By Les Mader, 17 August 2022
The first steel for Arctic and Offshore Patrol Ship (AOPS) 6 - the future HMCS Robert Hampton Gray - was cut only 47 days (see link below) after the keel was laid for AOPS 5 - the future HMCS Frédérick Rolette. Thus, the Halifax Shipyard currently has three AOPS under construction, with a fourth undergoing pre-acceptance sea trials and final handover preparations.
This situation leads me to wonder whether the shipyard has got its project management, labour force, production processes, supply chains, etc. ramped up after the pandemic-imposed slowdown to the standards of a world-class shipyard. If this is the case we may see an accelerated delivery schedule for the navy's AOPS.
If true, this would raise the question of what will be the subsequent steps for the NSS in Halifax. Could we see AOPS 7 and 8 delivered as naval warships, rather than as Coast Guard vessels, in order to keep up the pace, while giving the RCN a larger and potentially more multi-purpose AOPS fleet? HMCS Vaino Partanen? HMCS Lewis Stringer? HMCS Michael Kerwin? HMCS John Stubbs?
Or, might we see an acceleration of the Canadian Surface Combatant program?
Time will tell. One can always hope.
2 thoughts on “Arctic and Offshore Patrol Ships and the NSS ”
Sorry to burst your bubble Les, and I very much understand your “glass-half-full” enthusiastic approach and totally agree with it. However to see the CSC program accelerated is just not in the cards. AOPS 7 and 8 are designated for the CCG and will always be and built way before the first CSC Frigate steel is cut. If you are looking to build more Navy AOPSs, that could happen, but in my opinion not at the cost of delaying again or cutting down numbers of CSC Frigates. Canada is already down 1 AOPS (HMCS Harry DeWolf) with her latest Diesel Generator problem delaying her most recent mission. Like your attitude though!
The AOPS design is very interesting. It may be derived from the Svalbard but that Svalbard in turn has North Sea Offshore Technology in its DNA. The diving support ships in the North Sea have Moonpools and support many types of underwater technologies. As a consequence a potential, extended AOPS variant could be designed to support saturation diving and enable submersible operation. Even more interesting would be to modify and extended hull design to allow the diesel generators to charge an integrated Lithium battery farm. This would make it possible to operate the ship as a fully electric ship for short periods. That benefit opens the way to sub hunting and for operation of a very quiet ship during Special Operations.
The eighteenth century definition of a frigate was a lightly armed ship that could operate small boats and operate anywhere in the world. The high masts of these ships allowed surveillance over surprising distances. HMS Surprise in the Master and Commander Series is a good description of the original meaning of the word frigate. The offshore industry ships in Aberdeen and Stavanger offer humane working conditions, good pay and a two week on/two week off rotation. The RCN could learn from all of the North Sea example as it has from the experience of the Canadian Coast Guard.