US Steel for Canadian Warships

By: David Pugliese, The Vancouver Sun 

The Canadian navy’s new supply ships are being constructed of U.S. steel even as President Donald Trump punishes Canadian producers of the same product with a 25-per-cent tariff.

The supply ships are being built at the Vancouver shipyards of Seaspan, which is owned by a U.S. company. The Department of National Defence confirmed the steel is being purchased from a mill in Alabama, a solidly Republican state that voted 62 per cent for Trump.

Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan cut some of the first U.S. steel for the ships at a June 15 ceremony, the same day that Trump launched yet another verbal attack on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau while praising North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un.

Trump has brought in tariffs of 25 per cent on Canadian-made steel and 10 per cent on Canadian aluminum. His government has stated that Canadian steel and aluminum pose a national security threat to the U.S.

Trump also lashed out at Trudeau as “dishonest and weak,” after the prime minister reiterated his position that U.S. steel and other products would face retaliatory tariffs. In addition, Trump has promised to punish Canadians in other ways on the economic front.

The government awarded Seaspan an initial $66-million contact to begin building 52 sections of the new naval supply ships, or about 20 per cent of the vessels. DND said the steel for the ships was ordered “a number of months ago.”

“While Canadian mills will continue to be considered for future chapters of the project, there simply was no Canadian mill who could supply the required certified steel of suitable size and grade at the time it was required,” the DND said in an email.

But Joseph Galimberti, president of the Canadian Steel Producers Association, said domestic firms can supply enough product.

“There is capacity in the Canadian steel industry to participate in these projects,” he said Wednesday. “As a general rule, we have very high quality, quite innovative, extraordinary cost-effective producers in Canada and would like to be considered for participation” in the government’s shipbuilding programs.

Galimberti pointed out that U.S. steel producers actively lobbied the Trump administration to make sure their Canadian competitors faced tariffs. The situation with the supply ships sees those U.S. firms protected in their home markets but still profiting on sales for a Canadian government project, he noted.

“If you wanted to respond to the U.S. tariffs but you are exempting U.S steel producers who are behind the U.S. tariffs, then you have failed,” Galimberti added.

Two supply ships will be built at Seaspan. The project will cost $3.4 billion, of which 60 per cent goes for the construction of the ships.

Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan, left, cuts steel for the first of two Joint Support Ships for Canada’s Navy at the Seaspan Shipyards in Vancouver, June, 15, 2018. JONATHAN HAYWARD/THE CANADIAN PRESS

At one point, the first ship was supposed to arrive in 2012. That has been changed a number of times, with the government later hoping for a 2018 delivery and then a 2019 arrival for the first vessel. DND is now hoping for the delivery of the first ship in 2022 or 2023. The Joint Support Ships are critical as they provide fuel and supplies for warships at sea. The Royal Canadian Navy retired its last two aging supply ships years ago.

Trump continues to threaten various nations, including Canada, with additional tariffs. But his economic policies are also backfiring on some U.S. firms.

Increased steel costs because of the tariffs forced the Mid-Continent Nail plant in Poplar Bluff, Missouri to recently lay off 60 of its 500 employees.

The company is in danger of shutting production by September unless the U.S. government grants it an exclusion from paying the tariffs, company spokesman James Glassman told CNN.

The plant is located in an area that overwhelmingly voted for Trump.

Harley-Davidson has also announced it will move the production overseas of motorcycles to be sold in Europe. The company decided on the move since the European Union has imposed retaliatory tariffs on U.S.-built motorcycles.

Trump responded to the decision by Harley-Davidson by threatening to increase its taxes.

RCN Supply Ship Cost Increases by $1.1 Billion; Now over $3 Billion

By: David Pugliese, National Post 

At one point, the first ship was supposed to arrive in 2012. That date has changed a number of times. DND is now hoping for delivery in 2022 or 2023

Taxpayers will have to spend an additional $1.1 billion to build two new supply ships for the Royal Canadian Navy, the federal government has revealed.

The cost of building the Joint Support Ships, or JSS, had been pegged at $2.3 billion. However, the government ordered a review of that figure and in an email to Postmedia procurement minister Carla Qualtrough’s office confirmed the cost is now expected to be $3.4 billion.

Of the $3.4 billion price tag, the actual cost of building the two ships accounts for a little more than 60 per cent, Finn said. Pat Finn, the head of procurement at the Department of National Defence, said the new price tag includes items the government had not previously included. In some cases equipment for the ship has been purchased, so the government has a more accurate understanding of what it actually cost, Finn said in an interview Monday. The inflated figure also takes into account new infrastructure and delays with the program which have driven up its price as the cost of materials has increased over the years.

“The build period has changed quite dramatically,” Finn acknowledged.

Workers watch as the main girder of a new 300-tonne gantry crane is lifted into place at Seaspan Vancouver Shipyards in North Vancouver, B.C., on Wednesday April 2, 2014. Darryl Dyck/Canadian Press

At one point, the first ship was supposed to arrive in 2012. That date has changed a number of times with the government later hoping for a 2018 delivery and then a 2019 arrival for the first vessel.

DND is now hoping for the delivery of the first ship in 2022 or 2023. Construction of some initial portions of the vessels will begin at Seaspan Shipyards in Vancouver this summer, Finn said, which it hopes will head off any potential layoffs of skilled employees at the shipyard.

Finn said the new costing model for the JSS is more akin to the one used by the parliamentary budget office. That office had an even higher estimate for JSS when it concluded in 2013 that the final tally for taxpayers would be $4.13 billion.

The Joint Support Ships are seen as being critical for the navy, as they will provide fuel and supplies for warships at sea.

The navy retired its last two aging supply ships years ago, one after being damaged beyond repair in a fire, the other because of excessive corrosion. After their retirement the Canadian military had been relying on the Spanish and Chilean navies to provide it with supply vessels for short periods of time.

Because of the delays to the JSS program, the previous Conservative government entered into agreement with Davie Shipyards in Quebec to lease a commercial vessel converted into a supply ship. That ship, the MV Asterix, is at the heart of the federal government’s case against Vice-Admiral Mark Norman.

In March, the Norman was charged with a single count of breach of trust. The RCMP accused Norman of warning Davie in the fall of 2015 that Liberal cabinet ministers wanted to derail the Asterix project. When word of the Liberal plan leaked to the media, the resulting embarrassment forced the Trudeau government to back down on its plans and the conversion of Asterix proceeded.

