3 German naval Vessels Arrived this Morning FGS Frankfurt am Main (below); FGS Hessen (Above) and FGS Emden (below below). FGS Frankfurt am Main has been to Halifax before, and is one of 2 perfered platforms for replacing HMCS Preserver and Protectur. The 3 vessels arrived spaced by an hour, which made photographing them more difficult. They will next be at the Quebec Naval Rendezvous June 6
Photo of FGS Emden below.
The Dock is Submeged, and Ojibwa is awaiing the passage of 2 Container ships and the ferry Blue Puttees from the Nova Dock.
UPDATE:
The tug Florence M and the Barge Heddle M1 arrived around 1400 today. They proceeded to Pier Navy L, and will load the former HMCS Ojibwa for transport to Ontario, where she will become a Museum Piece. This same method was used to transport the previous 2 subs for scrapping, after Onadonga had Issues being towed.
A Bit of History
The 4 Oberon Boats spent much their retired life tied up in a row at jetty Navy L in Dartmouth, though one was used in the movie K19 Widowmaker. The Onadonga was the first to leave in July 2008, bound for the Maritime Museum in Rimouski. Onadonga was towed by the Tug Jerry Newbury, though Towing proved difficult, and the towing bridle parted on the first attempt to leave.
She was eventually towed, though the difficulty was likely he reason to use the barge (which submerges to allow the sub to float on and off.)
From the US Consulate website:
The doubt surrounding the fate of the former HMCS Ojibwa, currently tied up at the Naval Dockyard Annex in Dartmouth has been resolved. Peter Mackay, The minister of Defence, signed an agreement turning over the Sub to the Elgin Military Museum in St. Thomas Ontario.
UPDATE: The London Free Press is reporting the Tug Florence M is on her way to Halifax from Hamilton to return with the Sub which is scheduled to be Installed on September 8.The Florence M shows an ETA of May 25th for her Halifax arival.
HMCS Preserver entered port this morning just after 8 am, and proceeded to the Bedford Basin (anchorage 10) to perform some excercises. She departed for sea just after Noon. She had had a tug in attendance from the point she passed the Dockyard inbound, untill she passed the dockyard outbound.
HMCS Windsor returned to halifax Harbour just past noon today. After Some addtional in water Quay side tests, she will proceed to conduct a series of sea trials. In the Top picture she has just been pulled off the Synchrolift. Bellow, the tugs are Positioning to move her along side the jetty.
The Chronicle Herald is reporting that the navy will begin undocking HMCS Windsor from the synchrolift Wendsday morning at 6am. The Operation is expected to take about 6 hours to complete.
Photos to come tomorow morning.
The Protectur Class AOR’s were commisioned in 1970. Now over 40 years old, they are Long in need of replacement, and in 2006 the first RFP went out.
Act 1. “Aircraft Carriers”
Panned by the oposition and the media as Aircraft Carriers, the Joint support ship as originalay envisioned would serve not just the Replenishment Role, But would also feature a Hospital, Command and Control Capabilities, Helecopter Faclities, and a Landing Dock able to deploy vehicles.
Around the same time, the Dutch undertook a simalar program, and developed a simalar set of requirements. They Came up with the Karel Doorman class support ship. Canada Balked at the Cost, The Dutch Went ahead. The first Dutch vessel will be Delivered in 2014.
Act 2. “what do our friends use?”
With the JSS Now too expensive, The government went looking for Other options. They First found the Berlin Class, in use by the German Navy. They are mostly a traditional AOR, but have a hospital, can carry cargo, and have a flight deck. Option 2 was the Cantabria Class, in Use with the Spanish Navy. it is simalar in features to the Berlin Class, though slightly smaller. Negotiations to secure one of these designs for Canadian use failed, and with that, on to act 3.
Act 3. “Finally!?”
New Design Contracts were awarded to BMT Fleet Technology of Kanata, ON and TysenKrupp (TKMS). BMT will be designing a new vessel, which will likely be a a variation of their AEGIR-18 Design, while TKMS will offer a Modified version of the Berlin Class. The Winner of this Competition will be Built by the Vacouver shipyard under the National Ship Procurment Strategy.
The Much maligned Victoria Class Submarine program is finally making some Headway.
HMCS Windsor is being prepaired to move off the Sychrolift at the shipyard and to be put back into the water. Sources indicate this will happen in April.
HMCS Victoria (Above, DND Photo) has so far made the most Progress. She emerged from Reft, Has been Degaused In bangor washington at the US Navy’s Submarine base, And has Sucessfully dived and fired torpedos.
HMCS Cornerbrook, the One working submarine is tied up in Esquimalt, after suffering damage in a collision with the bottom. It will be going into an extended maintinace period. HMCS Chicoutimi is Also in BC Though heavily damaged by the fire that occured on her delivery trip.
