Maritime Coastal Defence Vessel Project
Encyclopedia
The Maritime Coastal Defence Vessel Project (MCDVP) was a procurement project undertaken by the Department of National Defence
beginning in the mid-1980s to find a replacement for the , and minesweepers.
Today, these vessels are known as the Royal Canadian Navy
's maritime coastal defence vessels (MCDVs).
naval reservists and regular force members
and were to have the capability to quickly change out "modularized mission packages" ranging from minesweeping to route survey to coastal patrol
(anti-smuggling/immigration law enforcement operations) to fisheries patrol
duties.
The federal government's procurement agency, the Department of Public Works
, placed a Request for Proposal in 1988 to Canadian shipbuilders for construction of 12 MCDVs. Six proposals were submitted, 1 from Fenco Engineers, 1 from Halifax Dartmouth Industries
(HDIL), 1 from Saint John Shipbuilding
, 1 from Allied Shipbuilders, 1 from Canadian Shipbuilding & Engineering, and 1 from MIL-Davie
.
The federal government awarded the $750 million contract in 1992 for the design and construction of the twelve new MCDVs to Fenco Engineers, a subsidiary of Lavalin
. Fenco was renamed Fenco MacLaren in 1993 and is now known as SNC-Lavalin Defence Programs Inc (SLDPI) of the SNC-Lavalin
group of companies.
Fenco sub-contracted various portions of the project to first tier subcontractors Thomson‐CSF Canada
, MacDonald Dettwiler & Associates, Tecsult Eduplus Inc and Halifax Dartmouth Industries
.
The same year that Fenco sub-contracted the vessel construction to Halifax Dartmouth Industries, the shipyard was purchased by Irving Shipbuilding
and renamed Halifax Shipyard Ltd
. This change in ownership saw construction of the MCDVs modularized with sections of the vessels constructed at Irving Shipbuilding facilities in Georgetown, PEI
and Shelburne, NS
for later assembly in Halifax.
One area of reported controversy was the decision by the government to only arm the ships with .50 calibre machine guns. Subsequent design modifications resulted in a single Bofors
40 mm 60 Mk 5C cannon being added to the bow of each ship.
Another area of controversy apparently resulted with the means by which the ships were to be ballasted in order to adjust the trim of the ships. The shipyard had proposed to use cement
however government procurement officers and SNC-Lavalin
engineers proposed to use water. Unfortunately water was susceptible to being pumped out, rendering the ships unstable. Lead
was proposed but rejected by the government so in the end steel
was used for ballast.
Department of National Defence (Canada)
The Department of National Defence , frequently referred to by its acronym DND, is the department within the government of Canada with responsibility for all matters concerning the defence of Canada...
beginning in the mid-1980s to find a replacement for the , and minesweepers.
Today, these vessels are known as 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...
's maritime coastal defence vessels (MCDVs).
Project history
These vessels were to be designed for crewing by a combined crew of approximately 30-40 Canadian ForcesCanadian Forces
The Canadian Forces , officially the Canadian Armed Forces , are the unified armed forces of Canada, as constituted by the National Defence Act, which states: "The Canadian Forces are the armed forces of Her Majesty raised by Canada and consist of one Service called the Canadian Armed Forces."...
naval reservists and regular force members
Regular Force
In the Canadian Forces, a Regular Force unit or person is part of the full-time military, as opposed to being part of the Primary Reserve.Regular Force personnel are employed full-time, and have usually signed long-term contracts committing them to regular service...
and were to have the capability to quickly change out "modularized mission packages" ranging from minesweeping to route survey to coastal patrol
Patrol boat
A patrol boat is a relatively small naval vessel generally designed for coastal defense duties.There have been many designs for patrol boats. They may be operated by a nation's navy, coast guard, or police force, and may be intended for marine and/or estuarine or river environments...
(anti-smuggling/immigration law enforcement operations) to fisheries patrol
Fisheries management
Fisheries management draws on fisheries science in order to find ways to protect fishery resources so sustainable exploitation is possible. Modern fisheries management is often referred to as a governmental system of appropriate management rules based on defined objectives and a mix of management...
duties.
The federal government's procurement agency, the Department of Public Works
Public Works and Government Services Canada
Public Works and Government Services Canada is the department of the government of Canada with responsibility for the government's internal servicing and administration....
, placed a Request for Proposal in 1988 to Canadian shipbuilders for construction of 12 MCDVs. Six proposals were submitted, 1 from Fenco Engineers, 1 from Halifax Dartmouth Industries
Halifax Shipyard
The Halifax Shipyard Limited is a Canadian shipbuilding company located in Halifax, Nova Scotia.It is a wholly owned subsidiary of Irving Shipbuilding Inc...
(HDIL), 1 from Saint John Shipbuilding
Saint John Shipbuilding
Saint John Shipbuilding was a Canadian shipbuilding company located in Saint John, New Brunswick. It operated from 1923-2003.-History:Numerous shipyards were located on the shores of Courtney Bay in the east end of Saint John Harbour where extensive mud flats dried at low tide.In 1918 it was...