Norman was put under investigation and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau predicted on two occasions the officer would ultimately end up in court.

Norman denies the charge and has said he looks forward to clearing his name. A date for the trial has not yet been set.

Asterix is considered a rare achievement in Canadian military procurement in that it was delivered on time and on budget. The supply ship is now at sea with Royal Canadian Navy and is headed to a major military exercise to begin later this month.

Final Cost for RCN Joint-Support-Ships Still Unknown as Work Begins

By: Lee Berthiaume, The Canadian Press 

OTTAWA -- The cutting of steel for the navy's long overdue support ships will begin next month in Vancouver, even though the federal government doesn't know how much the two vessels will ultimately cost.

Federal procurement minister Carla Qualtrough confirmed plans for an early start to work on the supply ships during a breakfast address Thursday at the Cansec defence show in Ottawa.

Seaspan Shipyards will receive $66 million to work on several dozen components of the so-called joint support ships during a lull in the building of two other Canadian Coast Guard vessels.

The government is hoping that advance work will shave about a year off the expected delivery time for the first support vessel, which is currently slated to hit the water in 2023.

It will also ensure Seaspan continues to have work for its employees during what would otherwise be a dead zone between construction of the last of three coast guard fisheries vessels and a new coast guard ocean science ship.

"These support ships will deliver fuel and other vital supplies to vessels at sea," Qualtrough said, "ensuring our women and men of the Canadian Armed Forces are able to carry out their missions for decades to come."

The navy has been without a permanent support ship since retiring its last two in 2015 because of an unexpected fire and excessive corrosion, and is currently relying on a converted civilian vessel to fill the gap.

The first new vessel, originally proposed by the Conservative as the Queenston-Class, now rebranded by the Trudeau Government as the Protecteur-Class was originally supposed to be delivered in 2019, but the project has been plagued with delays. The ships will be modeled after the German Navy's Berlin-Class Supply ships. 

The EVG Berlin, the flagship of The Berlin-Class. 

Even as work is set to begin, however, Qualtrough conceded later that the government still doesn't have a concrete estimate of how much the two joint support ships are going to cost.

"It's too early to speculate on what the (support ships) will ultimately cost," she said.

The previous Conservative government set a budget of $2.3 billion for the vessels back in 2011, but that number has been under review for nearly two years.

The parliamentary budget office pegged the full cost of two support ships back in 2013 at $4.13 billion, while the government's new defence investment plan, released this week, said it could cost up to $4.99 billion.

"There are a lot of things happening on (the support ships)," said Andre Fillion, head of military procurement at Public Services and Procurement Canada.

"The acquisition of long lead items, the start of the (early work) and also a lot of engineering work."

Seaspan vice-president Tim Page told The Canadian Press that the shipbuilder is in negotiations with the government, but remains committed to delivering the support ships to the navy.

Starting work early is a reasonable solution to what would otherwise be a troublesome lull in work at Seaspan, said defence analyst David Perry of the Canadian Global Affairs Institute.

But the government still doesn't have an approved design for the support ships, he said, and the whole point of the federal government's multibillion-dollar shipbuilding strategy was to prevent such production gaps.

"It's a solution to an immediate problem," Perry said, "but it's not by any means an ideal scenario."

iAOR Asterix Loses Power before Massive Storm

By: Tom Ayers, The Chronicle Herald 

A new naval supply ship lost power in Halifax Harbour last week just ahead of a winter storm that packed nearly 80 kilometre-per-hour winds at the dockyard and gusts that exceeded 100 km/h elsewhere in the province.

The MV Asterix, a large former commercial container ship that has been converted into an interim auxiliary naval replenishment vessel, arrived in Halifax late last month and will be leased to the Royal Canadian Navy once it passes sea trials.

With the storm coming and the Asterix tied up at the pier next to the Halifax Seaport Farmers’ Market, the harbour authority asked the ship’s owners to move its berth up the harbour, said Spencer Fraser, CEO of Federal Fleet Services, the company that refurbished the vessel.

The ship was accompanied by tugboats, as usual, he said, and after the power went out, an extra tug was called in just as a precaution.

“The reason we moved berths was I guess it was too exposed and they don’t want to suffer damage to the jetty with the ship knocking in, so the ship was in fact moved before the storm approached,” Fraser told The Herald.

“There was a power blackout ... a sensor on the lube-oil system failed on the power generation, but the emergency power generation kicked in as required, and the extra tug was kept there just because of the pending storm and sorting out the sensor problem, which has been solved.

“We did that and we’ve subsequently done more harbour moves in the harbour. We’re now tied up at the navy dockyard at jetty November Bravo.

“So all systems worked. There was a failure of a sensor and then the backup systems worked as engineered. There was no damage to the ship, no storm damage, no cost to us other than standard repair.”

Fraser declined to discuss financial issues, but said there was no extra cost because the large ship always requires tugboats to manoeuvre around the harbour.

“It’s a new ship and it’s new to the Halifax Port Authority so everyone’s being extra cautious and professionalism came through,” he said.

Ken Hansen, a retired navy commander and defence consultant, said finding a faulty sensor is a common aspect of sea trials before a ship goes into service.

And lubricating oil is a critical component of a ship’s mechanical operations, so running drills related to the lube-oil would be expected, he said.

“Lube-oil failures are a very common thing to practise and the engineering staff have to take action so that they can determine whether or not it’s a faulty sensor or quickly shut down,” Hansen said.

“Lubricating oil is vital. It’s one of those real, honest-to-God emergencies that happen in a ship, because if the engine or the transmission runs dry, you can very quickly end up with a catastrophic failure.”

However, he said, the incident with the Asterix sounds like it was fixed right away and was not serious.

“It’s like cars,” Hansen said. “Cars are the same. In fact, I’ve got a faulty engine light in my car right now, and I know it’s a sensor, because all the other indications — running temperature, fuel efficiency, power response, all that stuff — is normal, so we don’t pay any attention.”

As an auxiliary naval replenishment vessel, the Asterix will provide the navy with fuel, cargo, ammunition, a floating hospital, a platform for two helicopters and quarters for humanitarian and rescue operations.

It will be leased to the federal government for five years at a cost of about $700 million, with an option to renew for an additional five years, while another firm builds new replacement ships for the navy.

