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.
The new build CCGS Pachena Bay was on trial over the noon hour in the basin. Built By Chantier Naval Forillon, of Quebec, she arrived in Halifax on the 7th.
the vessel along with CCGS McIntyre Bay (Also tied up at BIO) will be sent to BC, and are scheduled to go into operation in 2019. The CCGS McIntyre Bay will be stationed at Prince Rupert, and the CCGS Pachena Bay will serve the Port Hardy.
the fifth and final new build Halifax Transit ferry Rita Joe arrived over the weekend. She was launched Sept 21 at AF Theriault in Meteghan.
there will likely be a few weeks of commissioning activities and testing before she enters service.
the barge moved to the basin and was in place by 9am. located in the area of Captain Jim.
Photos will follow throughout the day when the fog lifts.
around 10:00 am the fog lifted
these are around 11:30:
(Above) rolling back slowly. (Below) Partially on the Barge.
(Below) All the Way Loaded.
Launching details and prep are available in this post
More roll back photos will be posted here
the Leeway Striker appeared at COVE over the weekend. A new Acquisition By Leeway Marine, the fast patrol boat was built by RIVERHAWK FAST SEA FRAMES of Tampa Florida. Her jet drives can power her to a top speed of 55knots, or 107km/h. Shes 72′ (22m) in length. these boats are marketed as high speed patrol craft to navies around the world, and this one specifically was built as part of a bid on a US Defense contract. The Leeway Striker was registered earlier in August, and imported in Yarmouth.
(Above) The first AOPS, the Future HMCS Harry DeWolf has been tarped off for painting, prior to launching in September. the modules were painted indoors as they were built, though it was presumably with a primer, as the grey is not the Canadian navy grey in use on existing warships.
(Below)The Middle and Stern Mega blocks for the Future HMCS Margaret Brooke are well underway. they will be moved out Post launching of the Dewolf and assembled, then joined by the Bow mega block.
