The Royal Canadian Navy’s second Arctic and Offshore Patrol Ship (AOPS), the future HMCS Margaret Brooke, was launched on Sunday (10th November) at Halifax Shipyard.
The launch of the second of six AOPS for the Royal Canadian Navy, marks a significant milestone for Canada’s National Shipbuilding Strategy (NSS) and the revitalization of the Royal Canadian Navy’s combatant fleet.
The 103-metre future HMCS Margaret Brooke transitioned from Halifax Shipyard’s land level facility to a submersible barge on Nov. 8, 2019 and launched in the Bedford Basin today.
The future HMCS Margaret Brooke is the second of six Arctic and Offshore Patrol Ships (AOPS) the shipbuilders at Halifax Shipyard are building for the Royal Canadian Navy as part of Canada’s National Shipbuilding Strategy. The lead ship, the future HMCS Harry DeWolf, will be delivered to the Royal Canadian Navy in summer 2019. Steel cutting for the third AOPS, the future HMCS Max Bernays, started in December 2018, and construction of the fourth AOPS, the future HMCS William Hall, officially started in May 2019.
Harry DeWolf-class offshore patrol vessel:
The Harry DeWolf-class offshore patrol vessels are warships of the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) built by the Government of Canada Arctic and Offshore Patrol Ship (AOPS) procurement project, part of the National Shipbuilding Procurement Strategy (now called National Shipbuilding Strategy). In July 2007 the federal government announced plans for acquiring six to eight icebreaking warships for the RCN. The lead ship of the class was announced as Harry DeWolf in September 2014, and four additional ships were named in January 2015.
The vessels have a diesel-electric powertrain with four 3.6-megawatt (4,800 hp) diesel generators producing electricity for two 4.5-megawatt (6,000 hp) propulsion motors.
BAE Systems provides up to six modified Mk 38 Mod 2 25 mm cannon for the naval ships in the class (coast guard order will be unarmed). This contract also covers the service life of the weapons.
The ships are outfitted with SAGEM BlueNaute navigational systems. Thales IFF system was selected for use on the class. Terma currently provides its SCANTER 6002 radar system to Lockheed Martin Canada as part of the Combat Management System (CMS 330), which was selected by Irving Shipbuilding Inc. for the Arctic and Offshore Patrol Ships (AOPS).