The Asterix is currently crewed with a mix of 36 civilian and 114 Canadian Forces personnel and is set to run through sea trials this month.

Fraser said he expects the navy will put the ship into service in February.

Resolve Class iAOR Showcased in Halifax

Federal Fleet Services Press Release

The first Resolve-Class Naval Support Ship will be showcased at DEFSEC 2017 in Halifax tomorrow. Federal Fleet Services, which is managing the project, is a sister-company to Davie Shipbuilding. Federal Fleet is sponsoring the DEFSEC Atlantic conference prior to opening a major operations sub-center in the city, during the fall.

It is expected that the first Resolve-Class Naval Support Ship will initially home port from CFB Halifax from the end of this year where she will be used to ensure that the Royal Canadian Navy can sustain itself as a true blue-water navy and expeditionary force.

Spencer Fraser, CEO of Federal Fleet Services commented "It's great to be here in Halifax where we are opening a new operations sub-center to manage Canada's next naval support ship from and where our teams will be working from. Tomorrow we will be giving participants at DEFSEC an insight into how Canada's largest, highest capacity and most experienced shipbuilder – Davie Shipbuilding in Québec – delivered this complex naval shipbuilding project on time and within budget. This program will have an enormous economic impact here in Halifax."

According to OMX, through the creation of the operations sub-center in Halifax, Federal Fleet Services will create 718 jobs annually in Nova Scotia and create over $1.8bn in total economic output and over the coming 10 years.

Alex Vicefield, Chairman of Davie Shipbuilding added "The Resolve-Class Naval Support Ship program is a testament to the fact that Canadian shipbuilders can, in fact, deliver programs on-time and to budget, if managed correctly. Having proven it can be done, we stand ready to assist the Canadian government in any way necessary to ensure the success of future shipbuilding programs. We also look forward to building a deeper connection between CFB Halifax and Québec City during the upcoming tender for the in-service support, repair, and maintenance of Canada's existing frigates. These are ships our teams are very familiar with having both built and refitted them."

Federal Fleet Services is part of the Inocea Group of Companies which also owns Davie Shipbuilding. Federal Fleet Services has been contracted to provide Naval Support Ships for the Royal Canadian Navy.

Chantier Davie is Canada's largest, highest capacity and most experienced shipbuilder. In 2015, Davie won the prestigious title of Lloyds List North American Shipyard of the Year. Over the past five-years, Davie has generated over $2B in economic benefit to Canada and directly and indirectly employs over 3,000 Canadians, including more than 1,400 who work at the shipyard in Levis, Québec. Davie has been Canada's shipbuilder and ship-repairer for every class of major naval platform over the past century. Today, Davie is an industry leader in icebreaking, LNG and dynamic positioning technologies as well as naval and other mission-critical shipbuilding. Davie is ISO 9001:2015 certified for Quality Assurance and ISO 14001:2015 for Environmental Management.

Thales awarded 35-year RCN ISS contract

DND Press Release

Canada has chosen Thales as the prime contractor for In-Service Support (ISS), refit, repair, maintenance and training to both Arctic and Offshore Patrol Ships (AOPS) and Joint Support Ships (JSS).

Known as AJISS, the contract includes an initial service period of eight years for up to C$800 million with options to extend services up to 35 years – for a total value of C$5.2 Billion, making it the largest ISS contract in Canadian history.

(As part of its 2017 order intake, Thales will book the management portion for the 1st phase of this contract at less than C$60 million.)

This contract builds on Thales’ experience in providing in-service support to every major Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) platform for the past 50 years, including ISS for systems onboard Victoria-class submarines, Kingston-class maritime coastal defence vessels, Iroquois-class destroyers, and Halifax-class frigates.

Artists Rendering of a RCN Arctic and Offshore Patrol Vessel of the Harry DeWolf Class © Irving Shipbuilding Inc. 2015 

Thales will leverage its Canadian expertise in project management, systems engineering and integrated logistics support to lead the development of a new Canadian supply chain that will offer comprehensive in-service support for all systems and equipment of these fleets over their operational lifetime, ensuring they are mission-ready, on time, every time, from coast to coast to coast.

This in-service support contract will create an important collaboration with RCN staff. With such a contract, Thales will work closely with the Navy's support facilities and personnel.

Over its 35-year duration, this contract will generate economic benefit of more than $250 Million CAD in Research & Development for Canada, leveraging the creativity of both industry and academia and sparking innovation in areas such as predictive maintenance, life-cycle management and logistics support analysis.

With over 16 years of performance-based ISS experience with the Royal Australian Navy in a relational contracting model, Thales will also transfer knowledge of existing and innovative ISS-ready solutions from Australia to Canada. Since 1989, the Australian Government, with the Royal Australian Navy and industry, have trusted Thales to manage, maintain and upgrade its naval assets at the most important ship repair facility in the Southern Hemisphere, the Garden Island Naval Base in Sydney.

Thales’ proven and award-winning ship service and maintenance model has consistently exceeded material readiness requirements and exceeded operational availability targets by as much as 30 per cent. Thales has provided ISS to navies in Singapore, New Zealand, USA, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain, Papua and New Guinea, and Tonga.

Mark Halinaty, Thales' Country Director in Canada, remarked that the company is committed to "empowering Canadian industry to support this program for decades to come." He noted that through this contract, Thales "will create jobs across Canada and will ensure that the ships are mission-ready.”

Resolve iAOR to be Unveiled July 20

By: David Pugliese, Defence Watch 

Chantier Davie has issued invitations for the unveiling of the Resolve-class interim Auxiliary Oiler Replenishment (AOR) ship. That will happen July 20. All members of the public are welcome according to the invitation.

In November 2015, the Liberal government tried to derail the $669 million project for the supply ship but backed down after their attempt became public.

Project Resolve was approved by the previous Conservative government and involved Davie shipyards in Quebec quickly converting a commercial vessel into an AOR. The ship had already been delivered to Davie to begin the conversion process when James D. Irving, co-chief executive officer of Davie’s rival, Irving Shipbuilding, wrote a letter on Nov. 17, 2015, to then procurement minister Judy Foote and Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan. Irving requested its proposal for a similar vessel, already rejected by the Conservative government, be examined.

After receiving Irving’s letter the Liberal government put Project Resolve on hold.

