Hero-class patrol vessels


HMC Valiant, a Damon Stan 4207 customs cutter of the UK Border Agency.
Class overview
Name: Hero-class patrol vessel
Builders: Halifax Shipyards
Operators: Canadian Coast Guard
Built: 2011–2013
In service: 2011–
In commission: 2011–2013
Planned: 9
General characteristics
Class and type: Hero-class
Type: Patrol vessel
Length: 42.8 m (140 ft)
Beam: 7.11 m (23.3 ft)
Speed: 25 kn (46 km/h)
Range: 3,700 km (2,000 nmi)
Endurance: 2 weeks
Capacity: 14
Crew: 8 + 6 fisheries/RCMP officers

The Hero-class patrol vessels, previously the Mid-Shore Patrol Vessel Project, are a series of nine patrol boats currently on order from the Halifax Shipyards for the Canadian Coast Guard. Delivery is scheduled for 2011 through 2013.[1][2][3][4][5][6]

Contents

Naming

Each of the nine Hero-class patrol vessels will be named after personnel from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP officers), Canadian Coast Guard (sailors, aircrew), Department of Fisheries and Oceans (fisheries officers) and Canadian Forces (soldiers, sailors, aircrew) who are credited with performing exceptional or heroic acts during their service.[7][8][9]

Vessel design

The initial Mid Shore Patrol Vessel Project centred on medium-sized patrol boats of 37 to 42 metres (121 to 138 ft) in length, operating up to 120 nautical miles (220 km) offshore at a maximum speed of 25 knots (46 km/h). Each vessel would carry one or two rigid-hulled inflatable boats (RHIBs) and have accommodation for eight CCG personnel as well as two DFO fisheries officers or RCMP officers. The vessels were originally designed to be equipped with a stern launching ramp, allowing RHIBs to be launched and retrieved while the vessel was in motion.[10] Canadian Coast Guard versions will have a single point davit launching arrangement instead.

The final designs for Hero-class vessels are based on those of the Damen Stan 4207 patrol vessel, which will support a crew of eight and up to six RCMP or fishery officers. Each vessel will be approximately 43 metres in length, have a top speed of 25 knots and a range of 2,000 nautical miles (3,700 km), and be able to stay at sea for two weeks without replenishing supplies.

Employment

The main task for these vessels will be for maritime security and fisheries enforcement off Canada's Atlantic and Pacific coasts. Secondary tasks will be marine search and rescue and marine pollution control. Four of the vessels are planned to provide security on the Great Lakes and the St Lawrence Seaway.[6] Because the vessels will replace eight older vessels, the CCG fleet will increase by only one vessel.

A paper addressing the stability of high-speed patrol vessels, in high seas, co-written by naval engineers from Damen Group, was delivered at the High Performance Marine Vehicles Symposium in November 2009.[11] The paper compared two hull designs, which the paper called the enlarged ship concept and the axe bow concept. The paper called the Damen Stan 4207 design, the underlying design chosen for the Hero class, the first example of the enlarged ship concept. According to the paper, the new axe bow design's bow rudder and vertical stem would give it improved safety in stern quartering seas. The "Hero Class" vessels do not have the "axe bow" with bow rudder or a "vertical stem".

Procurement history

The Mid Shore Patrol Vessel Project has had a complicated procurement history since the class was initially announced on 2 March 2005 by the Government of Canada under Prime Minister Paul Martin. At that time, $276 million was promised, but not budgeted, for a class of two off-shore fisheries research vessels and a class of four mid shore patrol vessels. This was followed on 27 April 2005 by an announcement that an additional four mid shore patrol vessels would be purchased for the Canadian Coast Guard to support the Integrated Border Enforcement Teams (IBETs), which are jointly staffed by the Canada Border Services Agency, RCMP and CCG on the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Seaway. This would have created a class with a total of eight mid shore patrol vessels.

In 2006, the Government of Canada under Prime Minister Stephen Harper promised to continue the Mid Shore Patrol Vessel Project that envisioned eight vessels; however, no funding was provided. The 19 March 2007 Federal Budget committed $324 million to build the eight mid shore patrol vessels (previously announced), as well as the two offshore fisheries science vessels (previously announced) and an additional four mid shore patrol vessels. This would have created a class with a total of 12 mid shore patrol vessels.

On 25 March 2008, buried in an announcement that cancelled the bidding process for the Joint Support Ship Project for Canadian Forces Maritime Command, the Government of Canada placed the coast guard's Mid Shore Patrol Vessel Project on hold due to bids that were significantly higher than budgeted allocations.

