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October 17, 2019 | Local, Naval

Irving Shipbuilding Hands Over HMCS Montreal to Royal Canadian Navy

Irving Shipbuilding Inc. handed over Halifax-class frigate HMCS Montréal (FFH 336) to the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) following the completion of a 53-week docking work period on August 22.

The vessel arrived at Halifax Shipyard on Aug. 13 last year for the docking work period (DWP). The DWP was completed on schedule and included preventive and corrective maintenance, ship system upgrades including new diesel generators and chillers to name a few, as well as installation of new equipment providing enhanced combat capabilities to ensure the longevity of HMCS Montreal.

More than 400 of Halifax Shipyard's 2,000 employees worked on HMCS Montreal's docking work period, including many shipbuilders who are members of Unifor Local 1. Dozens of Nova Scotia-based suppliers worked with ISI on the Montreal, including Maritime Pressure Works, MacKinnon & Olding, CMS Steel Pro, and Pro-Insul, among others.

Since 2010, all seven of the Navy's east coast Halifax-class frigates– HMCS Halifax, HMCS Fredericton, HMCS Montreal, HMCS Charlottetown, HMCS St. John's, HMCS Ville de Quebec, and HMCS Toronto – have been consecutively modernized and maintained at Halifax Shipyard.

Halifax Shipyard is continuing its legacy as the Halifax-class In-Service Support Centre of Excellence, with HMCS Charlottetown currently in the graving dock for a docking work period. In addition to its Halifax-class ship maintenance work, Halifax Shipyard is building six Arctic and Offshore Patrol Ships (AOPS) and 15 Canadian Surface Combatants (CSC) over the next 25 years as part of Canada's National Shipbuilding Strategy (NSS).

The Halifax class underwent a modernization program, known as the Halifax Class Modernization (HCM) program, in order to update the frigates' capabilities in combatting modern smaller, faster and more mobile threats. This involved upgrading the command and control, radar, communications, electronic warfare and armament systems. Further improvements, such as modifying the vessel to accommodate the new Sikorsky CH-148 Cyclone helicopter and satellite links will be done separately from the main Frigate Equipment Life Extension (FELEX) program.

https://www.navyrecognition.com/index.php/news/defence-news/2019/october/7593-irving-shipbuilding-hands-over-hmcs-montreal-to-royal-canadian-navy.html

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    February 20, 2018 | Local, Aerospace

    Names of aircraft manufacturers on “suppliers list” for Canada’s new fighter jet still a mystery

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    November 9, 2018 | Local, Aerospace

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  • ‘There could be turmoil’: How Canada is bracing for the U.S. election

    November 2, 2020 | Local, Aerospace, Naval, Land, C4ISR, Security

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Preparing for civil unrest and the ‘nightmare scenario' Still, multiple sources said Canada can't ignore the possibility of civil unrest and violence in the United States. For 10 years, Ward Elcock served as Canada's top spy, leading the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS). He said there's no question that Trump's heated rhetoric has fuelled the resurgence of far-right extremism in the United States: a phenomenon that poses a serious threat as Americans decide who should lead their country for the next four years. “There may well be some people who do weird things in the aftermath of the election, particularly if — as seems likely at this point — Mr. Trump loses and loses badly,” Elcock said. “There may be some of his supporters who do get pushed into violent scenarios that are hard for us to imagine.” Just one month ahead of the election, a report by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security called white supremacists “the most persistent and lethal threat” in the country. That threat is on Canada's radar too, according to Thomas Juneau, a professor of international affairs at the University of Ottawa and a former analyst with the Department of National Defence. “One scenario that is always a nightmare scenario for Canada is the issue of security threats coming from Canada, crossing the Canadian-American border and reaching the U.S.,” he said. “The fear on our side is always that the response on the American side will be to close the border, which economically would be devastating for us.” Speaking on the condition of anonymity, a senior national security source told Global News the federal government is quietly assessing the risk that election-related violence in the United States could spill over into Canada. As a result, Canadian intelligence agencies will closely monitor potential flashpoints. 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