by David Pugliese
The Canadian government is in discussions with Federal Fleet Services to further extend the support the Motor Vessel (MV) Asterix provides to the Royal Canadian Navy. The extension is needed because of additional delays to the Joint Support Ship project, said Simon Page, assistant deputy minister for defence and marine procurement at Public Services and Procurement Canada. The first Joint Supply Ship won’t be delivered until 2025 and the second won’t arrive until 2027, Page confirmed to Esprit de Corps.
The Canadian government is in discussions with Federal Fleet Services to further extend the support the Motor Vessel (MV) Asterix provides to the Royal Canadian Navy. (DAVID PUGLIESE PHOTO)
The MV Asterix was initially contracted into service in January 2018 for a five-year period with the option to extend by up to five additional one-year increments. “The ongoing discussions are to exercise two of the one year option periods to extend the term of the contract for the interim use of the MV Asterix until January 2025, as requested by the Department of National Defence,” PSPC spokeswoman Katherine Proulx told Esprit de Corps.
She said at this point it is not known exactly when the new arrangement will be put in place. “The intent is that the agreement is in place prior to the expiry of the current service period in January 2023,” she added. Asterix has come a long way since it was unveiled on July 20, 2017 at the Davie yards in front of Canadian Armed Forces senior leaders and federal, provincial and municipal politicians.
The Asterix project involved the conversion of a modern, European-built containership into an Auxiliary Oiler Replenishment ship. (DAVID PUGLIESE PHOTO)
The 26,000-tonne Asterix, a commercial vessel converted for naval resupply purposes by Davie Shipbuilding in Quebec and leased to the Canadian government by the firm’s affiliate Federal Fleet Services, has been fully integrated into the RCN’s fleet for years now.
The $670 million project has provided the RCN for the first time since 2015 with its own capability to refuel and resupply its ships. The vessel is seen as an interim Auxiliary Oiler Replenishment ship until the Joint Support Ship fleet is built and delivered. Asterix is the largest naval platform in service with the RCN and provides a wide range of functions from at-sea replenishment of fuels and cargo to aviation support, fleet medical support and humanitarian and disaster relief.
The project involved the conversion of a modern, Europeanbuilt containership into an Auxiliary Oiler Replenishment ship. Under a lease agreement, Federal Fleet Services is providing the ship and a civilian crew to operate the vessel. Royal Canadian Navy personnel are on board to handle communications and the actual transfer of supplies and fuel to warships.
The price tag includes the conversion of Asterix, the lease of its services to the Royal Canadian Navy for five years, maintenance and the salaries of a civilian crew to operate the vessel.
Asterix is able to carry two Royal Canadian Air Force Cyclone maritime helicopters and also has medical facilities on board. If needed, it could carry a Chinook helicopter.
In addition, it has space for light armoured vehicles and other equipment.
The RCN has a commanding officer on board the vessel to oversee military personnel while that officer does tactical level liaison with Federal Fleet Services, directing how the ship is used for the Navy’s operations.
The size of the RCN crew fluctuates. It can range from 45 to 67 sailors, depending on the training or operations underway.
Besides sailors trained in replenishment duties, there are medical, dental, engineering and communications personnel from the Canadian Armed Forces serving on the ship. Asterix is outfitted with six .50 calibre machineguns but Phalanx weapon systems can be added if needed. (Davie originally proposed to the Department of National Defence that Phalanx guns be installed but that was turned down by bureaucrats as a costsaving measure.)
Vice-Admiral Angus Topshee, commander of the Royal Canadian Navy, said Asterix’s role is important as it allows sailors to continue using their skills in replenishing ships at sea. “Asterix is extremely helpful because it allows us to put sailors on board the ship so they maintain the skills with the delivery of fuel to the receiving vessel,” he explained to Esprit de Corps. “And Asterix, even though it only operates in one ocean at a time, does have crews of those sailors and the enablers from both coasts, to make sure that both coasts sustain that skill.”
Davie offered to sell the Liberal government a second similar ship, Obelix, at a cost of around $500 million. The proposed deal had the support of the Conservative Party as well. The vessel could be delivered to the RCN within 24 months, Davie noted in its proposal.
In addition, the Senate’s defence committee recommended the federal government not only buy Asterix outright but purchase Obelix. It originally suggested that deal be put in place by 2018. The Liberal government, however, rejected the proposal.
The federal government does not appear to be changing course on that decision, even with the further delays of the Joint Support Ships. “We are currently in discussion with Federal Fleet Services to extend the current contract that we have with them for the services of the Asterix,” Page responded to a question about the potential purchase of Obelix. “There is no, there is no discussion about a purchase.”
The Liberal government originally tried to derail the Asterix project shortly after being elected in the fall of 2015. The move came after cabinet ministers, including Scott Brison and then Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan received a letter from the Irving family with a complaint that an Irving proposal for a similar supply ship was not examined properly. Irving has denied any suggestion it was involved in political meddling.
The Liberals eventually backed down after the Quebec government and shipyard workers in the province accused it of trying to scuttle the Davie Asterix deal. In addition, there was a penalty fee of $89 million if the federal government decided not to proceed with the Asterix project. Conversion of Asterix was ultimately approved by the Liberal government and the ship was delivered on time and on budget.