Mackenzie class destroyer

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Class overview

Name:	Mackenzie
Builders:	Canadian Vickers, Montreal
Operators:	Royal Canadian Navy Canadian Forces Maritime Command
Preceded by:	Restigouche-class destroyer escort DDE
Succeeded by:	Annapolis-class destroyer escort DDH
Completed:	4
Retired:	4
General characteristics
Type:	Destroyer Escort
Displacement:	2880 tons full load
Length:	366 ft (112 m)
Beam:	42 ft (13 m)
Draught:	14 ft (4.3 m)
Propulsion:	2-shaft English-Electric geared steam turbines, 2 Babcock and Wilcox boilers, 30,000 shp
Speed:	28 knots
Complement:	228 regular, 170-210 training
Sensors and processing systems:	SPS-12 air search radar, SPS-10B surface search radar, Sperry Mk.2 navigation radar, SQS-501 high frequency bottom profiler sonar, SQS-502 high frequency mortar control sonar, SQS-503 hull mounted active search sonar, SQS-11 hull mounted active search sonar
Electronic warfare and decoys:	DAU (replaced by SRD 501) high frequency direction finder, WLR 1C radar analyzer, UPD 501 radar detector
Armament:	1 3"/70 Mk.6 Vickers twin mount forward (264 had 3"/50 twin), 1 3"/50 Mk.33 FMC twin mount aft, 2 Mk NC 10 Limbo ASW mortars, 2 single Mk.2 "K-gun" launchers with homing torpedoes, 103mm Bofors illumination rocket launchers
Notes:	Ships in class include: HMCS Mackenzie (DDE 261),HMCS Saskatchewan (DDE 262),HMCS Yukon (DDE 263),HMCS Qu'Appelle (DDE 264)

The Mackenzie class destroyer escort was a class of ships that saw service with the Royal Canadian Navy and Canadian Forces from the 1960s-1990s. It was intended to be 6 ships, however the last 2 were built to the St. Laurent-class DDH design and were named the Annapolis-class instead.

All 4 Mackenzie-class destroyers spent most of their time on the Pacific coast and never saw major conversions other than the DELEX (destroyer life extension) program. All 4 vessels were primarily used in the training role.

The Mackenzie class was superficially similar to the previous Restigouche-class, which was a follow-on to the St. Laurent-class with only minor improvements. The most noticeable change was the replacement of the forward 3"/50 gun with a 3"/70 and the presence of a fire control director atop the bridge superstructure. The bridge was raised one full deck higher than on previous classes in order to see over the new gun mount.

The Vickers 3"/70 Mk.6 was developed by the Royal Navy and fitted to the Tiger-class cruisers, with the RCN being the only other customer. The weapon had several bugs and the HMCS Qu'Appelle (DDE 264) received a 3"/50 gun instead.

Mackenzie was used in an episode of The X-Files before being scuttled off Sidny, British Columbia. Saskatchewan was scuttled off Nanaimo, BC and Yukon was scuttled off San Diego, California.

[edit] Ships

Ship	Original Pennant Number	Builder	Laid Down	Launched	Commiss- ioned	Refits Completed		Paid Off	Fate
Ship	Original Pennant Number	Builder	Laid Down	Launched	Commiss- ioned	DDE	DELEX	Paid Off	Fate
HMCS Mackenzie (DDE 261)	DDE 261	Canadian Vickers, Montreal			October 6, 1962			August 3, 1993	Sold March 1995 to Artificial Reef Society of British Columbia. Scuttled off Sidney, BC on 16 Sep 1995.
HMCS Saskatchewan (DDE 262)	DDE 262	Canadian Vickers, Montreal			February 16, 1963			March 28, 1994	Sold 1997 to Artificial Reef Society of British Columbia. Scuttled off Nanaimo, BC on 14 Jun 1997.
HMCS Yukon (DDE 263)	DDE 263	Canadian Vickers, Montreal			May 25, 1963			December 3, 1993	Scuttled off San Diego, California.
HMCS Qu'Appelle (DDE 264)	DDE 264	Canadian Vickers, Montreal			September 14, 1963			July 31, 1992