the Future HMCS Harry DeWolf is scheduled for builders trials in the basin Friday the 22nd. the ship is scheduled for trials outside the harbour Saturday the 23rd.
the dates were pushed back a day due to weather.
I missed the actual launch, but the ship was free from the barge and moving to the Shipyard by 0920 this morning.
I hear trials on the Harry De Wolf are set for the 21st, in the basin.
AOPS #2 has been moved to the basin. The launch will occur tomorrow morning, with the barge beginning to submerge at 4am. Shipyard staff are scheduled to board the ship at 2:45 to check tanks, and valves for leaks as the ship is lowered into the water.
AOPS #2 the future HMCS Margaret Brooke was loaded onto the launching barge at the shipyard this afternoon. Based on the schedule of the first ship, the launch will occur in the basin tomorrow, though this is unconfirmed at this point.
UPDATE: Pilot order for the Move to the basin is for 13:00 Tomorrow. timing suggests the actual launch will be after dark tomorrow evening.
the Launch of the Second AOPS has been delayed by at least a month.
In August, Irving Shipbuilding applied for a coasting trade license to use the BoaBarge 37 to launch the ship for a 30 Day period between Oct 18 and Nov 18. ISI has now requested another window Between Nov 25 and Dec 23.
the reason for the delay is unclear, but is unlikely related to the stop work order after a contract worker was killed by sand blasting equipment at the yard in July. The original application was dated July 24.
Work Continues on the first ship, with testing under way – the Boat Davit appears to have recently load tested, given the empty bag still hanging from it. some of the construction coverings are coming off, and system testing is under way.
the Launch of the Second ship is Due sometime between October 19 and November 19, based on the Coasting trade application for the use of the Boa Barge. that would suggest the plan is to turn the first ship over to the navy before then.
I suspect the yard is under political pressure to hand the ship over prior to the start of the federal election campaign.
The contract for the design of the new Naval large tugs project was issued by Ocean Industries. Robert Allen Ltd. of Vancouver will be providing a variation of their Ramparts 2400 design. The design is commercially proven, with 48 having been built internationally. The Tug is not currently in use in Canada.
Ocean will be building 4 tugs, 2 for each coast. the New large tugs will replace the existing Glen Class.
This week in the Herald, I cover the announcement that Group Ocean will be building 4 new Tugs for the Navy. These will replace the 5 Glen Class tugs, and 2 Fire Class boats. 3 Glen Tugs are currently stationed in Halifax. Firebird was retired and sold in 2014. The remaining 2 tugs and fire-boat are in service in Esquimalt.
I cover the History of the procurement, dating back to 2012, and the 2015 attempt to charter vessels. and have some details on the new Boats, that seemingly no one else asked about.
The Feds are acquiring eight new high-endurance search and rescue (SAR) lifeboats for the Coast Guard. the boats will be purchased from Chantier Naval Forillon of Gaspé, Quebec, and Hike Metal Products of Wheatley, Ontario.
Chantier Naval Forillon and Hike Metal Products were already producing six SAR lifeboats each under existing contracts signed in 2015. Under the amended contracts, each shipyard will build four additional lifeboats at a total cost of $61,757,896. These contracts were awarded under the small vessel component of the National Shipbuilding Strategy and will help maintain well-paying, middle-class jobs at both shipyards.
With the ability to operate up to 100 nautical miles from shore, these new high-endurance SAR lifeboats are enhancing the Coast Guard’s search and rescue capabilities. Vessels from this class are named after bays in Canada and are being built under the Federal Infrastructure Initiative, the Fleet Renewal Plan and Oceans Protection Plan.
the federal government issued a release identifying Lockheed Martin as the preferred design for the CSC. Canada’s Combat Ship Team – composed of Lockheed Martin, BAE Systems and CAE, MDA, L3 Technologies, and Ultra Electronics – submitted a proposal based on the British Type 26 Global Combat Ship. the British are currently building this ship, though it is not yet in service.
so much for a proven off the shelf design. I covered the 3 eligible bidders in a post earlier this year.
Anyway, the release says:
The Government of Canada and Irving Shipbuilding Inc. have identified Lockheed Martin Canada Inc. as the preferred bidder to provide the design and design team for the Royal Canadian Navy’s future Canadian Surface Combatants.
While this represents a significant milestone in the competitive process, more work is required before a contract is awarded.
Lockheed Martin Canada Inc. must now go through the “due diligence process,” which includes:
- negotiations with the company on intellectual property rights
- an assessment of combat systems performance
- an assessment of the company’s financial capability to deliver the project, together with the verification of various other administrative matters
Should the preferred bidder not successfully demonstrate to Canada and Irving Shipbuilding Inc. that it meets all of the due diligence requirements, then the next highest ranked compliant bidder will become the preferred bidder. The new preferred bidder will then have to successfully demonstrate that it meets all of the due diligence requirements.
The identification of the preferred bidder follows a rigorous bid evaluation process. This process has been, and will continue to be, overseen by an independent Fairness Monitor. To date, the Fairness Monitor has submitted a series of interim reports on the Canadian Surface Combatant procurement process, and each of these reports have not identified any fairness deficiencies.
More recently, the Fairness Monitor provided the following statement to Public Services and Procurement Canada:
“As the Fairness Monitor for the Canadian Surface Combatant project, we have monitored the evaluation of proposals submitted in response to the Request for Proposals and have identified no fairness deficiencies. It is our opinion that the evaluation of proposals was conducted in a fair manner. Decisions were made objectively and free from personal favouritism or improper influence, and the process encompassed the elements of openness, competitiveness, transparency and compliance with the Request for Proposals.”
A contract award is expected this winter, with construction beginning in the early 2020s.
The Canadian Surface Combatant project is the largest, most complex procurement ever undertaken by the Government of Canada. These ships will form the backbone of our Royal Canadian Navy and will be Canada’s major surface component of maritime combat power for decades to come.
The Government of Canada remains committed to being open and transparent at each stage of the procurement process.
