Canada wants six 'Svalbards' for Northern/Coastal patrol

[PhillTaj]

http://www.canada.com/nationalpost/story.html?id=34a4aca0-9377-4eaf-b30f-8d27d20561a6 (Subscription only, I'll give you the low down on the print version)

The Conservative government is considering buying a fleet of new "ice-capable" corvettes to allow our navy to patrol Canada's vast Arctic waters and abandoning...

Recently, there has been alot of criticism directed towards our MCDVs (Maritime Coastal Defense Vessels- http://www.naval-technology.com/projects/kingston/). Basically, they were originally designed for fisheries protection, training, and mine warfare. However, they are extremely slow (can only make about 12 knots) and the hulls are too thin for ice browsing. Its also useless as it cant catch intruding ships (worthless in the war on terror- but so will the proposed OPVs). A recent navy report has blasted the ships, and the Navy is cancelling a $100 million refit for the boats, and wants a bigger, more capable platform.....in other words, the Svalbard.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/1/10/KV_Svalbard1.jpg.

Its a 6300 ton Norweigan designed OPV...im sure many of you are familiar with it. Its can only make about 5 or 6 knots more than a Kingston, but it has long range, can cut through a meter of ice, and can handle a heli. Its almost confirmed that the gov't prefers several Svalbards over three big, expensive Canadian designed icebreakers- a Conservative election promise. Now, the navy and gov't are fixing their chequebooks on the Svalbard. They aern't even that expensive- only 80 million, without the radar and chopper. The Press has also reported some missile capability for the proposed ships are being looked at.

I just gotta say, I love you Norweigans right about now, and I bet Langsten AG are crapping their pants at the prospect of a six strong Canadian order.

I just hope the project will come to pass and we wont spend 2 billion on three heavy icebreakers that will take forever to design and build.

What are your thoughts on this development?

 

[contedicavour]

http://www.canada.com/nationalpost/story.html?id=34a4aca0-9377-4eaf-b30f-8d27d20561a6 (Subscription only, I'll give you the low down on the print version)

The Conservative government is considering buying a fleet of new "ice-capable" corvettes to allow our navy to patrol Canada's vast Arctic waters and abandoning...

Recently, there has been alot of criticism directed towards our MCDVs (Maritime Coastal Defense Vessels- http://www.naval-technology.com/projects/kingston/). Basically, they were originally designed for fisheries protection, training, and mine warfare. However, they are extremely slow (can only make about 12 knots) and the hulls are too thin for ice browsing. Its also useless as it cant catch intruding ships (worthless in the war on terror- but so will the proposed OPVs). A recent navy report has blasted the ships, and the Navy is cancelling a $100 million refit for the boats, and wants a bigger, more capable platform.....in other words, the Svalbard.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/1/10/KV_Svalbard1.jpg.

Its a 6300 ton Norweigan designed OPV...im sure many of you are familiar with it. Its can only make about 5 or 6 knots more than a Kingston, but it has long range, can cut through a meter of ice, and can handle a heli. Its almost confirmed that the gov't prefers several Svalbards over three big, expensive Canadian designed icebreakers- a Conservative election promise. Now, the navy and gov't are fixing their chequebooks on the Svalbard. They aern't even that expensive- only 80 million, without the radar and chopper. The Press has also reported some missile capability for the proposed ships are being looked at.

I just gotta say, I love you Norweigans right about now, and I bet Langsten AG are crapping their pants at the prospect of a six strong Canadian order.

I just hope the project will come to pass and we wont spend 2 billion on three heavy icebreakers that will take forever to design and build.

What are your thoughts on this development?

Very interesting development. However I wouldn't call the Svalbards "corvettes", these are large coast guard patrol ships without missiles of any kind, and without any ASW capability (other than that carried by the embarked helos). I'm not saying these ships aren't useful, of course, but just saying this is more Coast Guard/civilian material.

cheers

 

[PhillTaj]

http://www.canada.com/nationalpost/story.html?id=34a4aca0-9377-4eaf-b30f-8d27d20561a6 (Subscription only, I'll give you the low down on the print version)

The Conservative government is considering buying a fleet of new "ice-capable" corvettes to allow our navy to patrol Canada's vast Arctic waters and abandoning...

