HMCS Athabaskan in rough shape: Rear Admiral Admits

Earlier this year the Royal Canada Navy retired two of its three destroyers, HMCS Algonquin  and HMCS Iroquois due to their age, and the extensive damage. Now, Canada's last destroyer, HMCS Athabaskan is in for repairs, after its engines suffered a breakdown while on exercise. The Ottawa Citizen reports that this is not the first time Athabaskan has had engine issues, and now cracks in her hull have been found.

HMCS Athabaskan is the flagship of the Atlantic fleet for the RCN, and now she is sidelined until the fall (or so the RCN hopes). According to the Ottawa Citizen, the engines on Athabaskan broke down earlier this year while the vessel was on exercise in Florida and then again in the Caribbean.

According to several crew members, the engines are not the only problem, The vessel struggles to hold onto is fresh water supply - making life aboard her difficult. The Ottawa Citizen was given leaked documents from June 2015, that show that Athabaskan also has cracks in her hull; the same reason Iroquois was retired.

The problems came to the attention of Read Admiral John Newton, when on a recent sail day in Halifax. Newton was on-board the vessel when the engines again had issues; but Newton also noticed several other problems.   After talks with the crew, Newton came to realize that several repairs had been deferred to keep the vessel afloat, which were causing unnecessary hardships for the crew.

The Navy is extremely hopeful the repairs can take place quickly, as Athabaskan was one of five RCN vessels that is scheduled to take part in Operation TRIDENT JUNCTURE-15 - NATO's largest exercise in Europe since the end of the Cold War - which is scheduled to take place in September/October of this year.

Newton found that several of the ships essential equipment is so worn that controls and directions are hard to, if not impossible to make out. Newton brought the attention to the Navy command to get the repairs complete, as much of the repairs had been delegated to the crew, who have little to no experience depending on the repairs required. Newton hopes they can restore Athabaskan and keep her operational until her scheduled retirement in 2017. The Navy does not expect the new Canadian Surface Combatant vessels to be ready until 2025.

The RCN has blamed much of the neglect of its equipment on the War in Afghanistan - as for nearly two decades, the Army and Air Force we given billions of dollars to upgrade their equipment to get the job done - the Navy wasn't in Afghanistan, and therefore was left out of the procurement loop.

HMCS Algonquin, Preserver, and Protecteur all Retiring from Service

The state of the Royal Canadian Navy has been deteriorating over the past number of decades, and its future is looking more and more uncertain. 2015 will leave its mark on the already shrunken Naval Force, with four of its flag ships being 'paid off' or otherwise known as retiring from service.

Last week I posted about HMCS Iroquois' retirement after 43 years of service on May 1, 2015. The Royal Canadian Navy has since confirmed the dates of its other destroyer and two supply ships.

The HMCS Algonguin  will be retired on Thursday June 11, 2015, at CFB Esquimalt, the ships home since 1994. It was commissioned November 3 1973, and began her career in Halifax. The Algonquin has served the Royal Canadian Navy for 41 spectacular years. It saw deployments to the Standing Naval Forces Atlantic Task Group, to the Gulf of Oman for OP APOLLO, the Eastern Pacific, and numerous deployments to OP CARIBBE.

HMCS Algonquin. File Image (2004) 

The HMCS Protecteur will be retired May 14, 2015 at CFB Esquimalt after 46 years of Service to the Royal Canadian Navy. It was one of the RCN's auxiliary oiler replenishment ships. Protecteur was commission August 30, 1969 and began her career in the Atlantic before being transferred to the Pacific Coast. Her deployment honours include participation in Operation Desert Shield in 1991, Hurricane Andrew Relief in 1992, and part of the multinational task force to assist East Timor from 1999 to 2000, as well as OP APOLLO.  She will be largely remembered for her humanitarian efforts around the world. 

HMCS Protecteur. File Image (2009)

HMCS Preserver, the sister ship of Protecteur  was scheduled to be retired at around the same time as her sister, but DND and the RCN has delayed announcing her retirement date. Preserver  has served the RCN for more than 40 years, and while no longer serving as an active at-sea replenishment vessel, she continues to act as a fueling service for the Atlantic Fleet in Halifax. She was commissioned on the 7 August 1970. She served on Operation DELIVERANCE, off the coast of the former Yugoslavia, search for Swiss Air flight 111, and OP APOLLO. Corrosion was found on her hull in 2014, and she has been off active duty since. She will be retired either later in 2015 or early 2016. 

