Vanguard Magazine

HMCS Kingston. Photo: Royal Canadian Navy The Kingston-class remains a key part of the RCN's fleet mix and as you note there is a discussion that will need to be had in due course around providing additional in- service time to transition to an eventual replacement capability. INTERVIEW www.vanguardcanada.com OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2023 19 • Republic of Korea – Hanwha Ocean and Hyundai - KSS III Batch II (in service) • Spain – Navantia – S-80 (conducting Sea Trials) • Sweden – Saab Kockums C71 Oceanic (in design) The project was authorized to enter Op- tions Analysis phase in June 2023. It is important to note that the CPSP does not commit the government to any specific course of action, but instead preserves the time to make an informed decision when required. Kingston-class MCDVs: Q As part of the Minor Warship and Auxiliary Vessels IV (MWAV IV) RFI process, the life of the 12 Kingston-class Maritime Coastal Defence Vessels was reported as having been extended by one five-year cycle, with the retirement of individual vessels happening between 2025 and 2029, with the intent to consider further extensions before the end of the cycle. In a recent interview with CDR magazine VAdm Topshee, the new Commander RCN, indicated there is a plan for Kingston-class life extension. Given these ships were built to commer- cial standards in the late 1990s and they are reaching the end of their designed service lives, what sort of extension is envisioned and does this include adding an armament capability? The Kingston-class remains a key part of the RCN's fleet mix and as you note there is a discussion that will need to be had in due course around providing additional in-service time to transition to an eventual replacement capability. As part of our on- going commitment to sustainment of the class, the MWAV IV contract was recently awarded, with Thales Canada Inc., in a joint venture with Thales Australia Ltd., as the winning bidder. While we may still see some modest equipment upgrades to the Kingston-class, I do not anticipate major changes at this stage. Over the next year or so, I expect we will be quite busy with the transition of MWAV contractor and with the develop- ment of plans to catch up on the 3rd line maintenance program, which had slowed over the past 18 months as the previous (MWAV III) contract was winding down. In terms of the future, there is a clear de- mand for this type of offshore patrol vessel and the services it provides. The RCN has established a replacement project called the Offshore Patrol Vessel (OPV) proj- ect. The Offshore Patrol Vessel (OPV) project is currently in Identification Phase. In this phase, the Navy is in the lead and the Materiel Group is in a supporting role. Activities being undertaken include the completion of a Strategic Context Docu- ment, the development of High-Level Mandatory Requirements, and internal governance engagements. Like CPSP, the OPV project does not commit the govern- ment to any specific course of action, but instead preserves the time to make an in- formed decision when required. Harry DeWolf-class AOPVs: Q Understanding these are early days, but with the entry of the DeWolf-class into service, what are the challenges you see ahead for these large displacement ships with small crews? Moreover, what are your initial observations with regards to the In-Service Support Contract's abil- ity to support these ships? Having personally toured an Arctic and Offshore Patrol Vessel last year, I would offer that they are very impressive ships with some of the best crew amenities I have ever seen in an RCN vessel. I spent a good chunk of last summer following the exploits of Capt(N) Sheldon Gillis @RoyalCanNavy on X (formerly known as Twitter)) and the crews of HMCS Marga- ret Brooke (MAR) and HMCS Goose Bay (GBY) on OP NANOOK 22, where RCN ships in company with those of several al- lies operated together, built relationships with one another as well as with several communities in the North, and contrib- uted meaningfully to Canada's Arctic sov- ereignty and security. On August 31st, 2023, we took delivery of the 4th ship, HMCS William Hall, and I think it would be fair to say that we see both qualitative and quantitative improve- ments in each new ship coming into ser- vice. There are issues to resolve of course, but this is a natural part of the shipbuilding process and to be frank, it is reasonable to expect some issues, especially considering that Canada's shipbuilding industry had been essentially moribund since the 1990s. Overall, we should be proud of what has been accomplished by the AOPS project and the National Shipbuilding Strategy to date. We are witnessing the re-birth of an important economic sector; one that will

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