Details about the Liberals’ decision to put Project Resolve on hold, as well as Irving’s letter and details of cabinet discussions about the matter, were leaked to the CBC in November 2015. The leak embarrassed the new Trudeau government and sparked outrage in Quebec about the potential loss of hundreds of jobs if Davie were to lose the ship deal. The Liberals beat a quick retreat and shortly afterwards, Project Resolve went ahead.

The RCMP has claimed that Vice Admiral Mark Norman was involved in leaking information on Project Resolve to Davie officials. Norman denies any wrongdoing. The RCMP have not laid any charges against the vice admiral who was suspended from his job in January by Chief of the Defence Staff Gen. Jon Vance. Norman’s supporters have raised questions about how the respected officer has been treated.

The ship will be leased to the Canadian government, which has an option to buy the vessel if so desired.

Davie has issued these photos of the vessel:

HMCS Preserver paid off after 46 years of service

DND Press Release

HMCS Preserver concluded its service to the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) on Friday. The Auxiliary Oilier Replenishment (AOR) was officially "paid off", receiving a final salute from current and former sailors, soldiers, airmen, and airwomen during a ceremony at HMC Dockyard Halifax. The paying-off ceremony signals the end of the ship’s service to the Royal Canadian Navy.

According to RAdm J. Newton, Commander of Maritime Forces Atlantic, the Protecteur-class ships set the standard in modern navies for safe and expedient replenishment at sea. The essential but inherently difficult and dangerous task of resupplying ships at sea with food, fuel, munitions, and spare parts was executed by Preserver, and sister ship Protecteur, for 46 years. To accomplish this task, the ships travelled in the North Atlantic, across the wide Pacific, and into Canada’s Arctic waters.

First of class, HMCS Protecteur was commissioned in 1969, and HMCS Preserver was commissioned a year later in August 1970. The RCN intended to operate the ships until 2017. Protecteur suffered a serious engine room fire in 2014 and was sold for scrap metal in 2015, and corrosion problems were identified on Preserver, which contributed to her early retirement and today's paying off ceremony.

Canada intends to build two new auxilliary vessels, the Queenston-class joint support ship, at Seaspan shipyards in the Vancouver area, however, those will not be complete before 2019.

In a stop-gap measure, the RCN’s replenishment requirements are currently being addressed through leasing arrangements with Spain and Chile. The Spanish replenishment ship ESPS Patino is currently supporting the Atlantic Fleet.

In another answer to the serious capability gap left by the Protecteur-class AORs, the Government of Canada signed a contract in August 2015 (Project Resolve) with Davie Shipyard of Quebec to convert a German commercial container ship (built in 2010) to take on the resupply role for the RCN. The conversion was expected to be completed and the ship active in service by 2017.

Quick Facts

The term “paying off” refers to the British age-of-sail practice of paying a crew their wages once a ship has completed its voyage. In the RCN, the tradition continues with the term paying off referring to the formal ceremony where the naval jack, ensign, and commissioning pennant are hauled down, the crew departs a ship for the last time, and the ship is then no longer referred to as HMCS (Her Majesty's Canadian Ship).

HMCS Preserver has participated in numerous missions and operations, including the United Nations peacekeeping effort in Cyprus and the enforcing of sanctions on the former Yugoslavia, as well as Operations DELIVERANCE, APPOLLO, CARIBBE, among others.

Over the course of HMCS Preserver’s 46 years of service, it is estimated that more than 8,000 sailors have been part of its crew.

Over the course of its lifespan, Preserver has used/delivered over 800,000,000 litres of fuel since commissioning or 800,000 m3. This is equal to filling up a standard car 13.5 million times.

HMCS Preserver is 546 feet long, 76 feet wide, and displaces 22,100 tons. Engine power is 21,000 SHP and the maximum speed is 20 knots. It normally has a complement of 270 officers and non-commissioned members.

The disposal method for HMCS Preserver will be determined in due course, with careful attention paid to environmental, safety, and financial considerations. Disposal options include selling or donating the vessel, or dismantling it for scrap material.

RCN Announces Names of its 3 Possible AORs

Written by David Pugliese, Defence Watch 

It will be several more years before the Royal Canadian Navy’s Joint Support Ships are in the water (2020-2021 are estimated times of arrival, although some argue that is optimistic since construction of the ships hasn’t even begun yet).

The RCN has selected the names of the two ships; HMCS Queenston and HMCS Chateauguay.

The RCN focused on a War of 1812 theme for the JSS names (required by the Conservative government of the day which was highlighting that conflict in a national public relations effort). The names reflect battles of that war.

There is an option for a third Joint Support Ship, although a number of folks in the RCN question whether the JSS project will have enough funds to produce more than two vessels.

But if a third JSS is built, the name selected for that ship is HMCS Crysler’s Farm, according to Canadian Forces documents obtained by Defence Watch and David Pugliese.

The battle of Crysler’s Farm was a key event during the War of 1812, in which British forces defeated an American army that had plans to march on Montreal.

An Artists rendering of the Queenston-Class AOR vessels for the Royal Canadian Navy: Photo: RCN

According to the Royal Canadian Navy: 

The two planned Queenston-class Joint Support Ships (JSS) will replace the Royal Canadian Navy’s Auxiliary Oiler Replenishment vessels. The new ships will provide core replenishment, limited sealift capabilities, and support to operations ashore. The JSS will be one of the first of the Royal Canadian Navy’s ships to be built by one of the competitively selected Canadian shipyards, as part of the National Shipbuilding Procurement Strategy.

The JSS are a critical component for achieving success in both international and domestic CAF missions, as laid out in the Canada First Defence Strategy. The ships constitute a vital and strategic national asset. The presence of replenishment ships increases the range and endurance of a Naval Task Group, permitting it to remain at sea for significant periods of time without going to shore for replenishment.

The original announced names of the Queenston-class ships are:

• HMCS Queenston
• HMCS Châteauguay

Ship Capabilities

The JSS project will procure two ships with an option for a third with capabilities such as:
Underway Support to Naval Task Groups: Underway support is the term that describes the transfer of liquids and solids between ships at sea. This underway support also includes the operation and maintenance of helicopters, as well as task group medical and dental facilities;
Limited Sealift: To meet a range of possibilities in an uncertain future security environment, JSS will be capable of delivering a limited amount of cargo ashore; and
Limited Support to Operations Ashore: The JSS will leverage to the maximum extent possible its onboard facilities.

