# CALGARY is now in Dockyard



## FSTO (3 Jun 2012)

Was down at A Jetty and seen that CAL is now berthed there. She sure looks different without the big SPS 49 Radar on the bridge top!


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## Occam (3 Jun 2012)

Wait'll you see the Ops Room.


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## brihard (3 Jun 2012)

I got a tour of Toronto a while back. They told us there was a major modernization going on- was Calgary the first one to go through that?


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## Occam (3 Jun 2012)

HCM/FELEX - HALIFAX Class Modernization/Frigate Life Extension

HMCS Halifax and HMCS Calgary were the first in on their respective coasts.


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## brihard (3 Jun 2012)

OK, cool, thanks. Translated into 'dumb grunt who read too much Tom Clancy', what are they upgrading?


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## Occam (3 Jun 2012)

Most of the improvements are listed here.  They'll be quite impressive again....as they were when commissioned.


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## brihard (3 Jun 2012)

Cool, thanks. That reads to me like many of the electronic guts are being upgraded to modernity?


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## Occam (3 Jun 2012)

Yup, warships fall behind on technology rather quickly if you don't keep up on it.  32-bit processors are a little stale...   ;D


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## FSTO (3 Jun 2012)

Here is a picture I took from the top of the Wardroom. I circled the 3D Radar


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## brihard (3 Jun 2012)

Occam said:
			
		

> Yup, warships fall behind on technology rather quickly if you don't keep up on it.  32-bit processors are a little stale...   ;D



I couldn't get my head around the tape discs.


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## FSTO (3 Jun 2012)

Heck when the Frigates were built the computer processors were 1970's technology.


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## Occam (3 Jun 2012)

Not quite that old...the UYK-507s could be used in 16 or 32 bit mode, but they weren't exactly challenging Big Blue either.


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## viper3ca (4 Jun 2012)

Does anyone have a progress report on how the FELEX on HMCS Halifax is coming along or when she will be completed?


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## Occam (4 Jun 2012)

Expect HAL to leave the ISI shipyard "soon".


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## drunknsubmrnr (4 Jun 2012)

> They'll be quite impressive again....as they were when commissioned.



They'll be about as up to date as the CF-18's after their upgrade.


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## jollyjacktar (5 Jun 2012)

Occam said:
			
		

> HCM/FELEX - HALIFAX Class Modernization/Frigate Life Extension
> 
> HMCS Halifax and HMCS Calgary were the first in on their respective coasts.


Can't speak for Calgary but Halifax does not have all the mods.  My girl with the exception of the mods for the Cyclone will have them all.  The delays in the new bird is slowing that change for the trap.

But you're right.  They will be very different in some instances such as Ops Rm, some Mess', how some things are done in my world (MSE) etc.  They are learning from the process and will tweak things as they go through.  By the end of the cycle I hope that most if not all the bugs will be worked out.  It's all good.   :nod:


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## FSTO (5 Jun 2012)

My ORO course will be taking a tour of CAL on Thursday. Very interested in how the alterations look.


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## larry Strong (5 Jun 2012)

What are they doing to the Bofors 57mm gun?


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## Occam (6 Jun 2012)

jollyjacktar said:
			
		

> Can't speak for Calgary but Halifax does not have all the mods.  My girl with the exception of the mods for the Cyclone will have them all.  The delays in the new bird is slowing that change for the trap.



HAL and CAL should be pretty darned close in terms of improvements, except for a few minor changes which weren't committed to the class until well after HAL started refit.  They'll be retrofitted.


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## Pat in Halifax (6 Jun 2012)

Another biggee for HAL is that she retains IMCS vice IPMS UFN.


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## jollyjacktar (6 Jun 2012)

Pat in Halifax said:
			
		

> Another biggee for HAL is that she retains IMCS vice IPMS UFN.


Exactly.  


			
				Occam said:
			
		

> HAL and CAL should be pretty darned close in terms of improvements, except for a few minor changes which weren't committed to the class until well after HAL started refit.  They'll be retrofitted.


Which, Occam, is a quite a wee bit more than a "minor" change.  It's big, as big for us as the Ops changes are for them.  But yes, they'll be retrofitted quite a way down the roadway.  The Cyclone retro will be more minor in comparison.


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## Ex-Dragoon (6 Jun 2012)

Larry Strong said:
			
		

> What are they doing to the Bofors 57mm gun?



Being upgraded from MkII to MkIII.


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## larry Strong (6 Jun 2012)

Ex-Dragoon said:
			
		

> Being upgraded from MkII to MkIII.



Thanks


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## Baz (6 Jun 2012)

jollyjacktar said:
			
		

> The delays in the new bird is slowing that change for the trap.





			
				jollyjacktar said:
			
		

> The Cyclone retro will be more minor in comparison.



