Arctic Patrol Ship Project
Encyclopedia
In July 2007 The Government of Canada
announced plans for the Arctic Patrol Ship Project which will see the construction of 6-8 vessels for the Royal Canadian Navy
.
These vessels were initially announced to be based on the Norwegian
Svalbard class and were projected to cost $3.1 billion CAD to construct; the total project procurement was budgeted to cost $4.3 billion in order to cover maintenance over the 25 year lifespan of the vessels.
The first ship in the class was expected to be delivered in 2014. As of January 2011 a contract for the construction of these ships has not been signed. On October 19th 2011, it was announced that the Halifax Shipyards, owned by Irving Shipbuilding
was selected for a $25 billion contract to build 8 Arctic patrol ships as well as 15 other warships.
.
In 2007 it was announced that the Canadian Forces would purchase 6 to 8 patrol ships having a polar class
of PC-5, meaning that they were capable of limited ice breaking.
This announcement was met with some controversy, and the proposed ships have been called "slush-breakers", by Dr. Gary Stern, a scientist aboard CCGS Amundsen
, and Jack Layton of the NDP
. However, it is notable that of the 19 Canadian Coast Guard icebreakers currently in service, only 6 have a polar class
higher than PC 5.
. The vessels' stern would have been designed for ice breaking and they would have employed azimuth thruster
s for propulsion and for chewing through resistant ice. However, due to cost constraints, a conventional bow-first design was chosen for both light and heavy icebreaking. The propulsion would be provided by diesel-electric twin shafts with bolt on propellers, similar to existing Canadian Coast Guard icebreakers
.
The vessels will have a hangar and flight deck capable of employing and maintaining the same maritime helicopters as the Navy's other vessels, the CH-148 Cyclone when it enters service, and the similar sized Canadian Forces Search and Rescue
CH-149 Cormorant
.
In 2008, a contract was awarded to BMT Fleet Technology
and STX Canada Marine to assist in developing technical specifications and a design for the project. The technical specifications will be used to draft a Request for Proposals. It is likely that project implementation will begin when the contracts are expected to be awarded in August of 2010.
Government of Canada
The Government of Canada, formally Her Majesty's Government, is the system whereby the federation of Canada is administered by a common authority; in Canadian English, the term can mean either the collective set of institutions or specifically the Queen-in-Council...
announced plans for the Arctic Patrol Ship Project which will see the construction of 6-8 vessels for the Royal Canadian Navy
Royal Canadian Navy
The history of the Royal Canadian Navy goes back to 1910, when the naval force was created as the Naval Service of Canada and renamed a year later by King George V. The Royal Canadian Navy is one of the three environmental commands of the Canadian Forces...
.
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
Svalbard class and were projected to cost $3.1 billion CAD to construct; the total project procurement was budgeted to cost $4.3 billion in order to cover maintenance over the 25 year lifespan of the vessels.
The first ship in the class was expected to be delivered in 2014. As of January 2011 a contract for the construction of these ships has not been signed. On October 19th 2011, it was announced that the Halifax Shipyards, owned by Irving Shipbuilding
Irving Shipbuilding
Irving Shipbuilding Incorporated is the largest shipbuilder in Canada. Headquartered in Halifax, Nova Scotia, the company is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Canadian industrial conglomerate J.D. Irving Limited....
was selected for a $25 billion contract to build 8 Arctic patrol ships as well as 15 other warships.
Project History
In 2006 Prime Minister Stephen Harper had spoken about building 3 to 4 icebreakers capable of travelling through thick ice in the Arctic OceanArctic Ocean
The Arctic Ocean, located in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Arctic north polar region, is the smallest and shallowest of the world's five major oceanic divisions...
.
In 2007 it was announced that the Canadian Forces would purchase 6 to 8 patrol ships having a polar class
Polar class
Polar class refers to the ice class assigned to a ship by a classification society. A Polar class ship refers to a ship for which a Polar class has been assigned....
of PC-5, meaning that they were capable of limited ice breaking.