The JSS will replace the core capabilities of the Auxiliary Oiler Replenishment ships, including: provision of fuel, ammunition, spare parts, food, and water, and other supplies; modern medical and dental care facilities, including an operating room; repair facilities and expertise to keep helicopters and other equipment functioning; and basic self-defence functions.
Construction

On January 12, 2012, Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced that the Government of Canada has reached agreements with Irving Shipbuilding Inc. and Vancouver Shipyards Co. Ltd. This charts the course for construction of Canada’s combat and non-combat surface fleets under the National Shipbuilding Procurement Strategy.

The strategic sourcing arrangements, called umbrella agreements, with each of the selected shipyards have been signed. Individual ship construction contracts will now be negotiated with the respective shipyards.

The building of the first Joint Support Ship is expected to start in the 2016-2017 timeframe, in keeping with the existing schedule. This means that the first ship would be anticipated in 2019, assuming no further delays in the schedule.

The Joint Support Ship project is currently conducting the Initial Design Review contract. This will enable Vancouver Shipyards Co. Ltd. to fully review the proven, off-the-shelf ship design from ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems Canada, selected in June 2013. The contract negotiation and design preparation work will take place in 2015/2016, in order to bring the Joint Support Ship Design to a production ready state."

Naming

On October 25, 2013, the Honourable Rob Nicholson, P.C., Q.C., M.P. for Niagara Falls, Minister of National Defence, announced the names of the Royal Canadian Navy’s (RCN) new Joint Support Ships (JSS), which will be built by Vancouver Shipyards Co. Ltd. in North Vancouver, B.C. The two Joint Support Ships (JSS) will be named Her Majesty’s Canadian Ship (HMCS) Queenston and HMCS Châteauguay in recognition of the significant battles of Queenston Heights and Châteauguay during the War of 1812.

“The names recognize the achievements and sacrifices of those early Canadian soldiers who fought and died in these critical battles during the War of 1812,” said Minister Nicholson. “The War of 1812 was a defining moment in our nation’s history that contributed to shaping our identity as Canadians and ultimately our existence as a country.”

“Canada’s rich military history is a source of inspiration for the men and women who currently serve in the Royal Canadian Navy,” said Vice-Admiral Mark Norman, Commander Royal Canadian Navy. “The events surrounding the War of 1812 remind us of the sacrifices of soldiers and sailors who fought for their country during a pivotal moment in Canadian history.”

Traditionally, the name of a class of warship is derived from the name of the first vessel in this class to be constructed. HMCS Queenston will be built first, therefore, the two JSS will be known as the Queenston-class.

RCN to Lease Two Spanish AORs during 2016

By: Esteban Villarejo, Defense News 

MADRID — The Spanish Navy will deploy two auxiliary oiler and replenishment (AOR) vessels in 2016 to "cover the Canadian Navy's temporary need for logistic support vessels in the North Atlantic," military sources told Defense News.

Both replenishment ships — Patiño and Cantabria — will support training for the Royal Canadian Navy's Atlantic fleet in two different time periods: Patiño will operate between February and March, and Cantabria between mid-September and November.

"This support is based on NATO’s principle of solidarity among its allies, by which a country provides a capability that the other does not have," a Spanish military source said. "The deployment will not have additional costs and will not have an impact in our capabilities."

The main mission of a combat-replenishment ship and hospital is to supply fuel, fresh water, ammunition, provisions, spare parts, military equipment, uniforms, medicines and medical assistance to other combat units at sea.

The Cantabria deployed with the Royal Australian Navy in 2013. The government of Australia paid the expenses of that deployment during the year.

This year Canada chose the German Navy’s Berlin-class design to replace its two Protecteur-class supply ships, which have been removed from service.

On Wednesday,, December 8, 2915 the RCN confirmed the Defense News report.

LCdr Alain Blondin, the RCN’s Deputy-Head of Public Affairs, told  the Ottawa Citizen's Defence Watch:

“We can confirm that the RCN is continuing the process of developing a Mutual Logistic Support Arrangement (MLSA) with the Spanish Navy where we will receive services from two separate Spanish vessels in 2016 to fulfill replenishment responsibilities and facilitate training in support of Maritime Forces Atlantic training and exercise activities. The current plan is for the first vessel, the Spanish Navy Ship Patino, to arrive in late January to March, and the second is planned for the fall of 2016. The exact dates are yet to be negotiated. Full details are still to come as negotiations are still ongoing and the MLSA is not yet finalized.”

Villarejo wrote that the Cantabria will be on Canada’s east coast between mid-September and November.

Some RCN sailors are already familiar with the Patiño. In 2014 HMCS Toronto conducted five replenishment-at-sea “evolutions” with both French supply ship Marne and the Patiño, the RCN website noted.

As readers know, Canada is facing a supply ship gap as the new Joint Support Ships are not expected in the water until 2020/2021. Davie is working on converting a container ship into an interim refueller (iAOR) for the RCN. That is expected to be ready in late 2017.

Last summer Canada made arrangements with Chile’s navy to have a supply ship available on the west coast.

Project Resolve: Liberal Government OK's Davie Deal for iAOR

Published by: The National Post - Canadian Press

LEVIS, Que. — After putting the project on hold, the federal government announced Monday the Chantier Davie Shipyard in Quebec will be granted the sole-source contract to provide a temporary supply ship for the navy.

Procurement Minister Judy Foote said the contract, which is valued at up to $587 million, will be given to the shipyard to upgrade a civilian tanker to act as a military replenishment ship while the navy’s long-delayed, joint support ships are built as part of the national shipbuilding program.



“After amassing the facts and carefully deliberating, the Government of Canada determined that proceeding with (Davie) is the most viable course of action to provide the navy’s (temporary) at-sea oil replenishment capacity,” she said in a statement.

The Conservative government had arranged for Davie to retrofit the ship through a sole-source process rather than a competitive one after it was forced to retire its two, 45-year-old replenishment vessels.

At the time the Harper government’s move was unprecedented.

Documents obtained by The Canadian Press revealed a line was added to contracting regulations giving cabinet authority to award a deal to a single company if there are urgent “operational reasons” and it fulfils an interim requirement.

