Arctic/Offshore Patrol Ship AOPS

[Colin Parkinson]

Don't go there, the DFO guys are still whining about that!  ;D

The sad part is I only learn here after many years that the MCDV have some ice rating, frigging PAO's

 

[Stoker]

Don't go there, the DFO guys are still whining about that!  ;D

The sad part is I only learn here after many years that the MCDV have some ice rating, frigging PAO's

It does and we also have arctic cooling as well when operating in slush.

 

[Spencer100]

Here is the name of the next one. The fifth will be the HMCS Frederick Rolette. 

http://blogs.windsorstar.com/news/federal-government-names-arctic-vessel-after-local-war-hero

 

[FSTO]

Here is the name of the next one. The fifth will be the HMCS Frederick Rolette. 

http://blogs.windsorstar.com/news/federal-government-names-arctic-vessel-after-local-war-hero

Little bit of nit-picking here but you never put "the" before HMCS.

 

[dimsum]

Little bit of nit-picking here but you never put "the" before HMCS.

I wouldn't say "nitpicking" - it's grammatically correct.  You wouldn't say/write "the Her Majesty's....", etc.

 

[Blackadder1916]

I wouldn't say "nitpicking" - it's grammatically correct.  You wouldn't say/write "the Her Majesty's....", etc.

Have we reached the stage of being pedantic about being pedantic?

 

[Kirkhill]

Have we reached the stage of being pedantic about being pedantic?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z5JvchsfnmQ

 

[dimsum]

Have we reached the stage of being pedantic about being pedantic?

Yes.  >

 

[Spencer100]

Sorry, I will never do that again. 

 

[Underway]

So any guesses on whether they will bother naming a 6th ship only to cancel after the election, or wait until they figure there's enough money in the kitty to pay up for the 6th one.

 

[ringo]

IMHO 5 AOPS types will be enough leave money in the kitty for more important programs.

 

[YZT580]

With the Arctic's new importance as a resource rich yet vulnerable region I would suggest that it is one of the more important responsibilities of the DND in general and the RCN in particular.  If anything the AOPS are going to prove as too small and will require replacement with a more robust vessel with greater available resources.  'but that is down the line, in the meantime 5 is not enough.  Need 3 on each coast with one in the shop, one on patrol and one working up.  Two on each coast with one spare is just too hard on both equipment and crews: the Arctic is not a forgiving place to work.  IMHO

 

[SeaKingTacco]

I wouldn't split the AOPS between the coasts. I would keep all the AOPS on east coast and give that fleet year the arctic mission. I would then move some frigates and/or CSC west to deal with the Pacific reality.

 

[Harrigan]

I wouldn't split the AOPS between the coasts. I would keep all the AOPS on east coast and give that fleet year the arctic mission. I would then move some frigates and/or CSC west to deal with the Pacific reality.

Concur.  With ice conditions prevalent at various points all down the Eastern Seaboard as well as the Arctic, makes more sense to base all the AOPS in Halifax.  No ice in the Pacific.  Presumably that is why the CCG has all their icebreakers in the East.

Harrigan

 

[YZT580]

Perhaps wintering in Halifax but it is a long voyage from there to even Hudson's Bay.  You are going to need a northern port (perhaps Churchill?) to use as a summer base otherwise a third of your deployment will be taken up with transit.

 

[Pat in Halifax]

I have actually said Churchill before many times in various circles. In the past, it has been utilized as a FLS for northern deployments. The infrastructure is there (though privately owned apparently by an American company) and I would suggest that in 10-15 years, Churchill itself may become an ice free port meaning a possible third major Naval Base. Actually for the time being, basing AOPS out of St John's vice Halifax makes far more sense (for the northern deployments). I suppose one must keep in mind that these vessels are also mandated as Offshore Patrol as well.

Pat

 

[YZT580]

Concur.  With ice conditions prevalent at various points all down the Eastern Seaboard as well as the Arctic, makes more sense to base all the AOPS in Halifax.  No ice in the Pacific.  Presumably that is why the CCG has all their icebreakers in the East.

Harrigan

The primary purpose of the AOPS is not to break ice but to provide military services to the north.  The ice capability is simply a tool to enable those services.  The greater part of our northern coast and the primary commercial activity will be centred around the Mackenzie delta ergo, you need to go there and the easiest quickest passage is from the west

 

[Harrigan]

The primary purpose of the AOPS is not to break ice but to provide military services to the north.  The ice capability is simply a tool to enable those services.  The greater part of our northern coast and the primary commercial activity will be centred around the Mackenzie delta ergo, you need to go there and the easiest quickest passage is from the west

I know it may seem counter-intuitive, but it is actually not the easier quickest passage to the Beaufort Sea.  While it is marginally shorter than going from Halifax (Alaska is big), there are no places to get fuel north of Dutch Harbour in the Aleutians.  Using Nuuk, Thule (in Greenland) and Nanisivik when (if) it becomes active make operating across the Arctic far more feasible from the East than the West.

As for the commercial activity, they have been waiting decades for the Mackenzie Delta to be economically viable for extraction purposes and to justify building the Mackenzie Valley Pipeline, but they are still waiting.....  Meanwhile, there are plenty of mines in Nunavut that are either operating now or opening up, and that is increasing commercial shipping traffic.  For the foreseeable future, the Eastern High Arctic is where the action is.

Harrigan

 

[Colin Parkinson]

Concur.  With ice conditions prevalent at various points all down the Eastern Seaboard as well as the Arctic, makes more sense to base all the AOPS in Halifax.  No ice in the Pacific.  Presumably that is why the CCG has all their icebreakers in the East.

Harrigan

CCG also bases a 1100 class in the Pacific as the Pacific region is responsible for the Western Arctic.

 

[Stoker]

With the Arctic's new importance as a resource rich yet vulnerable region I would suggest that it is one of the more important responsibilities of the DND in general and the RCN in particular.  If anything the AOPS are going to prove as too small and will require replacement with a more robust vessel with greater available resources.  'but that is down the line, in the meantime 5 is not enough.  Need 3 on each coast with one in the shop, one on patrol and one working up.  Two on each coast with one spare is just too hard on both equipment and crews: the Arctic is not a forgiving place to work.  IMHO

I would say AOPS will be extremely busy in the Arctic, there's lots of work for them to do.