Preserving capacity, General Tom Lawson, Chief of the Defence Staff, Keys to Canadian SAR
Issue link: http://vanguardcanada.uberflip.com/i/139409
shipbuilding s France and Canada and cited a recent visit to Ottawa by the Prime Minister of France plus his own "close personal relationship" with the French Minister of Defence. When I questioned him whether the French government was offering the FREMM multi-mission frigate as the replacement for the Halifax-class, he smiled broadly but would only say, "we are receiving lots of offers." The media were treated to a tour, a Q&A opportunity with the ambassador and the ship's captain, and another media session with Olivier Casenave-Péré, the senior representative of DCNS in Canada. Repeated questions about the ship's cost were deflected. "You will have to ask your government that question," said Casenave-Péré. The French delegation was obviously very aware of the furor in Canada over the soaring costs of defence procurements. The angular and yet sleek appearance of the Aquitaine has a decidedly futuristic look. She is a relatively big ship, displacing 6,000 tonnes, 25.7 percent more than a Halifax-class frigate. However, she is only six percent longer and 22 percent broader, which makes her look decidedly short and thick through the middle. The greater weight on not much more length causes Aquitaine to rest fully 50 percent deeper in the water than a Canadian frigate. The increased girth provides significantly more internal space but the increased depth will restrict the places that she can go, compared to a Canadian ship. A primary difference between Aquitaine and Halifax-class frigates is her propulsion system. While both used gas turbines and diesel engines, the FREMM ship has only one turbine and has two large diesel generators displaced athwart the main engine. All engines in the French frigate generate electrical power to run a two-shaft CODLOG system that propels the ship at a modest 27 knots. The Canadian frigate employs two turbines or two diesels in a geared two-shaft CODOG system that can reach 29 knots, although unofficially they are faster. Aquitaine is also equipped with a secondary cycloidal combined propulsion and steering system that makes her very adept at manoeuvring in tight berthing situations. Canadian warships are not equipped with a comparable system. The fuel capacity of Aquitaine is 600 cubic metres, which compares favourable to the 460 cubic metres in the Halifaxclass. However, when compared on a displacement basis, both ships are identical at .10 cubic meters per tonne. The media kits handed out onboard advertise the endurance of the FREMM ship at 6,000 nautical miles at a speed of 15 knots. The Halifax-class frigate's reported endurance is 7,100 miles at the same speed, or 18 per- cent higher. While Aquitaine's increased breadth and depth provide more interior volume, the fuller hull form also negatively affects fuel economy. The increased physical dimensions of the French frigate are also required to house the vertical launch missile magazines, which are positioned forward of the bridge. In this anti-submarine version of the FREMM ship, the 32-cell launcher contains 16 Aster-15 anti-air missiles and, from 2014, will LONDON, CANADA A LONG TRADITION OF DEFENCE SYSTEMS EXCELLENCE Join the LEDC, in collaboration with CADSI, for The Best Defence II Conference THURSDAY, OCTOBER 3, 2013 The Hilton Hotel, Grand Ballroom 300 King Street London, Ontario, Canada WHO SHOULD ATTEND? From SME to Prime Contractor this Conference provides relevant and timely information on Canadian and Global opportunities in the Defence Marketplace. Register Online Today Best-Defence.LEDC.com www.vanguardcanada.com JUNE/JULY 2013 37