Defence sources had told The Canadian Press that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau put the plan on hold because his government was uncomfortable with the sole-source nature of the arrangement.

The Liberals also faced pressure from the two companies that received contracts in the national shipbuilding program — Irving Shipbuilding, in Halifax, and Seaspan, in Vancouver. Both wrote letters protesting the deal with Davie.

Trudeau’s decision sparked a strong rebuke from Quebec politicians who pointed out the ship was already purchased and in the Davie yard and that hundreds of workers had already been hired.

Foote noted in her statement that the agreement signed by the Conservatives required the government to pay Davie $89 million should the project not proceed.

The minister said the government will “undertake a review of the process” for sole-source contracts for military procurement.

Davie’s work should be completed within two years and the ship is contracted to serve the navy for a period of five years, with an option to renew for up to another five.

The Quebec shipyard estimated the government contract will create 1,100 jobs with the yard, and another 400 with sub-contractors.

Opposition Parti Quebecois member Martine Ouellet said Davie deserved the contract because the yard was left out of the national shipbuilding program.

Without replenishment ships, the navy’s frigates are forced to rely on other nations for ammunition, fuel and food while on long overseas deployments.

It also affects the navy’s ability to deploy more than one warship at a time.

Davie is located in Levis, across the St. Lawrence River from Quebec City

RCN Sailors Serve on ESPS Cantabria

By Chief Petty Officer 2nd Class Bill McClung

Five time zones and half a world away we arrived at our destination of El Ferrol Naval Base in northern Spain, home of the Spanish auxiliary oil replenishment (AOR) vessel, ESPS Cantabria, on October 18, 2015. Twenty-eight Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) sailors of different ranks, trades and experience levels then embarked on an adventure that would prove both challenging and extremely rewarding at the same time. Our mission was to observe, gather information and ultimately integrate within the ship’s company of ESPS Cantabria in order to maintain skill sets and return with best practices for replenishment-at-sea (RAS) operations, while attached to an allied navy.

With ESPS Cantabria taking part in Exercise TRIDENT JUNCTURE shortly after we arrived, Canadian sailors worked hard to ensure they had a solid understanding of Spanish equipment, methodology and procedures. The lessons learned from this experience will help the RCN build a solid knowledge base within which to design training packages for future exchanges.

During the introduction to the ship by Commander Francisco Javier Roca, ESPS Cantabria’s Commanding Officer, he stated that the Canadian contingent should not look upon themselves as onlookers or “riders”, but as a welcome addition to the Cantabria team. His goals for the exercise were parallel with ours – to fully integrate the Canadian team and conduct seamless replenishment operations within the task group. His crew, including Canadian sailors, took this direction to heart and accepted the challenge – no small feat when you consider the language and cultural differences between the personnel of the two navies. However, the challenge was not only accepted, but overcome, due in no small part to the enthusiasm shown by Canadian and Spanish sailors alike.

While there are some differences between the practices of the Canadian and Spanish navies, the main concept of operations is shared and many of the equivalent trades were able to discuss and exchange ideas on how we each carry out our tasks. As with most militaries today, secondary duties are the norm as bunk numbers decrease and the use of training hours must be maximized. ESPS Cantabria is no exception. For example, the supply officer on board doubles as the ship’s boarding officer and as the landing safety officer during helicopter operations.

Lieutenant-Commander Jason Walsh, our mission Officer in Command, guided us through the tough times and the rewarding times, ensuring interoperability was constantly the watchword of the day. Following direction from both Canadian leadership and ESPS Cantabria’s Commanding Officer, LCdr Walsh ensured that no opportunities were missed during RAS operations, damage control scenarios and daily routine.

Canadian sailors were employed as bridge watch keepers, helmsmen, RAS deck members and small boat operators. LCdr Cindy Hawkins, second-in-command of the mission, as well as head of the engineering sections, ensured that the embarked engineering personnel gathered information on all aspects of liquid cargo management, bunkering and fueling operations, as well as automated damage control systems. Ensuring marine engineers, marine electricians and hull technicians were swept up on all aspects of RAS operations, as well as routine maintenance required on the platform, was of critical importance.

Another facet of this fact-finding mission was to study the training requirements throughout the various trades. This duty was charged to Lieutenant (Navy) Chris White, representing the Naval Personnel Training Group, but involved all sailors studying the trade progression in each section, both technical and operational. Comparing notes with allies is a continuous process the RCN utilizes in order to ensure Canadian sailors maximize their training opportunities and to provide feedback as to how the RCN can move forward in developing future training for our sailors. The Spanish model, although slightly different than the progression plan that we know and understand, has many benefits that could be adapted within our Canadian training models.

One of the main goals for this current mission was to see the Spanish ship manned by Canadian sailors while fueling the Canadian-led task group. From RAS deck personnel to cage operators, as well as communicators and bridge watch keepers, the aim was to safely fill as many of the positions on board as possible with Canadian personnel during a RAS. This aim was accomplished, speaking volumes to the determination, drive and effort exerted by both Canadian and Spanish sailors throughout the exercise.

Project Resolve: CEO says Seaspan could Supply iAOR Cheaper/Faster

By Jonathan Whitworth,

Chief Executive Officer, Seaspan ULC

Let’s give the new Liberal government in Ottawa credit for taking a deeper dive into the reported costs associated with Canada’s search for an interim capability to support the Royal Canadian Navy’s supply ship needs in the aftermath of the unanticipated retirement of HMCS Protecteur and HMCS Preserver. This interim capability would provide a needed bridge to the greater capability of the future Joint Support Ship (JSS) to be built at Seaspan’s Vancouver Shipyard.

Notwithstanding the indignation of certain commentators from Quebec, the Davie Shipyard-controlled Shipbuilding Association of Canada (neither Seaspan nor Irving are members of this organization) and some in the media, at the heart of the issue is whether Canada will get value for the reported $750 million it would be spending on a sole-source contract with Chantier Davie. Taxpayers should expect our federal government to have confidence in the answer they give to that question and one clear way of determining best value is through a fair, open and transparent competition.

Since Seaspan’s name has found its way into media articles related to this issue over the past week, I offer facts for the public record.

– Seaspan believes in competition and are proud to have won the federal government’s competition to build the next generation of vessels for the Canadian Coast Guard and Joint Support (supply ships) for the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) under the National Shipbuilding Procurement Strategy (NSPS).

