| Career (Canada) | |
|---|---|
| Name: | HMCS Protecteur |
| Ordered: | 16 December 1966 |
| Builder: | Saint John Shipbuilding |
| Laid down: | 17 October 1967 |
| Launched: | 18 July 1968 |
| Commissioned: | 30 August 1969 |
| Homeport: | Esquimalt, British Columbia |
| Motto: | Soutiens avec Courage "Support with Courage" |
| Honours and awards: |
Gulf and Kuwait |
| Status: | in active service, as of 2012[update] |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type: | Protecteur-class auxiliary vessel |
| Displacement: | 8,380 t (8,248 long tons) standard 24,700 t (24,310 long tons) full load |
| Length: | 172 m (564 ft 4 in) |
| Beam: | 23 m (75 ft 6 in) |
| Draught: | 10 m (32 ft 10 in) |
| Propulsion: | 2 × Babcock and Wilcox boilers 1 × General Electric steam turbine engine |
| Speed: | 20 knots (37 km/h; 23 mph) |
| Range: | • 4,100 nmi (7,600 km; 4,700 mi) at 20 knots (37 km/h; 23 mph) • 7,500 nmi (13,900 km; 8,600 mi) at 11.5 knots (21.3 km/h; 13.2 mph) |
| Complement: | 365 officers and crew (men and women) including 45 in air detachment |
| Armament: | • 2 × 20 mm Close-in weapon system (CIWS) • 6 × .50 calibre machine guns |
| Aircraft carried: | 3 × CH-124 Sea King helicopters |
HMCS Protecteur is a Canadian Protecteur-class Auxiliary Oiler Replenishment ship. Built by Saint John Shipbuilding and Dry Docks in Saint John, New Brunswick, she was commissioned in 1969, the first ship of her class. She is the first Canadian naval unit to carry the name Protecteur; however, there have been several units, including a base, named HMCS Protector. The ship is assigned to the Royal Canadian Navy's Maritime Forces Pacific (MARPAC) in Esquimalt, British Columbia.
Contents |
In 1991, HMCS Protecteur was part of the Canadian contingent sent to the Persian Gulf as part of Operation Desert Shield and later Operation FRICTION (the Canadian name for its operations during the Persian Gulf War). The ship, part of a three-vessel force (the other two being the destroyers Athabaskan and Terra Nova), saw extensive service in the Central Gulf.
Protecteur was deployed to East Timor as part of the Australian-led INTERFET peacekeeping taskforce from 23 October 1999 to 23 January 2000.[1]
On 19 September 2011, Protecteur departed from CFB Esquimalt for a two-month deployment off southern California as part of the U.S. Navy's Carrier Strike Group Nine. Protecteur joined the destroyer Algonquin and the frigate Ottawa in Fleet Week activities in San Diego, California, between 26-30 September 2011.[2]
The ship will continue to operate until the Joint Support Ship Project has been completed.