The CCG submitted a modified vessel design based on reduced capabilities (and cheaper cost). On 26 February 2009, the Government of Canada reissued a call for bids for 12 mid shore patrol vessels.

On 2 September 2009, the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans and Minister of National Defence announced that nine mid shore patrol vessels were being ordered from Halifax Shipyard for a cost of $194 million.[1][10][12]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "Minister Shea Leads Purchase of Nine New Coast Guard Vessels". Department of Fisheries and Oceans. 2009-09-02. Archived from the original on 2009-09-07. http://www.webcitation.org/query?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dfo-mpo.gc.ca%2Fmedia%2Fnpress-communique%2F2009%2Fhq-ac36-eng.htm&date=2009-09-07. 
  2. ^ "Mid-Shore Patrol Vessels – the CCG's On-Again, Off-Again 37-43m MSPVs – PWGSC Press Release and a MERX NPP". Canadian American Strategic Review. 2009-02. http://www.casr.ca/doc-news-mid-shore-patrol-vessels.htm. Retrieved 2009-03-05.  mirror
  3. ^ "Mid-Shore Patrol Vessels – What Happened to MSPVs and Fisheries Research Vessels for the Canadian Coast Guard?". Canadian American Strategic Review. February 2009. http://www.casr.ca/doc-ccg-mid-shore-patrol-vessels.htm. Retrieved 2009-03-05.  mirror
  4. ^ Oliver Moore (2009-09-03). "Coast Guard to be beefed up with nine new ships". Globe and Mail. Archived from the original on 2009-09-12. http://www.webcitation.org/query?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.theglobeandmail.com%2Fnews%2Fnational%2Fcoast-guard-to-be-beefed-up-with-nine-new-ships%2Farticle1274099%2F&date=2009-09-12. 
  5. ^ "Canadian coast guard to get 9 new ships". United Press International. 2009-09-03. Archived from the original on 2009-09-12. http://www.webcitation.org/query?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.upi.com%2FTop_News%2F2009%2F09%2F03%2FCanadian-coast-guard-to-get-9-new-ships%2FUPI-95801251987528%2F&date=2009-09-12. 
  6. ^ a b "New vessels ordered for Canadian Coast Guard". Marine Log. 2009-09-03. Archived from the original on 2009-09-12. http://www.webcitation.org/query?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.marinelog.com%2FDOCS%2FNEWSMMIX%2F2009sep00032.html&date=2009-09-12. 
  7. ^ "Harper Government Names New Coast Guard Vessels in Honour of Canadian Heroes". Canada News Service. 2011-02-10. http://news.gc.ca/web/article-eng.do?m=/index&nid=588459. 
  8. ^ Bryin Weese (2011-02-09). "Fallen Heroes to be honoured with namesake ships Thursday". Toronto Sun. http://www.torontosun.com/news/canada/2011/02/09/17217001.html. 
  9. ^ "Canadian Coast Guard's "Hero Class" Of Vessels". Department of Fisheries and Oceans. 2011-02-10. http://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/media/infocus-alaune/2011/mspv-npsh-eng.html. 
  10. ^ a b "Contract for Canadian Coast Guard Mid-Shore Patrol Vessels: Damen Shipyards Announces $194M Award for partner, Irving". Canadian American Strategic Review. 2009-09-03. Archived from the original on 2009-09-07. http://www.webcitation.org/query?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.casr.ca%2Fdoc-news-mid-shore-patrol-vessel-2009.htm&date=2009-09-07. 
  11. ^ F.H.H.A Quadvlieg, F. van Walree, J.A. Keuning, K. Stambaugh (2009-11-09). "Course Keeping of High Speed Craft in Stern Quartering Seas". High Performance Marine Vehicles Symposium 2009. http://navalengineers.net/Proceedings/HPMV2009/Papers/Quadvlieg_vanWalree_Keuning_Stambough-Paper.pdf. Retrieved 2011-07-19. "The Damen Stan Patrol 4207, the first ship incorporating the Enlarged Ship Concept" 
  12. ^ "Contract for Canadian Coast Guard Mid-Shore Patrol Vessels: Fisheries & Oceans Announces Award for Irving Shipbuilding". Canadian American Strategic Review. 2009-09-02. Archived from the original on 2009-09-07. http://www.webcitation.org/query?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.casr.ca%2Fdoc-ccg-mid-shore-patrol-vessel-2009.htm&date=2009-09-07.