Recently, there has been alot of criticism directed towards our MCDVs (Maritime Coastal Defense Vessels- http://www.naval-technology.com/projects/kingston/). Basically, they were originally designed for fisheries protection, training, and mine warfare. However, they are extremely slow (can only make about 12 knots) and the hulls are too thin for ice browsing. Its also useless as it cant catch intruding ships (worthless in the war on terror- but so will the proposed OPVs). A recent navy report has blasted the ships, and the Navy is cancelling a $100 million refit for the boats, and wants a bigger, more capable platform.....in other words, the Svalbard.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/1/10/KV_Svalbard1.jpg.

Its a 6300 ton Norweigan designed OPV...im sure many of you are familiar with it. Its can only make about 5 or 6 knots more than a Kingston, but it has long range, can cut through a meter of ice, and can handle a heli. Its almost confirmed that the gov't prefers several Svalbards over three big, expensive Canadian designed icebreakers- a Conservative election promise. Now, the navy and gov't are fixing their chequebooks on the Svalbard. They aern't even that expensive- only 80 million, without the radar and chopper. The Press has also reported some missile capability for the proposed ships are being looked at.

I just gotta say, I love you Norweigans right about now, and I bet Langsten AG are crapping their pants at the prospect of a six strong Canadian order.

I just hope the project will come to pass and we wont spend 2 billion on three heavy icebreakers that will take forever to design and build.

What are your thoughts on this development?

I know that, you know that, but when has the press ever got anything right on naval matters lol?

Or the navy could be calling them corvettes simply for political reasons. Still, methinks it was a media mix up.

 

[Sea Toby]

Yes, considering Canada's huge northern area, these ships would be ideal for patrol duties up north. And like you said, they are cheap. Canada could get three or more for the price of one frigate.

However, is there any way to increase the speed of the Kingston class patrol boats? Would adding a more powerful diesel be viable?

 

[PhillTaj]

The hulls would have to be stretched if we want any more performance out of them..like most minehunters they hull slam alot, if we want to get rid of that too stretching is the only option, and the ships, like the Halifax FFH are not ideal for stretching...the navy however just cant live with their super thin hulls, and they are top heavy too (just like the Halifaxs, its why we cant mount APAR on them) So the logical step is too combine the icebreaker and CDV requirement into one.

 

[Sea Toby]

Its apparent the speed of the Kingston class is far too slow to be useful as offshore patrol vessels, I suggest Canada acquire more minehunting modules and maintain them as minehunters and possibly use them as hydrographic ships. Minehunters and hydrographic ships don't need to be fast.

Therefore, these Svalbards OPVs would fit in nicely with the Canadian Navy.

 

[PhillTaj]

Its apparent the speed of the Kingston class is far too slow to be useful as offshore patrol vessels, I suggest Canada acquire more minehunting modules and maintain them as minehunters and possibly use them as hydrographic ships. Minehunters and hydrographic ships don't need to be fast.

Therefore, these Svalbards OPVs would fit in nicely with the Canadian Navy.

Its becoming increasingly difficult to justify to the taxpayer the need for a minehunting capability- the only force that could have tested our skills, the Red Navy, is gone.

Although minehunters are a good asset to provide to an international mission- what politician listens to such sound arguments these days?

 

[Sea Toby]

Well, if Canada don't want them, sell them. Other navies will probably purchase the minhunting modules and use them as minehunters, they are only around 10 years in age.

What I can't understand is how a Canadian naval architects Akker could design a great OPV for Ireland and New Zealand and somehow Canada builds a ship much too slow and without adequate seakeeping qualities. What a waste of taxpayers funds.