Absolutely correct that the Cyclone mod is smaller than the other ones talked about, but it is much more than just the trap.  Its the ADR layout and equipment fit, Air Stores, Hangar layout, Tactical Systems Interfaces, how the maintenance packup embarks, Flight Deck lighting, Flight Deck marking, Howdah changes, removal of the tail probe tracks, moving the tail guide winches to nose guide, new equipment dollies including for the weapon...

Thus why, a Sea King can't embark on a Cyclone ship, and vice versa, even though they can recover, albeit freedeck.


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## FSTO (9 Jun 2012)

Had our tour of the ship on Thursday. Quite impressive, the operations room is huge and looking extremely modern. The big screen monitors will certainly enhance the flow of information between the seats. The CO has quite the Captain Kirk chair with the selector switch and keyboard built into the arms. He in fact has two chairs, one in between the SWC (Sensor Weapons Controller) and ORO (Operations Room Officer) and the other between the ORO and the ASWC (Anti-Submarine Warfare Controller). Behind them in the CTG (Commander Task Group) area (I understand that only 2 ships per coast will get the CTG fit).
Each back row position has a tri-screen consol which will display engineering, CCTV, SEOSS and other inputs on one screen, centre screen will display the LOP and the third screen will contain Chat, DWAN and CSNI. There is a plate that will fit over the keyboard which will give the SWC, ORO and ASWC a larger workspace. The consols have a much lower profile than the previous fit which means that the shortest ORS (Operations Room Supervisor) will be able to talk to the ORO with out jumping in the air.

There are two big screen monitors on either side of the SWC and ASWC consols (up in the deckhead) that the CO, ORO and Directors can all see. There is another larger big screen monitor at fwd bulkhead that all members of the OPS Room can see.

Up on the bridge another CCS consol has been placed and a big screen monitor above the CO's chair. Hopefully these screens have the ability to display at night similar to the SDM monitors. 

The Main Control Room (MCR) has been completely changed with Integrated Machinery Control System (IMCS) being the central feature of the system. Once again much smaller consols have been installed which has resulted in a much larger space for the stokers and HQ1. There is again a very large monitor that displays all the machinery, fluids, electrical and all other engineering monitors. The screen is also used as the Damage Control (DC) stateboard and is touchscreen capable. In each of the Section Base HQ, there are touch screen capable monitors. As well there are CCTV throughout the ship.

The pilots ready room has been revamped into a conference style seating (hopefully the pilots can still play their X-Box in there!  ;D).

There is some more things but that is all I could remember. A lot of changes but I think those of you who will sail and work in there will like them!


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## Occam (9 Jun 2012)

FSTO said:
			
		

> (I understand that only 2 ships per coast will get the CTG fit).



The Ops Rm will be the same for all 12.  The CTG mods elsewhere in the ship will only be applied as you described.

I'm looking forward to seeing the new SHINCOM up and running.  I had a tour of DRS Technologies (developers of the new system) and it looks impressive.  At the very least, everyone should enjoy the comfy new headsets...


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## Baz (9 Jun 2012)

FSTO said:
			
		

> The pilots ready room has been revamped into a conference style seating



The ADR (Air Detachment Room, not all aircrew are pilots, and certainly NOT Ship's Briefng Room) is like it is so that during planning using the MPAS (Mission Preparation and Analysis Service) the front row can be raised and turned to the table, and during briefing it can be turned back to the screen and lowered, so everyone can see.

We're finally getting what we need in there.  Originally, back in the early '90s, the plan was to have a CCS-330 console so we could see what was going on for planning and briefing, but it never materialized.


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## FSTO (9 Jun 2012)

Baz said:
			
		

> The ADR (Air Detachment Room, not all aircrew are pilots, and certainly NOT Ship's Briefng Room) is like it is so that during planning using the MPAS (Mission Preparation and Analysis Service) the front row can be raised and turned to the table, and during briefing it can be turned back to the screen and lowered, so everyone can see.
> 
> We're finally getting what we need in there.  Originally, back in the early '90s, the plan was to have a CCS-330 console so we could see what was going on for planning and briefing, but it never materialized.



If that is the case then there is a lot of work left to be done. The chairs appeared to be arranged in a conference room style seating.


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## Snakedoc (10 Jun 2012)

Impressive changes...moving into the 21st century!


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## yoman (15 Jun 2012)

There's a couple of pictures of HALIFAX's new Ops Room on her FELEX DIN page: http://halifax.mil.ca/n38/felex.htm 

Gotta say, looks pretty spiffy.


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## larry Strong (15 Jun 2012)

Can a picture be posted without violating Opsec?


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## yoman (16 Jun 2012)

Larry Strong said:
			
		

> Can a picture be posted without violating Opsec?



Sorry. I don't feel comfortable doing it myself but perhaps someone more in tune with the security requirements of the Ops Room will put them up next week when people are back at work and able to access the DIN.


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## larry Strong (16 Jun 2012)

Not a problem. many thanks


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