– With no financial support from either the Province of British Columbia or the federal government we have invested $170 million of our own money to build North America’s most modern shipyard through which we have begun to produce the vessels that make up our initial inventory of work;

– The first of those vessels – the Offshore Fisheries Science Vessel for the Canadian Coast Guard – began construction in June and has 15 of 37 blocks presently under construction and is on plan;

– The engineering and planning phases are well underway on the next two classes of ships to be built in Vancouver. The Offshore Ocean Science Vessel for the Canadian Coast Guard and JSS for the Royal Canadian Navy are both benefiting from the world-class expertise that has been built at the Vancouver Shipyard under NSPS;

– This level of effort is currently providing employment to over 650 people at the Vancouver Shipyard and has resulted in contracts valued at over $321 million being awarded to some 140 Canadian suppliers. These numbers will continue to climb as our NSPS build program increases;

– Project delays that are often attributed to JSS are related to a failed procurement back in 2008 which predates NSPS and is unrelated to our current program. We are currently working to schedule and to budget with our JSS deliverables;

– We have formally expressed interest to Canada, at its request, to support the RCN’s interim capability need with a converted containership, similar to that offered by Davie but at a significantly lower price and faster, through our Victoria Shipyards. The work would be performed without compromise to our capacity at Vancouver Shipyards which will deliver JSS to Canada, in 2020;

– Seaspan’s Victoria Shipyards, and its trades-men and women, have enjoyed a very successful long-term relationship with the RCN including our delivery next summer of the fifth of five extensively refit Halifax Class frigates, each delivered to Canada on-time and on-budget. If Canada opens the interim supply ship project to best value competition, it is the Victoria Shipyard that stands ready to offer a winning, low-cost interim solution as a bridge to the much more capable Joint Support Ship.

We invite journalists and those who comment through the media to come and visit us at Seaspan, in both Vancouver and Victoria, to see with their own eyes why we are bullish on the future.

Project Resolve: iAOR to Provide Strategic Humanitarran Assistance and Disaster Relief

News Release from Project Resolve

As failed states, conflict, natural disasters, famine and epidemics continue to plague the globe, Canada will increasingly be called upon to render Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) to those affected.

The Resolve-Class Auxiliary Oiler Replenishment ship will play a key role in the Royal Canadian Navy’s HADR efforts from 2017. While the primary role of the Resolve-Class AOR is to conduct underway replenishment for the Canadian Task Group and other allied warships, a significant number of design elements have been incorporated into the ship’s design to support the HADR mission.

An Artists Rendition of the iAOR Asterix aiding in a Rescue at Sea

The specific HADR capabilities include:

• A humanitarian processing area for triage and care of evacuees/survivors
• A large medical facility for up to 60 patients in two separate wards
• Emergency accommodation for up to 350 people (in addition to the ship’s current 150 persons capacity)
• A ship-shore airlift capability via the two embarked Cyclone CH-148 helicopters
• A significant small craft capability that includes up to 8 boats with quick launch and recovery capabilities
• The ability to sustain the delivery over 400t/day of Fresh Water and up to 7000t of Fuel Oil, as well as significant power
• The transportation and self-sufficient loading and unloading of light vehicles, sea containers and general cargo that are essential for HADR missions.

Spencer Fraser, CEO of Project Resolve today commented “We are extremely proud to be able to fill the current gap and provide Canada with a strategically enabling naval asset for HADR missions. We incorporated HADR requirements into the ship’s design from the very start and we are confident that the ship and its Canadian crew will successfully meet the Government of Canada’s goals of providing effective and responsive humanitarian and disaster assistance where and when called upon.”

RCN In Talks To Lease Spanish AOR in 2016

By David Pugliese and Esteban Villarejo of defensenews.com 

Spain and Canada are negotiating a mutual logistic arrangement (MLSA) to deploy a Spanish replenishment ship with the Canadian fleet in the North Atlantic, both navies confirmed.

The ship deployed "during some periods of 2016" could be the auxiliary oiler and replenishment ship (AOR) Cantabria or Patiño, Spanish Navy sources said. The logistic arrangement is "to cover the Canadian navy's temporary need of logistic support vessels."

The Spanih AOR Cantabria Photo: Spanish Navy

The Cantabria or Patiño would support training for the Royal Canadian Navy’s Atlantic fleet starting in January. "No end date for the use of that support ship has been established," said Royal Canadian Navy spokeswoman Lt. Linda Coleman. “Negotiations are still ongoing and the MLSA is not yet finalized.”

But starting on Oct. 18, Royal Canadian Navy sailors will be serving on the Spanish Navy supply ship Cantabria. Navy spokesman Lt. Len Hickey said 28 sailors will be on the ship to conduct training during NATO's TRIDENT JUNCTURE 15 exercise. Hickey said the training is focused on replenishment-at-sea activities as well as familiarity of engineering systems on the ship. The Canadians will be on the ship until Nov. 10, Hickey said.

The Spanish AOR Cantabria deployed with the Royal Australian Navy in 2013. The government of Australia paid the expenses of that deployment during the year. The Spanish Ministry of Defense is expected to reach a similar arrangement with the Royal Canadian Navy.

This year Canada selected the German Navy's Berlin-class design to replace its two Protecteur-class supply ships, which have been removed from service.

Project Resolve: Navy Isn't Interested in 2nd iAOR

With Project Resolve now fully underway, and an official agreement reached between Davie Shipbuilding and the Government of Canada, the conversion of the Asterix boxship into an Navy AOR is taking place. The Asterix will be ready by summer 2017, and will serve as the Royal Canadian Navy's main AOR until the Queenston-Class AORs (based on the Berlin-Class) arrive sometime between 2020-2021.

Yesterday, Davie made an offer to the Navy to convert a second boxship for the Navy - a sister ship to the Asterix could be converted, and be ready for service by 2018 according to Davie.

The Royal Canadian Navy is not interested. Instead they will lease a Chilean AOR and a Spanish AOR for training purposes throughout 2016.

This almost immediate refusal of the offer comes with the question why not? The lease agreements with Davie could save the RCN money, and when the conversions only cost $400 million - less than half the cost of building an AOR (estimated to be around $1 Billion) Why would the Navy not agree to the solution? Even once the Asterix is ready, the Navy will only have one AOR; therefore one coast will be without the AOR services, unless a foreign AOR is also leased - so why not lease domestically?

