Vanguard Magazine

S SHIPBUILDING 32 OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2017 www.vanguardcanada.com The Next AOR Capabilities The primary capabilities of Canada's next AOR ship include Replenishment at Sea systems - RAS(L) and RAS(S) - for simul- taneous operations on portside and star- board side for replenishment of two naval vessels. Through four stations, two for- ward and two center, the vessel can handle both liquid and solid transfers for replen- ishment of fuel, supplies, and ammunition. Fraser said that for the first time this ship will provide the Canadian Navy with two massive 30-tonne cranes to effect massive replenishment activities. There are two new observation areas on the main house due to training require- ments, where instead of having personnel on deck learning the ropes during RAS training, they now can monitor the whole RAS, safely and out of harm's way from above. The vessel is fitted with 38 containers of which 20 has refrigerated functionality and a containerized storage area. This is a protected, environment-controlled area for the storage of supplies and ammunition which is serviced by two cargo elevators for the ease of packing and unpacking at sea. All sea containers can be opened un- derdeck. This capability according to Fras- er is not available within NATO. Canada's next AOR is also fitted with large medical facilities that act as a hospital to cater for medical, dentistry and humanitarian relief for the treatment of up to 350 passengers. Part of the build is a helicopter deck and two hangers designed for the Cyclone CH 148 which is also capable of accom- modating Chinook-size helicopters. This, according to Fraser, is one of the things that the Prime Minister's office insisted on that the vessel host the Chinook onboard. The hanger facilities onboard will serve to enhance helicopter support and mainte- nance. There are numerous rooms onboard for operational meetings, briefings and con- ferences to allow for command and con- trol functions. The control and monitor functions for navigation, machinery and damage control systems are done in the state of the art, fully integrated bridge sit- ting on the sixth deck. Cabins onboard are rated "comfort class" on a cruise ship level. Every sailor and airman will get his own cabin that comes with its own thermostat and under floor heating to prevent mold. Internet ac- cess is available in all cabins and lounges. There are mess decks for those who will be onboard for short periods. Fraser said that they did a survey for which they received over 500 responses from current and former members of the RCN. The number one request by the sailors is to have a gym onboard. Given that request, a 3,200-foot fully operation- al gym was added to the design which is equipped and operated by Good Life Fit- ness Canada. Secondary capabilities include a vehicle bay in tween deck for LAVs, trucks, jeeps and other light vehicles as well as LCVP (Landing Craft, Vehicle and Personnel) for transfer of personnel, stores and vehicles and humanitarian operations. "It can load on and off vehicles, that's a new capability that we've added to the ship," Fraser said. There is also the flat forward deck which was purposely built to launch UAVs. "This is the first ship in the RCN's history to have a dedicated UAV launch platform. It means you do not fowl the flight deck while doing UAV operations," he added. The MV Asterix is equipped with four rigid-hulled inflatables, two fast rescue craft and two lifeboats for recovery and rescue operations. Ownership and Operation "What many don't understand is that many navies have done conversions to meet their operational demands," Garceau said. "It is quite normal for auxiliary ships. To be frank, this is not even new to Cana- da if you look at the history of the RCN." The vessel will remain in the ownership of Federal Fleet Services and will be oper- ated by the company with two crews of 36 civilians each, rotating every 60 days and will accommodate up to 114 CAF per- sonnel bringing the total to 150 persons on board. This capacity is extended dur- ing humanitarian missions to house up to 350 personnel. In addition to providing the crews, Federal Fleet Services will man- age the travel, training, spares, deck and engine maintenance, catering and safety codes and certification. The RCN will be responsible for the operation and mainte- nance of the RAS system, weapon systems, C4i, aviation and hospital operations. A second identical sister ship has been secured by Davie, the MV Obelix. This ship and concept of conversion are ac- tively being marketed to foreign nations by the company over the last six months. With the engineering designs and the ex- perience of retrofitting a containerized ship under its belt, the company says that if Canada should go ahead with another AOR ship, the MV Obelix will bring ad- ditional cost savings to Canada. The MV Asterix is well on track to be completed on time and on budget to be delivered to the RCN as Canada's next AOR ship by the end of this year.

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