Annapolis class destroyer


HMCS Nipigon (F-266) underway during NATO Exercise Ocean Safari '85.
Class overview
Name: Annapolis
Operators: Royal Canadian Navy
 Royal Canadian Navy
Preceded by: Mackenzie-class destroyer
Succeeded by: Iroquois-class destroyer
Completed: 2
Retired: 2
General characteristics
Type: destroyer escort
Displacement: 3,420 long tons (3,474.9 t) full load
Length: 366 ft (112 m)
Beam: 42 ft (13 m)
Draught: 23.5 ft (7.2 m)
Propulsion: 2-shaft English-Electric geared steam turbines
2 Babcock and Wilcox boilers
30,000 shp (22,000 kW)
Speed: 28 kn (51.9 km/h)
Complement: 228
Sensors and
processing systems:

Original:

  • 1 x SPS-12 air search radar
  • 1 x SPS-10B surface search radar
  • 1 x Sperry Mk.2 navigation radar
  • 1 x URN 20 TACAN radar
  • 1 x SQS-501 high frequency bottom profiler sonar
  • 1 x SQS-502 high frequency mortar control sonar
  • 1 x SQS-503 hull mounted active search sonar
  • 1 x SQS-504 VDS medium frequency active search sonar
  • 1 x UQC-1B "Gertrude" underwater telephone
  • 1 x Mk 64 GFCS fire control with SPG-48 tracker (GUNAR)


DELEX:

  • 1 x Marconi SPS-503 air search radar
  • 1 x Raytheon/Sylvania SPS-502 surface search radar
  • 1 x Sperry Mk.127E navigation radar
  • 1 x URN 25 TACAN radar
  • 1 x SQS-505(V) or SQS-510 hull mounted active search sonar
  • 1 x SQS-504 VDS medium frequency active search sonar
  • 1 x SQR-19(V) CANTASS towed array sonar
  • 1 x UQC-1B "Gertrude" underwater telephone
  • 1 x Mk 64 GFCS fire control with SPG-515 tracker
Electronic warfare
and decoys:

Original:

  • 1 x ULQ-6 jammer
  • 1 x WLR-1C radar analyzer
  • 1 x UPD-501 radar detector
  • 1 x SRD-501 HF/DF


DELEX:

  • 1 x SLQ-501 intercept (CANEWS)
  • 1 x ULQ-6 jammer
  • 1 x SRD-501 HF/DF
Armament:

Original:

  • 1 x FMC 3"/50 Mk.33 twin
  • 1 x Mk. NC 10 Limbo ASW mortar
  • 1 x Mk.4 thrower with homing torpedoes


DELEX:

  • 1 x FMC 3"/50 Mk.33 twin
  • 2 x triple Mk.32 12.75 inch torpedo tubes firing Mk.44 or Mk.46 Mod 5 torpedoes
Aircraft carried: 1 CH-124 Sea King ASW helicopter
Aviation facilities: Midships helicopter deck and hangar with Beartrap.

The Annapolis class destroyer escort was a class of ships that saw service with the Royal Canadian Navy and Canadian Forces from the 1960s-1990s.

The RCN had intended to place a six ship order under the Mackenzie-class of destroyer escorts; however, the last two vessels were built to the St. Laurent-class DDH design and were classed under the new Annapolis-class designation. Both ships spent the majority of their career split between Canada's Pacific and Atlantic coasts with the Annapolis being at Esquimalt and Nipigon at Halifax.

The two Annapolis-class destroyers were built late enough to incorporate the helicopter hangar retrofitted to the St. Laurent-class. HMCS Nipigon underwent a DELEX (DEstroyer Life EXtension) refit in 1982 to upgrade combat, radar and weapons systems and HMCS Annapolis followed in 1984. Nipigon remained in the fleet until 1998 as a trials ship for the ETASS Mod 5 towed sonar system which was a precursor to the CANTASS (Canadian Towed Array Sonar System) that is currently fitted on the Halifax-class of frigates. Except for the replenishment ships HMCS Protecteur and Preserver, Nipigon was the last steam-powered warship to serve in the Canadian Forces.

These ships were among the first to take a new approach to helicopter operations from small warships. Unlike the British, who fitted a small helicopter (Westland Wasp) on their frigates with only a minimum of redesign, the RCN decided to use the far more capable and sophisticated CH-124 Sea King. The disadvantage of this approach is the fact that a considerable amount of surface area on the mothership has to be sacrificed to accommodate the helicopter. On the other hand, the helicopter itself is far more capable and can operate even in poor weather conditions: a considerable advantage in the polar region.

Ships

Ship Original Pennant Number Builder Laid Down Launched Commissioned DELEX Refit Paid Off Fate
HMCS Annapolis DDH 265 Halifax Shipyards Ltd., Halifax 2 September 1961 27 April 1963 19 December 1964 15 September 1986 15 November 1996 Sold to the Artificial Reef Society of British Columbia in 2008.
HMCS Nipigon DDH 266 Marine Industries Ltd., Sorel 5 August 1960 10 December 1961 30 May 1964 22 August 1984 7 July 1998 Scuttled off Rimouski, QC in 2003.

References

External links

Annapolis-class destroyer
 Royal Canadian Navy
 Royal Canadian Navy

Annapolis ยท Nipigon