Mexeflote Raft

Use of Mexeflote Rafts?

27 November 2018. ABCO Industries of Lunenburg, Nova Scotia, is building a 12 metre landing craft for each of the six AOPS -- a landing craft to provide a ship-to-shore connection.

A Mexeflote powered raft (20X7m) is a ship-to-shore connector with a 60,000 kg payload. An AOPS has space for six 20 foot containers. A mexeflote pontoon is about the same length and width as a container, but only 5 1/2 ft tall compared to an 8 1/2 ft tall container. Could the nine pontoons for a mexeflote raft fit in a space for 6 containers?

MV Asterix was designed to carry the pontoons for a mexeflote raft. Both Protecteur-class joint support ships could carry a mexeflote. If the six AOPS were also able to deploy a mexeflote, the Royal Canadian Navy would have 9 ships to use the modular pontoon system. Any system that can be shared by 9 ships is more cost effective.

If a case can be made to equip the AOPS with a mexeflote, then could a mexeflote be stored at Nanisivik naval facility? An AOPS could off-load 6 containers at Nanisivik and load a mexeflote for use on patrol from August to October.

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