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.
2 thoughts on “Use of Mexeflote Rafts?”
An AOPS has a displacement of 6,440 tonnes and a draft of 6 meters. In the Arctic there are few deep water ports. Mexeflote pontoons could be used to build a temporary floating jetty. A mexeflote could allow an AOPS to visit costal communities in the North that are otherwise inaccessible to a 6,440 tonne ship.
The use of Mexiflotes as ship to shore connectors is well known. They can serve as pontoons or, if powered, ship to shore connectors. They are akin to landing craft but lack built-in protection for personnel or cargo from enemy weapons fire. Use of Mexiflotes to move Canadian Army elements and equipment ashore from either the Harry Dewolf-class AOPS, MV Asterix, or the future Protecteur-class joint support ships is an idea that should be carefully considered and adopted. They can augment, if the ship has sufficient space, the embarked landing craft vehicle and personnel currently intended to be carried by these ships. The landing capability will be important in the Canadian Arctic area and useful wherever else Canadian over the shore landing capacity is required.