New Canadian Shipbuilding Strategy

[daftandbarmy]

Rallying the troops...

Defence minister tours Seaspan, talks up federal plan to boost home-grown military industry

Defence Minister David McGuinty talked up a federal plan to ramp up a home-grown defence industry Wednesday while touring Seaspan Shipyards in North Vancouver.

McGuinty toured HMCS Protecteur, the first of two massive joint support ships being completed for the Navy at Seaspan.

The 173.7-metre ship, the largest vessel built in Canada, will be tasked with resupplying Canadian and allied warships at sea with fuel, food, spare parts, and ammunition.

Work currently being completed on the ship alongside Seaspan’s massive 272-metre outfitting pier includes installation of hundreds of kilometres of cabling, piping and electronic systems that go inside the ship.

McGuinty also toured areas of the shipyard where work is underway on construction of the second joint support ship and a heavy polar icebreaker.

https://www.nsnews.com/local-news/defence-minister-tours-seaspan-talks-up-federal-plan-to-boost-home-grown-military-industry-11896496

 

[Colin Parkinson]

Korea flexing it's shipbuilding muscle

 

[Colin Parkinson]

Continued modernization of our shipyards

https://twitter.com/x/status/2027422867001135395

 

[Cloud Cover]

Two tidbits for the price of one ... What are we doing? Possibly Mk 38 Mod 4 (which I believe is not even yet in existence).

France pulling out of the Corvette is supposedly due to French whining about problems with shared work models under PESCO and SAFE.

 

[Kirkhill]

I love the power of consensus. You can always rely on it in a crisis.

 

[Oldgateboatdriver]

Continued modernization of our shipyards

https://twitter.com/x/status/2027422867001135395

I didn't know that the anti-fouling paint and coatings were considered "ocean build-up".

Nevertheless, good on Seaspan for getting modern equipment making work more efficient.

 

[PrairieFella]

Hmmm, maybe if it's only a thought exercise then take it one step further. What if a new defence policy said the navy is responsible for national security in -- and around -- the northwest passage. So now, if the army has its hands full with it's implementing its own future force, then perhaps the thought exercise extends to which service actually provides the ground forces to deploy from that amphibious landing ship. Marines anyone?

Naval infantry sounds like a good role for a "break glass in case of emergency" light infantry regiment thats being stood. Doesnt need to be the USMC but the Royal Marines are a fantastic analogue.

 

[PrairieFella]

I think the folks talking about how this "amphibious ship" would be a traditional flat top LHD are missing some potential context as to the Canadian situation here. Both the Liberals and Conservatives directly mentioned purchasing heavy icebreakers for the Navy back on the campaign trail, and Topshee has addressed this in the past. I would not be surprised if Topshee is trying to get out ahead of a government mandated prestige project of "military heavy icebreakers" by transforming them into something much more useful. If the Feds are going to force the hands of the Navy, it makes much more sense to procure some kind of ice strengthened joint support ship versus procuring militarized heavy icebreakers.

Effectively making the best out of a worst case scenario.

Davie is already ahead of the game with their G-LAAM concept they've had around for a few years, basically amounting to the same concept as the Dutch Karel Doorman JSS except it is ice strengthened to operate in the Arctic. It would be a vessel that can substitute in for the Protecteur's when required for supplying warships with fuel, supplies and munitions while also able to respond to humanitarian disasters at home/abroad and being able to do some limited sealift. Obviously it is a compromise which will make the vessel worse in theatres outside of the Arctic and North Atlantic however, having even a single Arctic capable joint support ship would be an exceptional capability for both ourselves and our NATO allies.

Is there any releases from Davie saying how many non-ship's company pers can embark? A Coy? A Bn?

 

[Oldgateboatdriver]

Probably a platoon at most. This seems to be an ice strengthened version of the Dutch JSS (Karel Doorman style). Once you embark the helicopter crews and medical personnel, there is no room left for much in terms of landing parties. This is an amphibious operations support ship, not an amphibious assault ship.