HMCS Preserver. File Image (2009)

   

The RCN's replacement supply ships (Queenston-Class auxiliary vessels) based on the German Berlin-Class are currently planned for service in 2019/2020. The RCN would like to acquire 3 of these vessels, but the final number has yet to be decided. The minimum would be two. 

The Canadian Surface Combatant fleet (a planned 15 vessels) will eventually replace all of Canada's frigates as well as its destroyers. None have yet even begun construction, and the first is not planned to be ready well into 2018 (a generous estimate) with the likelihood being more like 2020. The entire fleet was supposed to be ready by 2020, and that is looking more and more like the late 2020s. 

                           

HMCS Iroquois Retiring after 43 years

The Canadian Armed Forces - Maritime Forces Atlantic is encouraging all serving and retired members who served aboard HMCS Iroquois to RSVP to the "Paying Off" Ceremony on may 1st in Halifax, Nova Scotia



HMCS Iroquois is concluding more than four decades of Service to the Royal Canadian Navy, its achievements symbolize the excellent workmanship and special comradery of her crew over the years. HMCS Iroquois has been a valued service to all Canadians.

Her hull was laid down on January 15, 1969, and launched on November 28, 1970. The official commissioned date into the RCN was July 29, 1972. Her official decommissioned date will be set as May 1, 2015.

Between 1972 and 1992, HMCS Iroquois took ppart in more than 40 major exercises and 6 Standing Naval Force Atlantic Deployments.

In 1984 the Destroyer responded to assist the HO MING 5, a Panamanian freighter. 11 Crew were removed by Sea King helicopter, 9 additional crew were removed by Zodiac. 12 of the Iroquois' crew were awarded the Star of Courage, with another 6 receiving the Medal of Bravery.

In 1989, the Destroyer began its TRUMP refit in Sorel, Quebec. The refit would be complete by 1992.

In 1993, HMCS Iroquois deployed on Operation SHARP GUARD off the coast of the former Yugoslavia. Its duties were to blockade the coast. It would be relieved by HMCS Halifax in April 1994.

In 2000 it was deployed on exchange to Norfolk, US Navy Yard.

In  November 2001 Iroquois was deployed with HMCS Preserver and HMCS Charlottetown as part of Operation APOLLO in the Arabian Sea. Would remain deployed until April 2002.

In 2002, deployed to Bahrain and the Suez Canal.

In 2003, deployed to Combined Task Force 151 in the Persian Gulf.

February 2003, a Sea King Helicopter crashes on the deck, and is forced to return to Halifax for repairs. By March HMCS Iroquois and HMCS Fredericton deploy to the Persian Gulf.

Deployed to Gibraltar and Augusta in March 2003. Valletta and Gibraltar in July 2003.

Deployed on Operation ALTAIR STARTS in 2004.

Throughout 2006, HMCS Iroquois was deployed to various international naval squadrons, in Brest, Aarhus, Solent, Plymouth Sound, Tota, Souda Ba, Palma de Majorca.

In November 2006 responded to the USS Boone when it lost its rudder in the Mediterranean.

In 2008, was deployed to the Carribean on Operation CARIBBE. Returned to the Mediterranean Sea in May of 2008, took part in Multinational ASW Scenario. Later deployed on Combined Task Force-150 as the CTF-150 Flagship. for the remainder of 2008.

In 2009 HMCS Iroquois visits Bermuda.

In 2012 HMCS Iroquois visits Brooklyn (Fleet Week), Baltimore (Star Spangled Sailibration), and Boston (Fleet Week and Op SAIL 2012)

In 2013, she visits Canary Wharf, Le Havre, Hamburg, and Liverpool.

Her journey came to an end while visiting Boston in May of 2014, where fatigue cracks were found in the hull, and returned to Halifax, and has been out of service since.

For a Detailed paper witten by Colin Darlington, a retired Canadian Naval Officer, please see the Ottawa Citizen's Defence Watch