TSAMTO, July 20. The Government of Canada announced the transfer of the new Arctic and Offshore Patrol Vessels (AOPS) (AOPV 431) Margaret Brook of the Harry DeWolf class, built by Irving Shipbuilding Inc., to the Canadian Navy on July 15.
(AOPV 431) The Margaret Brook is the second of six AOPS ships to be delivered to the Canadian Navy. As planned, the vessel will remain at CFB Halifax in the near future to complete acceptance measures and final preparation. It is expected that the christening ceremony of the ship will take place in the coming months, and the official acceptance ceremony will take place in the fall of 2022.
As reported by TSAMTO, on January 16, 2015, the government of Canada, following the results of a tender within the framework of the implementation of the "National Shipbuilding Strategy", signed a contract with Irving Shipbuilding Inc with a total value of 3.5 billion kan. dollars (2.56 billion US dollars) for the construction of five patrol ships of the Arctic zone for the country's Navy with an option for the construction of a sixth ship. The option to the contract was implemented in November 2018.
The Harry DeWolf-class ships are specially designed to patrol the northernmost regions of Canada and should become the core of the country's enhanced Armed Forces presence in the Arctic region. The ships will be able to be used in conditions of annual ice up to 120 cm thick.
The construction of the lead vessel of the "Harry DeWolf" series began in September 2015. The ship was transferred to the Canadian Navy on July 30, 2020 and officially entered service on June 26, 2021.
The second vessel, (AOPV 431) "Margaret Brook", was launched in November 2019. Currently, Irving Shipbuilding is building three more ships of the series, (AOPV 432) "Max Bernays", (AOPV 433) "William Hall", (AOPV 434) "Frederick Rolette". The laying of the keel "William Hall" took place in February. Cutting of steel for the construction of" Frederick Rolette " began on May 20, 2021. As expected, the launch of the "Max Bernays" will take place at the end of this year. It is planned that the construction of the sixth ship will begin in 2022, and it will be handed over to the customer in 2023.
The coastal patrol ship of the Arctic zone is designed to expand the capabilities of the Canadian Navy to perform tasks in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. It will be used for conducting intelligence and surveillance, protecting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the country, patrolling territorial waters, as well as monitoring the situation in the exclusive economic zone of Canada, supporting international operations. In addition, the ships of the series can be used to perform auxiliary tasks, including the provision of humanitarian assistance, search and rescue operations, assistance to victims of natural disasters, cargo delivery
The length of the Harry DeWolf-class ship is 103 m, the maximum width is 19 m, and the displacement is 6440 tons. The ship has a maximum speed of 17 knots, a cruising range of 6800 nautical miles at a speed of 14 knots, an autonomy of 120 days, a crew of 65 people. Up to 20 people of the landing party can be accommodated on board. The vessel is equipped with a platform and a hangar for the CH-148 "Cyclone" helicopter. There is an 8.5-meter high-speed boat on board. As a weapon, it is planned to use a 25-mm remotely controlled Mk AU.38 Mod-2, 12.7 mm machine guns.
