Vanguard Magazine

www.vanguardcanada.com OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2015 27 When the replica of General La Fayette's frigate L'Hermione sailed into the historic port of Lunenburg, Nova Scotia, DCNS Technologies Canada President Olivier Casenave-Péré stepped onboard and took in the spectacle. As a captain (N), Casenave-Péré served a full career in the French Navy; looking skyward, he must of marvelled at how far along naval technology has come. Tall ships might be beautiful, but they're also the most inefficient form of transportation man has ever created. Imagine the coor- dination it must have taken to orchestrate precise manoeuvres under sail while facing down a line of fire-spitting cannons. For Casenave-Péré, little about the L'Hermione will have conjured up nostal- gic feelings from his time aboard compara- tively modern warships — but there is one connection. The ships he's sailed on, and the original L'Hermione both emerged from the same shipyards, albeit a few hun- dred years apart. "DCNS is the heir of the French Royal Naval Dockyard in which the L'Hermione was built (1778-79)." He remarked in Lunenburg. "Our group had always been at the cutting edge of naval know-how." By now, anyone who has listened to the news or read the paper over the last few years knows that DCNS has had its eye on the Canadian Surface Combatant program. The French shipbuilder has been suc- cessful at exporting its FREMM to a number of other countries in addition to France, and believes that Canada could benefit from "one of the most technologi- cally advanced vessels in the world." When France sailed the new FREMM Aquitaine into Halifax harbour in April of 2013, the company more than likely had no idea how the Canadian Surface Program would unfold. Back then, most would have bet on a complete solution. While that is still a possibility for DCNS — which has stated that it will compete in both the Warship Design and Combat Systems Integrator components of the CSC program — the company must now cope with the possibility of deconstructing its proven war- ship into two distinct areas of capability. Fortunately, this isn't unfamiliar terri- tory for the company; it's used to work- ing with foreign shipbuilders and primes to customize capabilities for requirements. For example, DCNS was the combat sys- tems design authority and integrator on the Skjold fast patrol corvette for the Roy- al Norwegian Navy. Ships of any description are a finely tuned balance between design and performance; more of one often decreases the capability of the other. That's why ships are expen- sive to design, and difficult to build. It's also why highly effective, proven warships — which require the integration of some of the most sophisticated technologies on the planet — are only produced by a hand- ful of companies. Make no mistake, Casenave-Péré is con- fident that their company is capable of providing either a world-class design or combat systems package to the Royal Ca- nadian Navy. They have centuries of expe- rience behind them. And yet, it's easy to discount "centu- ries" of shipbuilding experience as nothing more than marketing. If a company is so- phisticated enough to put together a war- ship, it has to be good, right? Wrong. Just because a company can manufacture a warship is no guarantee that it will be able to perform. When DCNS markets the FREMM as the culmination of 400 years of design and build experi- ence, it means it. That's how long the company has been receiving feedback from the French Navy; after its ships fought in Trafalgar, through the Napoleonic Wars, the Crimean War, Franco-Prussian War, both World Wars — all the way to today's modern engagements. "Canada will benefit from ships for which studies and developments have al- ready been paid by the French govern- ment," Casenave-Péré told CTV News during the Aquitaine's visit. That's the difference. The world's best systems and a sharp-looking design may provide for great marketing material, but if Canada is interested in real capability, real value and demonstrated performance, it needs to examine the relationship be- tween the company that builds ships and the people that sail them. In the lead up to active duty in 2013, the Aquitaine went on extended deployment to test the ship and its systems. While on that voyage, it joined American warships and aircraft in an exercise designed to assess interoperability by detecting, tracking and engaging fictitious coalition enemies. After it was over, the commander of the Aquita- ine, Benoit Rouvière, had this to say: "This confrontation … should provide a clear measure of the state of maturity of the combat system and … confirms the ability of the most modern ship in the French fleet to take its place in a demand- ing environment. The result exceeded my expectations." As a matter of fact, French navy war- ships, especially air defence destroyers and aircraft carriers, are used to being entrust- ed with important operational responsibil- ities within US Navy battle groups, such as Regional Air Defence Commander. Whether DCNS delivers a complete- package solution or provides either the design or combat system integrator com- ponent, the asset it can offer Canada is the operational experience to sit at the table with stakeholders and say "We know this will approach will work, we know this won't, and here's why." For $26 billion dollars, Canadian taxpay- ers should not accept anything less. I INDUSTRY PROFILE by Vanguard Staff An offer based on 400 years of feedback DCNS: DCNS Technologies Canada President Olivier Casenave-Péré (le) stands at the helm of L'Hermione with Captain Captain Yann Cariou. DCNS is offering Canada a long history of experience building warships for the French navy.

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