Maybe a new government on October 20th will convince the Navy that this is a good deal, and should take the offer. Give jobs to Canadians.

Project Resolve: Asterix to Salvage Parts from HMCS Protecteur

This is a follow-up to my previous post on Project Resolve.
below is an article written by David Pugliese for Defence Watch.

The Following Article was written by DAVID PUGLIESE, OTTAWA CITIZEN

The Asterix, the commercial ship purchased by Davie for Project Resolve is on its way to Canada. Resolve will provide an interim AOR capability to the Royal Canadian Navy because of the delay in acquiring the Joint Support Ships (estimated time of arrival for the navy on the first JSS is 2020, 2021 for the second).

Davie and its team will refurbish Asterix into a refueling/resupply vessel and then provide this service to the RCN under a lease agreement.

Work is still being done on the final proposal and that still needs Treasury Board approval.

When will that approval happen?

It is unclear at this point.

Davie has received some initial money from the government but that runs out later this year.

The Canadian government will have to decide on a five or seven-year lease for the provision of such services.

The ship will arrive at Aecon’s Pictou, Nova Scotia shipyard where Project Resolve engineers will do some initial work, sources have told Defence Watch.

From there it will be sent to Davie yards in Quebec– the plan is to make sure the ship reaches there before winter sets in.

The ship will be later transferred to the West Coast so the replenishment at sea (RAS) system from HMCS Protecteur can be installed, sources told Defence Watch. The RAS system was not damaged in the 2014 fire that led to the decommissioning of Protecteur. Sea trials on the refurbished Asterix will be done on the West Coast.

Davie hopes the whole process will take about 15 months from the date a contract is signed.

Project Resolve: RCN's Interim Supply Ship

There is new(er) news about Project Resolve. Please be sure to also read: Asterix to Salvage Parts from HMCS Protecteur & Asterix iAOR to be ready by 2017

During election campaign, people expect little more than future promises on Defence issues - but we got news the other day that the Government has signed a letter of intent with Davie Shipbuilding in Levis, Quebec to retrofit a civilian container ship, the Asterix (a 1,702 TEU Boxship).

(*TEU - a Unit of Measurement = Twenty-Foot Equivalent Unit (i.e. a 20 Foot Sea Container))

According to several sources Davie Shipbuilding has purchased the Asterix for around $20 million and will spend upwards of $350 Million on retrofitting it to meet the Royal Canadian Navies requirements. 

For this all to take place,the Government was required to change its rules on sole-sourcing defence purchases. Otherwise, multiple firms would have been required to bid for the project, which could have led to further delays. 

The Government quietly added a line to the contract back in June 2015, that allows a deal to move forward to a single company, if the requirements are "urgent operational reasons, and fulfills an interim requirement."  This can possibly set a dangerous precedent for future projects or governments, as what defines urgent or interim? 

Little is known about the final ownership of the Asterix. It is highly unlikely that the ship will be owned by the Royal Canadian Navy - as it is Davie who reportedly purchased the ship. In all likelihood, Davie will then lease the ship to the Navy on a long-term basis until the planned Queenston-Class AOR vessels are built (The first in late 2020). The estimated cost for the lease - between $65 and $75 Million per year. What will happen to the Asterix after all 3 Queenston AORs are operational? That is another unanswered question - it will most likely continue to operate as a broader part of the Navy, most likely helping out on more humanitarian missions or as a central command ship for larger international deployments. The modified Asterix is expected to be in service for at least the next 20 to 25 years. There are no reports about whether or not Davie will sell the ship to the Navy at the end of the initial lease agreement. 

The Royal Canadian Navy currently does not have a supply ship, and temporarily rented a Chilean Supply Ship for exercises on the West Coast, and have leased a Spanish supply ship for the East Coast.  The Asterix will give the RCN supply capability until the Queenston-Class AORs arrive, but will also allow the Navy to maintain a high level of training on supply vessels. 

The Asterix is currently capable of carrying 1,702 twenty-foot sea containers. Davie will convert the ship into a Naval Supply Vessel, capable of replenishing other Navy vessels at sea. 

The conversion will include, modifying the hull and ballast systems, to be capable of carrying 10,000 liters of spare fuel. A landing pad will be added to the ship, large enough to allow for two Chinook sized helicopters to use it. Although it is more likely that the Cyclones will operate off of the ship. Accompanying the landing pad, will be two hangers for the ships own aircraft be to be stored. Accommodations for up to 350 personnel, including a large medical facility (mobile hospital) and a command center. Unlike the Queenston-Class, no mention of any weapons systems have been added to the design of the Asterix. 

Once all the modifications are complete, the ship will also be able to carry an additional 40 twenty-foot sea containers. (Down form the 1,702) 

The project name Davie Shipbuilding is using for this overhaul - Project Resolve, which has led to the nickname Resolve-Class AOR for the Asterix. It is currently only a temporary name, but I think HMCS Resolve has a nice ring to it. 

Navy: Further Delays expected for Joint Support Ships

On a day when Defence Minister Jason Kenney announced that the government has entered into talks with the Quebec Shipyard about converting a civilian supply-ship for the navy as a stop gap - the Navy has come out and announced that they believe more delays are coming for the Joint Supply Ship (JSS) fleet.

Originally supposed to be built and be in the water by 2012, the JSS's current timeline is to being construction by 2017, and be fully operational by 2021. The Navy currently believes the Vancouver Shipyard will not be ready to begin construction by 2017, due to the fact that they are currently building the government's Fisheries Science and Oceanographic Vessels.

On top of the possibility that construction will not begin on time - a review of the budget has found that the JSS project might not even be affordable. There is a concern that with the lack of ship building in Canada over the past two decades, thaat the Vancouver Shipyard will not be able to hire the qualified staff it will require for the JSS. Also there are questions about the $2.6 billion put aside for the project (another $1.9 billion has been set aside for in-service support). Some critics question whether enough money has been put aside.

The Royal Canadian Navy is planing a third party review of the costs - and will make minor changes to its plans if the costs continue to rise - but says it requires the capabilities of the JSS. The Royal Canadian Navy selected the Germany Navy's Berlin-Class design for the ships - so changes will all depend on what those designs allow.

A Germany Navy Berlin-Class Replenishment Ship