Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced a substantial investment in the Navy on July 9, 2007, providing the first tangible result in his Government’s efforts to improve Canada’s Arctic security. The announcement involves the construction of six-to-eight “Arctic Patrol Vessels” (APV) with medium first-year icebreaking capabilities. Such vessels will give the Canadian Navy the ability to patrol our Arctic waters during the summer months and, during the Arctic winter, allow the Navy to provide patrols throughout the Atlantic and Pacific coastlines.

The Conservative government’s election platform in January 2006 promised the construction of three heavy icebreakers for the Navy in order to provide a year-round presence throughout that portion of Canada’s territory. Instead, with the announcement of the APVs, the government has gone the route of providing a robust seasonal presence during the Arctic summer navigable season, when shipping traffic in the region is most frequent.

A deepwater porting facility for the Arctic region, from which these vessels would be based during the navigable season (and during the Arctic winter, they may be based as far south as Quebec City), is also expected to be constructed. To date, however, no indication of the location of this base has been announced, though Iqaluit, Nunavut is the prime contender, with a preexisting Canadian Forces presence. An alternate location is Resolute, which is the strategic location as it is essentially in the centre of the Canadian Arctic and would allow quick response to emergencies on both the Pacific and Atlantic sides of the region. Iqaluit, on the Eastern coast of Canada’s Arctic territory, would hinder effective response to emergencies on the Pacific coast if the base is constructed there.

The anticipation that the Conservative government would shelve its plan to build three heavy icebreakers in favour of a more realistic option (in that shipping threats are usually limited to the navigable season than year-round) has long been in existence. Initially, rumours had been swirling that the government would purchase foreign-built vessels based on the Norwegian Svalbard coast guard Arctic Patrol Vessel. This vessel, with a cost estimated at approximately $100 million USD, has a complement of fifty crew, while displacing 6,300 tonnes and offering a robust capability including counter-pollution, fire fighting, and the more traditional military capabilities. Yet, with the July 9 announcement, the rumour of such a ship perhaps seeing operation within Canada’s Navy was quashed as the Prime Minister announced that the APVs would be Canadian designed and built.

The cost for the design and construction of six-to-eight APVs has been budgeted at $3.1 billion CAD, an amount that is testament to the high cost of doing business with the Canadian shipbuilding industry. Comparably, the construction costs associated with eight proven Svalbard-class vessels would be (at current exchange rates) approximately $850 million CAD, based on the unit price previously mentioned. The motivation behind this decision by the government is to provide maximum benefit for taxpayer’s dollars (by paying three-times the price of the benchmark design for Arctic patrol vessels), and to provide benefits to regions dependent on the “ailing” Canadian shipbuilding industry. The procurement will conform to the Canadian Shipbuilding Policy Framework, which will require the federal government to procure, repair, and refit the vessels in Canada, so long as there remains a competitive domestic marketplace.

Over the course of the projected twenty-five year lifespan of the vessels, operational and maintenance costs will accrue a further $4.3 billion on the project value, making it a $7.4 billion dollar procurement. A request for proposals will be called in the near future, with contract award to follow and delivery of the first APV scheduled for 2013.

Formally known, at this time, as the Arctic/Offshore Patrol Ship (A/OPS), the multi-purpose vessels will provide an ice-capable offshore patrol capability that will allow for Canada to assert its claims to Arctic territory and waterways under International Law (the “use it or lose it” approach to maintaining sovereign control of territory). Further, the vessels will provide sea-borne surveillance operations, which is a much needed capability given reports in recent years of Chinese submarine penetrations of Canadian Arctic waters. In addition, in conjunction with other government assets, the vessels will assert and enforce Canadian sovereignty throughout our waters. Information available from unofficial sources currently indicates that each vessel will be in the area of 100 metres long with a displacement of 3,000 tonnes; significantly lower than the Svalbard (and at several times the cost nonetheless).

Meanwhile, the procurement of the new patrol vessels has raised doubt as to the future of the Maritime Coastal Defence Vessels (Kingston class MCDV), which by name are currently Canada’s primary coastal patrol vessels. In reality, the MCDVs are unable to patrol the full extent of the Canadian exclusive economic zone given that they were designed as minesweepers and later adopted, out of absolute need, to the coastal defence role. With the acquisition of these APVs, and the likelihood that during the Arctic winter they will operate on the Atlantic and Pacific coasts, it is likely that the MCDVs will be returned to their original role of providing the Navy’s sole mine countermeasure capability. A recent media report also speculated that some MCDVs would be placed into reserve (specifically those without the minesweeping capability) in order to free up crews for the APVs.

Quick Facts
Source: Department of National Defence

Area of Operations: Canadian Arctic, Grand Bank of Newfoundland, Northwest Coast of the Queen Charlotte Islands, St. Lawrence River.

Homeport: Future deepwater port to be constructed in the Canadian Arctic; Quebec City.

Ice Capability: Strengthened to operate in medium first-year ice – design will provide only for the ship’s own mobility in such ice conditions, and not for it to act as an icebreaking service to other vessels.

Range: Sustain at-sea operations for up to four months and have a minimum range of 6,000 nautical miles.

Command and Control: The ship’s electronic equipment must have the ability to ensure safety of navigation and flight, as well as sufficient command, control and communications capability to provide and receive real-time information to and from the CF Common Operating Picture.

Speed: Cruise at 14 knots; maximum at least 20 knots.

Armament: unspecified, but the vessel will indeed be armed (with more than 12.7 mm guns).

Boat Operations: The ship’s crew must be able to conduct boat operations in up to sea state four, support operations ashore via landing craft and support naval boarding parties.

This entry was posted on Thursday, July 12th, 2007 at 7:16 pm and is filed under Navy.