, 1 from Allied Shipbuilders, 1 from Canadian Shipbuilding & Engineering, and 1 from MIL-Davie
MIL-Davie Shipbuilding
MIL-Davie Shipbuilding is a historic Canadian shipbuilding company that was located in both Sorel, Quebec and Lauzon, Quebec .In 1986, Marine Industries Limited merged with Davie Shipbuilding to become MIL-Davie Shipbuilding....
.
The federal government awarded the $750 million contract in 1992 for the design and construction of the twelve new MCDVs to Fenco Engineers, a subsidiary of Lavalin
Lavalin
Lavalin was a Canadian civil engineering firm located in Montreal, Quebec. After a major expansion program in the 1980s that led to financial difficulties, in 1991 Lavalin merged with its long-time competitor to become today's SNC-Lavalin, forming one of the ten largest engineering firms in the...
. Fenco was renamed Fenco MacLaren in 1993 and is now known as SNC-Lavalin Defence Programs Inc (SLDPI) of the SNC-Lavalin
SNC-Lavalin
SNC-Lavalin Group Inc. is a large Canadian engineering firm. It is one of the ten largest engineering firms in the world and is based in Montreal, Quebec. It formed in 1991 from the merger of SNC and the failing Lavalin, another Quebec based engineering firm....
group of companies.
Fenco sub-contracted various portions of the project to first tier subcontractors Thomson‐CSF Canada
Thomson-CSF
Thomson-CSF was a major electronics and defence contractor. In December 2000 it was renamed Thales Group.-History:In 1879 Elihu Thomson and Edwin Houston formed the Thomson-Houston Electric Company in the United States....
, MacDonald Dettwiler & Associates, Tecsult Eduplus Inc and Halifax Dartmouth Industries
Halifax Shipyard
The Halifax Shipyard Limited is a Canadian shipbuilding company located in Halifax, Nova Scotia.It is a wholly owned subsidiary of Irving Shipbuilding Inc...
.
The same year that Fenco sub-contracted the vessel construction to Halifax Dartmouth Industries, the shipyard was purchased 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....
and renamed Halifax Shipyard Ltd
Halifax Shipyard
The Halifax Shipyard Limited is a Canadian shipbuilding company located in Halifax, Nova Scotia.It is a wholly owned subsidiary of Irving Shipbuilding Inc...
. This change in ownership saw construction of the MCDVs modularized with sections of the vessels constructed at Irving Shipbuilding facilities in Georgetown, PEI
Georgetown, Prince Edward Island
Georgetown is a Canadian town and the county seat of Kings County, Prince Edward Island. As of 2011, the population was 693.-Geography:Georgetown, Capital of Kings County, sits on an 8 kilometre long peninsula formed by the Cardigan and Brudenell Rivers, Along with Georgetown Harbour...
and Shelburne, NS
Shelburne, Nova Scotia
Shelburne is a town located in southwestern Nova Scotia, Canada. It is the shire town of Shelburne County.-History:-Settlers:...
for later assembly in Halifax.
Construction and design issues
SNC-Lavalin was instructed by the Department of Public Works to use "Commercial‐off‐the‐Shelf equipment" which drove costs higher.One area of reported controversy was the decision by the government to only arm the ships with .50 calibre machine guns. Subsequent design modifications resulted in a single Bofors
Bofors
The name Bofors has been associated with the iron industry for more than 350 years.Located in Karlskoga, Sweden, the company originates from the hammer mill "Boofors" founded 1646. The modern corporate structure was created in 1873 with the foundation of Aktiebolaget Bofors-Gullspång...
40 mm 60 Mk 5C cannon being added to the bow of each ship.
Another area of controversy apparently resulted with the means by which the ships were to be ballasted in order to adjust the trim of the ships. The shipyard had proposed to use cement
Cement
In the most general sense of the word, a cement is a binder, a substance that sets and hardens independently, and can bind other materials together. The word "cement" traces to the Romans, who used the term opus caementicium to describe masonry resembling modern concrete that was made from crushed...
however government procurement officers and SNC-Lavalin
SNC-Lavalin
SNC-Lavalin Group Inc. is a large Canadian engineering firm. It is one of the ten largest engineering firms in the world and is based in Montreal, Quebec. It formed in 1991 from the merger of SNC and the failing Lavalin, another Quebec based engineering firm....
engineers proposed to use water. Unfortunately water was susceptible to being pumped out, rendering the ships unstable. Lead
Lead
Lead is a main-group element in the carbon group with the symbol Pb and atomic number 82. Lead is a soft, malleable poor metal. It is also counted as one of the heavy metals. Metallic lead has a bluish-white color after being freshly cut, but it soon tarnishes to a dull grayish color when exposed...
was proposed but rejected by the government so in the end steel
Steel
Steel is an alloy that consists mostly of iron and has a carbon content between 0.2% and 2.1% by weight, depending on the grade. Carbon is the most common alloying material for iron, but various other alloying elements are used, such as manganese, chromium, vanadium, and tungsten...
was used for ballast.