Preserving capacity, General Tom Lawson, Chief of the Defence Staff, Keys to Canadian SAR
Issue link: http://vanguardcanada.uberflip.com/i/1510478
8 OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2023 www.vanguardcanada.com S SIT REP The Royal Canadian Navy received Fourth Arctic and Offshore Patrol Vessel On August 31st, in Halifax, Nova Scotia, the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) welcomed its fourth Arctic and Offshore Patrol Vessel (AOPV), His Majesty's Canadian Ship (HMCS) William Hall, into its fleet. "Today, we celebrate the next important milestone for the National Shipbuilding Strategy and the Royal Canadian Navy with the arrival of our fourth new Arctic and Offshore Patrol Vessel, HMCS William Hall. This new asset to Canada's fleet has been made possible by the vital work of our shipbuild- ers and the thousands of Canadians that have contributed to the construction of this new ship. We will continue to provide the Royal Canadian Navy with the ships needed to protect our country, while creating good jobs for Canadians," said the Honourable Bill Blair, Minister of National Defence. "The delivery of HMCS William Hall today, a full two months ahead of schedule, marks our most efficient production ef- fort to date," said Dirk Lesko, President, Irving Shipbuilding. "The ship-to-ship improvement we are seeing is a testament to the developing workforce we have here in Halifax, which is truly solidifying the Canadian shipbuilding industrial base needed to deliver on the National Shipbuilding Strategy (NSS) for many years to come," continued Mr. Lesko. The Harry DeWolf-class Arctic and Offshore Patrol Vessel, tailored to assert and safeguard Arctic sovereignty, represents a substantial enhancement of the Canadian Armed Forces' (CAF) capabilities and presence in the Arctic region. Equipped with ample storage capacity for transporting cargo, accommo- dating small vehicles, and deploying boats, the AOPV brings versatility and vital support to a broad spectrum of domestic CAF operations. Moreover, it possesses the capacity to con- tribute to global peace and security in collaboration with our allies and partners. "Today's delivery of our fourth Arctic and Offshore Patrol Vessel, HMCS William Hall, brings the Royal Canadian Navy ever closer to achieving our full fleet of six modern, ice-capa- ble ships. Each of the AOPV represents an advanced capabil- ity and skillset for the Navy, and our allies, and we are proud that this ship will soon be officially welcomed into the RCN Fleet," explained Vice-Admiral Angus Topshee, Commander of the Royal Canadian Navy. Following the delivery of HMCS William Hall to the RCN, the upcoming stages will entail conducting sea trials, assessing performance in both warm and cold weather conditions, and undertaking various post-delivery evaluation tasks. The formal commissioning ceremony for HMCS William Hall is scheduled for next year, following the completion of these trials. Nancy Lochhead, Vice President of Production, commented, "AOPS 4, the future HMCS William Hall will have been built NOVEMBER 15 & 16, 2023 bestdefenceconference.com H e a t h e r P i l o t | 5 1 9 - 8 5 1 - 9 8 4 8 | h p i l o t @ p i l o t h i l l . c a Learn about Canadian Defence Procurement Opportunities Engage with key industry, military, and government procurement decision makers Form Strategic Partnerships WHY ATTEND? Develop Supply Chains, and Develop New Business – Survey results indicate 44% of attendees who responded in 2022 obtained new business opportunities from participating in The Best Defence Conference REGISTER NOW!