild of the former Conservative government, the Arctic Offshore Patrol Ships originally were pitched 15 years ago as three armed heavy icebreakers for the Far North. That morphed into a plan — originally pegged at $3.1 billion —  to build eight light icebreakers. The number was cut to five (with the possible addition of a sixth) by the time the program got underway.

A little more than a year ago, the Liberal government confirmed it would build a sixth ship for the navy and construct two others for the Canadian Coast Guard.

Irving is the prime contractor for the navy's new frigate program; some expressed concerns that the company would be stuck with a gap in production between the frigates and the patrol ships. The addition of the three new ships promised by the Liberals all but closes that construction gap, company officials acknowledged. It also added $800 million to the program's revised $3.5 billion budget.

CBC News recently was given access to the Harry DeWolf as contractors completed last-minute work. Compared with previous Canadian warships, its cabins and work areas are spacious and high-tech.

McDonald said he believes the versatile design will make the ship useful, not only for sovereignty and security patrols, but also for research projects.

"We can bring on scientists," he said. "We can bring on teams focused around missions that are larger than the navy as we go forward."

https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/arctic-offshore-patrol-ships-frigates-irving-canadian-navy-1.5404650

 

[Stoker]

https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/arctic-offshore-patrol-ships-frigates-irving-canadian-navy-1.5404650

Not really news when all RCN ships can be tasked with disaster relief.

 

[Kirkhill]

Not really news when all RCN ships can be tasked with disaster relief.

Except that the original ConOps saw 8 ships spending all their time in Canadian waters following the ice.  Not 6 ships spending half their time in the Caribbean.

On the other hand the new CSCs with their enhanced boat decks should do well enough carting sea-cans.

 

[MarkOttawa]

This is all about justifying naval/military assets in warm and fuzzy terms, hoping to convince the pols and public that spending is worthwhile. By the way CCG did hurricane relief too with Katrina:

...
A fourth ship loaded with supplies, the Canadian coast guard icebreaker Sir William Alexander, is lagging even further behind the Canadian navy task force and might not arrive until Wednesday...
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/canadian-katrina-aid-to-arrive-monday/article20425643/

Mark
Ottawa

 

[Stoker]

Except that the original ConOps saw 8 ships spending all their time in Canadian waters following the ice.  Not 6 ships spending half their time in the Caribbean.

On the other hand the new CSCs with their enhanced boat decks should do well enough carting sea-cans.

The ConOPs that I saw at least 3 or 4 years ago had AOPS deploying to the Arctic, Caribbean, Africa and wherever else the RCN and government wanted to send them. That in conjunction with the Kingston Class. Wouldn't make much sense to tie them in Halifax or Esquimalt would it? The design for the AOPS takes into account operations in tropical areas.

 

[NavyShooter]

I'm glad I pushed to have the HADR kits put into Sea Cans last year...and that the folks in charge of that listened to me.

 

[Underway]

Except that the original ConOps saw 8 ships spending all their time in Canadian waters following the ice.  Not 6 ships spending half their time in the Caribbean.

On the other hand, the new CSCs with their enhanced boat decks should do well enough carting sea-cans.

Ships are flexible.  These ones in particular.  The Gov't will be happy with the new options the RCN can now provide them in more situations.

 

[Colin Parkinson]

I'm glad I pushed to have the HADR kits put into Sea Cans last year...and that the folks in charge of that listened to me.

For us laymen, HADR kits?

 

[Stoker]

For us laymen, HADR kits?

I'm guessing Humanitarian and Disaster Relief

 

[NavyShooter]

Almost got it - Humanitarian Aid/Disaster Relief

I was the Tech Services Chief at Base Logistics until March - last year when things were getting put together for AST, I was consulted about the contents of the kits - I reached out to sailors on the STJ who had done the HADR stuff in the Caribbean just a couple of months prior, and made some adjustments to the kits.


For example - there's now IMP's included in the 25 person kit (Annex A) so that the troops going ashore on the first day have food to bring with them, instead of having to worry about the ship pushing meals out to them ashore.  Talking to the PO2 who worked FP on that stint - he was ashore for 8 hours with his team and no food showed up...so...IMP's it is. 


I also got the "Brief Relief" portable potty bag kits included too.  Much easier than the 'blue rocket' that a junior LOGO in HQ though we'd be able to bring with the ships when we went out...
NS

 

[dapaterson]

See, I just assumed that with anything from the RCN, the letters "DR" had to be referring to "Dark Rum".

 

[Underway]

See, I just assumed that with anything from the RCN, the letters "DR" had to be referring to "Dark Rum".

I believe the RCN labeling system has that down as XXXX actually, (as opposed to XXX which is something totally different).

 

[Colin Parkinson]

While working on a report, I have been using this document on ice navigation in Canadian waters, some of you may find it interesting https://www.ccg-gcc.gc.ca/publications/icebreaking-deglacage/ice-navigation-glaces/docs/ice-navigation-dans-les-galces-eng.pdf

 

[Good2Golf]

While working on a report, I have been using this document on ice navigation in Canadian waters, some of you may find it interesting https://www.ccg-gcc.gc.ca/publications/icebreaking-deglacage/ice-navigation-glaces/docs/ice-navigation-dans-les-galces-eng.pdf

Very interesting, Colin. Thanks for this. Page 81 makes you realize that I’ve can be a real threat.

 

[Colin Parkinson]

We almost lost the Camsell to ice ripping her hull open. http://www.nauticapedia.ca/dbase/Query/Shiplist4.php?&name=Camsell%20%28C.C.G.S.%29&id=2412&Page=1&input=camsell


In the wee hours of September 10, 1978, while breaking ice near Jenny Lind Island (again those dangerous waters off King William Island) the CCG vessel Camsell slid off the frozen pack she was breaking, scraping her port side along an immovable shelf of multi-year ice. In the process, she sustained a mid-ship gash of approximately four metres long and a half metre wide allowing immediate flooding of her engine room. By mid-morning the water was up to her main deck. She was beached, patched and towed back by tug to Victoria where it took a year for officials to deliberate her fate and another year to repair her.

from: https://www.disegnojewellery.ca/pages/un-cut-version

 

[Gorgo]

BTW, when is the official christening ceremony for the Margaret Brooke?

 

[OceanBonfire]

Last weekend, we took our first new Arctic and Offshore Patrol Ship out for a test drive in Halifax!

Over the past few days, the future #HMCSHarryDeWolf underwent sea trials to assess major ship systems and performance. These trials are critical for ensuring that she is sea-ready and ship-shape to support Royal Canadian Navy operations once delivered.

https://www.facebook.com/pg/CanadianForces/posts/?ref=page_internal

https://twitter.com/CanadianForces/status/1224686555308138496

 

[Underway]

BTW, when is the official christening ceremony for the Margaret Brooke?

We don't christen them anymore.  Ceremonial naming is what happens.  As for the answer to your question I believe it will be this spring/summer when the weather gets better and HDW is out of the way (no data on that, just speculation).

 

[Czech_pivo]

Anyone have thoughts if they'll switch out the 25mm auto-cannons on the AOPS's as the 57's begin coming offline from the Halifax's?  Would certainly give the AOPS's a better ability to 'reach out and touch someone' if the need ever came about.

I don't see them reusing the 57's on whatever we build to replace the Kingston's, though I'd be happy if they did.