Bids for New Canadian Warships Delayed

By: David Pugliese, Defence Watch 

The Liberal government’s plan to accept bids for the navy’s future warships has been delayed because of a battle over the amount of Canadian content needed in the vessels and the decision to allow a British design that only exists on paper into the competition.

Bids were to be requested from companies in August.

But a government spokesman now says the request is expected to go out to companies sometime “in the fall” although no specific date was given.

The bid package, called a request for proposals or RFP, has gone through various drafts, the latest handed to industry representatives on Sunday for comments.

The new ships called Canadian Surface Combatants are estimated to cost more than $26 billion and will be the backbone of the Royal Canadian Navy’s future fleet.

The project has seen repeated delays with the navy at one time expecting the ships by 2015. The vessels are now planned for sometime in the early 2020s.

Procurement minister Judy Foote has said only designs from ships already in service or mature existing designs will be accepted because it means there will be less risk and vessels could be built faster.

But industry sources say the RFP has been delayed because of questions raised about the amount of Canadian content and the Liberal government’s decision to consider a British warship that has yet to be built.

Nicolas Boucher, spokesman for Public Services and Procurement Canada, said companies will have until Friday to provide their comments on the final RFP. “Once the industry feedback has been assessed and any resulting revisions made, the formal RFP will be released to the pre-qualified firms in fall 2016,” he stated.

Industry sources say the government is facing a dilemma as it wants to have the maximum amount of Canadian content on the ships but at the same time a proven, existing design.

Such designs already have on board systems functioning and suppliers selected. It becomes a challenge to take out existing working systems and replace them with Canadian ones.

Other company officials have questioned attempts by some government officials to change the bid package to allow the Type 26 ship from the British firm BAE. Under the previous rules outlined in the draft RFP, the ship design was to have been completed and reviewed by the government purchasing the vessel, in this case the United Kingdom.

An Artists rendering of a BAE Type-26 Global Combat Ship (GCS)

Industry sources say that hasn’t been done.

The United Kingdom has so far balked at signing a deal for the Type 26. British defence secretary Michael Fallon said last month he won’t sign a contract for the ship until he is persuaded it’s in the best interests of UK taxpayers and will provide value for money.

The move to rewrite portions of the Canadian bid package to allow for the Type 26 have sparked concern among some competitors about whether bureaucrats favour the vessel even though it exists only on paper.

Boucher stated in an email that BAE has been pre-qualified as a warship designer. Bids will evaluated by Irving Shipbuilding Inc. and the government of Canada, he added. “Evaluation of the bids will include financial and technical performance, maturity of the design along with the economic benefits criteria,” Boucher noted in the email.

BAE official Anne Healey said the company can’t comment on the criteria used to outline the maturity of a ship design. “We are confident that we will be able to compete for the Canadian Surface Combatant and we are looking forward to competing in a fair and open competition,” she added.

“The Type 26 Global Combat Ship is the world’s newest and most advanced surface combatant design,” she added. “ We are planning to cut steel in 2017, which is ideal timing for the CSC programme; being 3 years ahead of the Canadian program.”

Sean Lewis, spokesman for Irving Shipbuilding, said in an email that the request for proposals is expected shortly after feedback is received from industry.

Change of guard for Operation ARTEMIS

DND Press Release: 

April 11, 2016 – Ottawa – National Defence / Canadian Armed Forces

A five-member Canadian contingent replaced seven Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) members who were deployed on Operation ARTEMIS since December 2015, today in Bahrain.

Operation ARTEMIS is the Canadian Armed Forces’ participation in counter-terrorism and maritime security operations across the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden, the Gulf of Oman and the Indian Ocean.

Operation ARTEMIS clearly demonstrates Canada’s solidarity with partners and allies that are working together for peace and security in the maritime environment of the greater Middle East region.

The incoming five-member CAF contingent will support the British Royal Navy in command of CTF 150 until August 2016. The seven RCN members were supporting Combined Task Force 150 (CTF 150) headed by the Royal Australian Navy contingent.

The returning Canadian Armed Forces’ contribution to CTF 150 included Captain (Navy) William Quinn in the position of Deputy Commander and Chief of Staff of CTF 150 while the other RCN members were integrated into the multinational, land-based command unit.

Headquartered in Manama, Bahrain, Operation ARTEMIS is the Canadian Armed Forces’ (CAF) ongoing contribution to counter-terrorism and maritime security operations across the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, Arabian Sea, Gulf of Oman and western Indian Ocean.

