By Dvid Pugliese
THE LIBERAL GOVERNMENT recently outlined to parliamentarians the way forward for the Canadian Surface Combatant (CSC) and other elements of the National Shipbuilding Strategy. National Defence estimates that the construction period for the first CSC will be approximately seven-and-a-half years and that efficiencies will shorten the build schedules for subsequent ships.
Full operational capability of the 15-vessel CSC fleet is expected in late 2040 following delivery and final acceptance of the last warship. Timelines for the acceptance of individual ships weren’t available to parliamentarians as those will be updated as the project moves towards implementation and construction contracts are awarded.
National Defence officials say the CSC ship design requires minimal changes to the hull, mechanical, and electrical systems from the parent Type 26-design. These changes will allow the ship to accommodate capabilities, including helicopters, and a degaussing system that will reduce the ship’s magnetic signature. Additionally, National Defence is currently assessing modifications to the combat systems, including amendments to weapons systems, sensors, torpedoes, and radar.
National Defence has insisted the cost of CSC is still in the range of $56 billion to $60 billion.
But already there are indications that cost is going to increase significantly.
During a March 23 meeting of the House of Commons defence committee, Conservative MP Todd Doherty asked Defence Minister Anita Anand about the increase of the CSC to an estimated $100 billion. Doherty wanted to know if the government had given any thought to instead purchasing proven, off-the-shelf foreign ships. Anand didn’t reject that $100 billion price tag but said the Liberal government was continuing with its CSC project as outlined.
The Royal Canadian Navy wants new submarines to replace its Victoria-class boats and has already embarked on a communications plan to convince the public to support that multi-billion dollar program.
Doherty also raised concerns Canada’s new warship is becoming too heavy, with the design going from 5,000 tonnes to 10,000 tonnes. Extra weight will likely drive up costs of operations as well as the equipment needed on board.
National Defence deputy minister Bill Matthews responded that it is too premature to discuss the weight issue. “What I would say is that with the initial design versus where we are now, it’s certainly heavier,” he confirmed. “I wouldn’t confirm the exact weight at this stage. There are some ongoing discussions.” The Royal Canadian Navy is working to identify requirements and key contractors – Irving, BAE and Lockheed – are in the midst of nailing down exact requirements, Matthews added.
The deputy minister said National Defence will have a better idea in the coming months of what the actual weight might be for the CSC.
Doherty also raised concerns that the CSC only has a speed of 27 knots and won’t be able to keep up with U.S. Navy carrier groups which travel at 30 knots. Once again, Matthews retreated to the position that the actual CSC design requirements still have to be determined, even as construction is set to begin next year. “in terms of studies on speed, we’ll know more as time passes on,” he told MPs.
Doherty also raised concerns that Irving and Lockheed Martin have recruited British and Americans to work on the program and that Canadians have been frozen out. But Matthews defended the companies, arguing that that bringing in expertise from foreign countries such as the United Kingdom is important. “The sharing is actually a really good thing,” he explained. “It’s not an all or nothing; it’s about learning from our colleagues.”
In the meantime, the Canadian Surface Combatant project will see the construction of a land-based testing facility (LBTF) on a portion of DND-owned land near Shearwater, Nova Scotia.
This infrastructure will be critical in testing the new CSC ships’ combat systems and will ensure the new ships are sea-ready once delivered, according to federal government officials.
The LBTF is expected to be approximately 9000-square metres across several floors, and will accommodate 120 full-time staff, including members of the Royal Canadian Navy, National Defence employees, and contractors. Additional infrastructure will be required at CFB Halifax to support the CSC project and further details will be confirmed as the project progresses, according to the federal government.
The proposed site at Hartlen Point is DND-owned, meets government security requirements, and provides adequate space for all of the facility’s systems in one location. This location is also directly on the coastline and allows 130 degree live transmission of emitters out over the ocean, which is essential for the CSC testing requirements, according to the federal government.
Meanwhile, work is proceeding on the RCN’s Joint Support Ships. The JSS project at Seaspan in Vancouver is currently in the implementation phase. Construction of the first ship is well underway, and construction of the second ship is set to begin in later this year, according to the federal government. National Defence anticipates the delivery of the first ship in 2023, and the second in 2025. Following successful completion of post-acceptance tests, trials, and support activities, National Defence expects full operational capability in 2026, although the department acknowledged the timelines are under review because of potential delays caused by COVID-19 and supply chain issues.
Work on Canadian Coast Guard ships under the National Shipbuilding Strategy also continues to progress. On April 9 Davie Shipbuilding welcomed the arrival of the CCGS Louis S. St-Laurent, Canada’s largest icebreaker.
The CCGS Louis S. St-Laurent will undergo major Vessel Life Extension (VLE) refit work for three months before re-entering service. This represents the first phase of the VLE program for the CCGS Louis S. St-Laurent, which will keep the ship operating until the new Polar Class icebreakers, announced by the Canadian government in May 2021, enter service beginning in 2030. On March 8 the Canadian government awarded a $14.36 million contract to Chantier Davie for the VLE work on the CCGS Louis S. St-Laurent. The shipyard was identified as the only facility in Eastern Canada with a dry dock large enough to perform this work. Work will include inspections, as well as auxiliary equipment renewals, propeller renewal, exhaust lagging renewal, piping renewal, and hull and superstructure painting.
In addition, Davie Shipbuilding announced March 25 that CCGS Vincent Massey was floated out of the Champlain drydock. The firm noted that event represented another major milestone towards the commissioning of this medium class icebreaker (MIB) by Davie for the Canadian Coast Guard.
The final phase of the conversion work on CCGS Vincent Massey will be completed whilst alongside Davie’s Murphy’s Quay. The icebreaker is expected to be delivered to the Coast Guard later this year. The CCGS Vincent Massey will join its two sister vessels, CCGS Captain Molly Kool and CCGS Jean Goodwill which are already providing icebreaking services in Canada. “The converted ships are a testimony to Davies’s ability to deliver complex, mission-critical projects when Can- ada needs them most,” James Davies, President and Chief Executive Officer, Davie Shipbuilding Canada Inc. noted in a statement.
Originally built in 2000, CCGS Vincent Massey was acquired in 2018 by the Coast Guard to be upgraded as part of the MIB class of vessels.
On the Victoria-class submarine front, the Canadian government announced in March an amendment to the Victoria-class In-Service Support Contract (VISSC) with Babcock Canada Inc. The contract amendment increases the contract period by two years, taking VISSC up to June 30, 2025. The contract amendment also includes irrevocable options to extend the contract period to June 30, 2027. The total value of the amendment is $263.8 million, according to the federal government.