This announcement was met with some controversy, and the proposed ships have been called "slush-breakers", by Dr. Gary Stern, a scientist aboard CCGS Amundsen
CCGS Amundsen
CCGS Amundsen is a T1200 Class Medium Arctic icebreaker and Arctic research vessel operated by the Canadian Coast Guard.-CCGS Sir John Franklin:...
, and Jack Layton of the NDP
New Democratic Party
The New Democratic Party , commonly referred to as the NDP, is a federal social-democratic political party in Canada. The interim leader of the NDP is Nycole Turmel who was appointed to the position due to the illness of Jack Layton, who died on August 22, 2011. The provincial wings of the NDP in...
. However, it is notable that of the 19 Canadian Coast Guard icebreakers currently in service, only 6 have a polar class
Polar class
Polar class refers to the ice class assigned to a ship by a classification society. A Polar class ship refers to a ship for which a Polar class has been assigned....
higher than PC 5.
Design
The vessels' design was initially intended to incorporate a conventional icebreaking bow for cruising, and would have proceeded backwards for breaking heavy iceDouble acting ship
Double acting ship is a type of icebreaking merchant ship designed to run ahead in open water and astern in ice...
. The vessels' stern would have been designed for ice breaking and they would have employed azimuth thruster
Azimuth thruster
An azimuth thruster is a configuration of ship propellers placed in pods that can be rotated in any horizontal direction, making a rudder unnecessary...
s for propulsion and for chewing through resistant ice. However, due to cost constraints, a conventional bow-first design was chosen for both light and heavy icebreaking. The propulsion would be provided by diesel-electric twin shafts with bolt on propellers, similar to existing Canadian Coast Guard icebreakers
Equipment of the Canadian Coast Guard
The Canadian Coast Guard maintains a fleet of sea and lake going vessels, hovercraft, and aircraft.-Vessels: ships and small boats:...
.
The vessels will have a hangar and flight deck capable of employing and maintaining the same maritime helicopters as the Navy's other vessels, the CH-148 Cyclone when it enters service, and the similar sized Canadian Forces Search and Rescue
Search and rescue
Search and rescue is the search for and provision of aid to people who are in distress or imminent danger.The general field of search and rescue includes many specialty sub-fields, mostly based upon terrain considerations...
CH-149 Cormorant
CH-149 Cormorant
The AgustaWestland CH-149 Cormorant is the Canadian Forces designation for the AgustaWestland AW101 , a helicopter used for air-sea rescue in Canada...
.
In 2008, a contract was awarded to BMT Fleet Technology
BMT Limited
Established in 1985, BMT Group Ltd is an international multi-disciplinary engineering, science and technology consultancy offering a broad range of services, particularly in the defence, energy, environment, maritime transport, marine risk and insurance, shipping and general transportation sectors...
and STX Canada Marine to assist in developing technical specifications and a design for the project. The technical specifications will be used to draft a Request for Proposals. It is likely that project implementation will begin when the contracts are expected to be awarded in August of 2010.
See also
- Canadian Coast GuardCanadian Coast GuardThe Canadian Coast Guard is the coast guard of Canada. It is a federal agency responsible for providing maritime search and rescue , aids to navigation, marine pollution response, marine radio, and icebreaking...
- Canada First Defence StrategyCanada First Defence StrategyThe Canada First Defence Strategy is the military recruitment and improvement strategy of the Canadian government to improve the overall effectiveness of the Canadian Forces...
- CCGS John G. Diefenbaker
- Joint Support Ship ProjectJoint Support Ship ProjectThe Joint Support Ship Project is a project undertaken by the Canadian Forces to provide Canada with three multirole naval vessels. The Joint Support Ship will enable a Naval Task Group to remain at sea for up to six times longer than is currently possible...
- Royal Canadian NavyRoyal Canadian NavyThe history of the Royal Canadian Navy goes back to 1910, when the naval force was created as the Naval Service of Canada and renamed a year later by King George V. The Royal Canadian Navy is one of the three environmental commands of the Canadian Forces...