Arabian Sea, 18 December 2012 – Members of HMCS Regina’s boarding party board a dhow for inspection during Operation ARTEMIS. (Photo by Cpl Rick Ayer, Formation Imaging Services, Halifax)

“Long-time contributors to Combined Task Force 150, the Canadian Armed Forces continue to demonstrate Canada’s commitment to the fight against terrorism and the promotion of international security and stability. I am confident that the recent successes of the Operation ARTEMIS contingent in Bahrain will be continued by the new team of Royal Canadian Navy personnel taking their place.”
 - Lieutenant-General Stephen Bowes, Commander Canadian Joint Operations Command

“Since we deployed on Operation ARTEMIS in early December 2015, we have worked diligently with the Royal Australian Navy and other partners to maintain maritime security and counter international terrorism in the western half of the Indian Ocean. Our success during this deployment is a fine example of what can be achieved when like-minded nations join forces in common cause.”
- Captain (N) William Quinn, Commander Task Force Arabian Sea/Deputy Commander and Chief of Staff of CTF 150

RCN Ships en route to JOINT WARRIOR and TRIDENT JUNCTUR

During the last week of September, HMCS Halifax left Norfolk Virginia, to meet up with HMCS Montreal and Athabaskan and USS William McLean and The Sullivans for the Trans-Atlantic voyage to the NATO led joint military exercises JOINT WARRIOR and TRIDENT JUNCTUR; refereed to as JOINTEX-15 in Canada.

HMCS Athabaskan, Montreal, and Halifax transit alongside the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS The Sullivans during Task Group Exercises on their way to participate in JOINT WARRIOR, a United Kingdom-led multinational cooperative training exercise designed to prepare NATO and allied forces for global operations.

Below is the press release from The Department of National Defence: 

The ships are currently transiting the North Atlantic Ocean and will be conducting Task Group Exercises (TGEX) in preparation for the upcoming multinational military exercises JOINT WARRIOR and TRIDENT JUNCTURE 15, which is also referred to as JOINTEX 15 in Canada.

TGEX plays an important role for Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) ships’ crews by providing interoperability training for embarked fleet staff. HMCS Halifax will be flagship for TGEX, using new equipment fitted during its modernization to support the embarked Commander and his staff.

“This is an exciting time for the Royal Canadian Navy,” said Commodore Craig Baines, Commander Canadian Fleet Atlantic and head of the Canadian-led task group. “Our modernized frigates are proving their worth and their capability not only to take part in, but also to take the lead during, international maritime exercises. Our sailors, and all Canadians, can be proud of our country’s continuing reputation for excellence at sea.”

Exercises JOINT WARRIOR and TRIDENT JUNCTURE 15 will take place in October and in November off the coast of the United Kingdom as well as of Portugal, Spain and Italy. They are two of the largest multinational military exercises to take place in recent years, with Exercise TRIDENT JUNCTURE 15 being the largest NATO exercise in more than a decade.

These exercises will provide a challenging and complex tactical learning environment, further demonstrating the agility and adaptability of the RCN, its efficiency and effectiveness in working with the Royal Canadian Air Force and Canadian Army, as well as its interoperability with allied navies and military assets from around the globe.

3 of 4 Royal Canadian Navy's Victoria Class Subs Finally fully 'Operation'

HMCS Windsor returns to port in Halifax (Dec 2006) Photo: CF Combat Camera
Cpl. Rod Doucet. 

The Royal Canadian Navy purchased four Victoria-class submarines that where deemed surplus by the British Royal Navy in 1998 - and almost immediately there were problems with them.

Canada purchased the four submarines for nearly $900 million in 1998, and has since foot the large bill to bring the Subs to operational standards, as well as general repairs following a fire on board one of them submarines.

Now three of the four are now operational and have been cleared to begin patrolling the waters around Canada. HMCS Corner Brook is still in dry dock in British Columbia and the military has no timeline of when it will be ready for service. It is entering its deep maintenance phase of its repairs.

Two of the submarines, HMCS Victoria and HMCS Chicoutimi will patrol the waters of the Pacific coast in and around British Columbia, while HMCS Windsor will operate out of Halifax.

While the operational status of three of the four submarines is great news for the RCN, the money and investment is being touted as major waste - as the submarines likely only have a decade of service left in their lifespan. There is no current plan to build or purchase new submarines in the current government Ship building plan that plans to have a new Navy built within the next two decades.