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.
Showing posts with label Supply Vessels. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Supply Vessels. Show all posts
Wednesday, December 9, 2015
Thursday, November 12, 2015
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.
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.
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| 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.”
• 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.”
Wednesday, June 24, 2015
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.
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.
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| A Germany Navy Berlin-Class Replenishment Ship |
Tuesday, May 19, 2015
Navy used eBay to keep HMCS Preserver operational
The Ottawa Citizen's Defence Watch learned recently that Royal Canadian Navy personnel went to extreme lengths to keep HMCS Preserver operational over the last few years.
The Canadian Press, who supplied the information to Navy Commander Vice-Admiral Mark Norman showed that technicians were fighting a loosing battle to keep Preserver on duty.
Despite the fact that the Canadian Armed Forces announced in 2014 that Preserver and her sister ship Protecteur would be retired in 2015, personnel fought to keep them operational as long as possible, in several cases even using eBay to purchased used parts to repair the ship.
This extreme step was taken as the original manufacturers long ago stopped making spare parts - which led to a disproportionate amount of time being used to find replacements. In many cases when the military requires a part that is no longer produced, they upgrade the equipment in question, or find a manufacturer to produce a specified amount of the required part for the remaining lifespan of the equipment. In the Navy's case - for Preserver that was not an option because of its impending retirement.
An exact date for Preserver`s "Paying Off" (retirement) has not been set.
Many critics are calling for an interim solution to be found for the Royal Canadian Navy's supply gap - construction on the new supply vessels are not set to begin until 2017 - and will not be ready before 2019/2020.
Sunday, February 15, 2015
Updated: RCN Seeks Supply Vessel Lease
Originally Published Feb 15, 2015
Updated: May 24, 2015
So with Canada's plan for a new fleet of Navy Vessels still on the drawing board, while more and more of its ships are forced into retirement, including the last of its supply vessels earlier this year, Canada will not have to lease the missing pieces it requires to operate the Royal Canadian Navy efficiently. The replacement fleet will not be ready until 2021 at the earliest.
The Government of Canada will look at domestic or international companies to lease commercial vessels that can act as resupply ships so the RCN can resupply warships at sea.
Originally the government intended to purchase surplus US Navy ships but that is likely no longer an option based on the cost and the low availability of the surplus ships.
There are specific requirements the commercial supply ships must meet - but the most important according to DND is that they must be able to refuel vessels at sea and moving.
The US Navy has kindly offered assistance, and the RCN is working to better coordinate the movement of its ships to be within US Supply range when needed - but that convenience also has a cost. Just think of the increased cost of goods when you visit a convenience store.
This solution is limited, because the RCN is not always operating within range of the US ships, and then must put the burden on other Allies in the region.
The Navy will not operate these leased vessels, they would be run by commercial crews, but with Navy personnel managing the communications equipment and the refuelling/restocking systems.
Canada has selected the German Navy's Berlin-class design for its new supply ships, which as more than 20,000 tons and 600 feet long. They will carry two helicopters and medical facilities, but they will not be complete until 2020 and not operational until 2021.
UPDATE:
On Friday May 22, 2015, DND released hints that the Government of Canada will most likely announce this coming week that they are seeking commercial ships to fill the void left by HMCS Preserver and HMCS Protecteur. The commercial tanker ships will require modification to fit the needs of the Royal Canadian Navy - a process that will be expedited by removing equipment that is still usable (and parts are still available) from the two retired supply ships.
The lease or purchase of two commercial ships would allow for the Navy to at least be refuelled at sea - something that it currently is relying on its Allies in deployment regions for. Naval supply ships allows a Navy to operate for upwards of six months without heading into a port for supplies and fuel. It also helps ships when working out of a battle group, or in a region of the world where allied ports are unavailable.
The Conservative government is taking heat over its "Made in Canada" rebuild of the Navy. While the process will create jobs, it will also likely run over budget and be delayed. This is because there is no large ship building firms in Canada. No corporate memory for such projects. Critics point to the United Kingdom who are acquiring four commercial supply ships for the Royal Navy from South Korea - at a much cheaper cost than the Queenston-Class ships Canada is planning on building. (And they are getting four vessels not three as planned in Canada)
Norway is planning a similar purchase. The release states that several companies have already come forward with options for the Navy's supply vessel problem.
Original Source: Defence News
Updated: May 24, 2015
So with Canada's plan for a new fleet of Navy Vessels still on the drawing board, while more and more of its ships are forced into retirement, including the last of its supply vessels earlier this year, Canada will not have to lease the missing pieces it requires to operate the Royal Canadian Navy efficiently. The replacement fleet will not be ready until 2021 at the earliest.
The Government of Canada will look at domestic or international companies to lease commercial vessels that can act as resupply ships so the RCN can resupply warships at sea.
Originally the government intended to purchase surplus US Navy ships but that is likely no longer an option based on the cost and the low availability of the surplus ships.
There are specific requirements the commercial supply ships must meet - but the most important according to DND is that they must be able to refuel vessels at sea and moving.
The US Navy has kindly offered assistance, and the RCN is working to better coordinate the movement of its ships to be within US Supply range when needed - but that convenience also has a cost. Just think of the increased cost of goods when you visit a convenience store.
This solution is limited, because the RCN is not always operating within range of the US ships, and then must put the burden on other Allies in the region.
The Navy will not operate these leased vessels, they would be run by commercial crews, but with Navy personnel managing the communications equipment and the refuelling/restocking systems.
Canada has selected the German Navy's Berlin-class design for its new supply ships, which as more than 20,000 tons and 600 feet long. They will carry two helicopters and medical facilities, but they will not be complete until 2020 and not operational until 2021.
UPDATE:
On Friday May 22, 2015, DND released hints that the Government of Canada will most likely announce this coming week that they are seeking commercial ships to fill the void left by HMCS Preserver and HMCS Protecteur. The commercial tanker ships will require modification to fit the needs of the Royal Canadian Navy - a process that will be expedited by removing equipment that is still usable (and parts are still available) from the two retired supply ships.
The lease or purchase of two commercial ships would allow for the Navy to at least be refuelled at sea - something that it currently is relying on its Allies in deployment regions for. Naval supply ships allows a Navy to operate for upwards of six months without heading into a port for supplies and fuel. It also helps ships when working out of a battle group, or in a region of the world where allied ports are unavailable.
The Conservative government is taking heat over its "Made in Canada" rebuild of the Navy. While the process will create jobs, it will also likely run over budget and be delayed. This is because there is no large ship building firms in Canada. No corporate memory for such projects. Critics point to the United Kingdom who are acquiring four commercial supply ships for the Royal Navy from South Korea - at a much cheaper cost than the Queenston-Class ships Canada is planning on building. (And they are getting four vessels not three as planned in Canada)
Norway is planning a similar purchase. The release states that several companies have already come forward with options for the Navy's supply vessel problem.
Original Source: Defence News
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