JSS Seaspan dwg

Support Ships for the Navy

Unless the RCN wants to rely on friends and allies, Canada needs support ships/Auxiliary Oiler Replenishment (AOR) ships when RCN ships deploy. Until about five years ago, Canada had two AORs – HMCS Preserver and HMCS Protecteur – but both ships have now been retired. This meant that Canada had a gap in its capability – in particular, it could no longer provide fuel to RCN ships. The interim supply ship Asterix, which came into service in early 2018, has been filling that gap. Meanwhile, we wait for the permanent solution, which has been in the works for some time.

When the National Shipbuilding Strategy (NSS) was announced in 2010, the plan was to construct two (with the option of a third) Joint Support Ships (JSS) at Seaspan shipyards in British Columbia. The construction has begun, and progress on the first ship is being made.

If you want to know more about the process, size, capabilities and timeline for the JSS, check out the Naval Association of Canada Briefing Note at https://www.navalassoc.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/BN26-JSS.pdf.

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