Back to news

April 9, 2019 | Local, Naval

The case for a second interim supply ship? New stats show how foreign navies continue to refuel Canadian warships

DAVID PUGLIESE, OTTAWA CITIZEN

MV Asterix is now operating with HMCS Regina in Middle Eastern waters as part of a Canadian-led coalition task force.

The Asterix, a commercial ship converted by Davie shipyards in Quebec and leased to the federal government to perform a military supply role, has been going almost non-stop since it was launched. It has refueled both Canadian and allied warships.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has said there is no need for a second such interim supply ship and the head of the Royal Canadian Navy, Vice Admiral Ron Lloyd, says he is happy with having the Asterix as the force's only supply ship until 2023 when the first of two Joint Support Ships, to be built at Seaspan in Vancouver, is expected to be ready.

Davie, however, has offered to convert a second such ship, MV Obelix, to the same capabilities of Asterix and lease it to the government.

At one point the navy had three of its own supply ships supporting its vessels.

Information recently tabled in Parliament indicates that even though Asterix has been going full-tilt over the last year, there was still a requirement for Canadian warships to receive fuel and provisions from supply vessels operated by foreign navies or for Canadian ships to head to port to receive fuel and supplies.

Here are the details from Parliament:

The Asterix is also at the heart of federal government's case against Vice Admiral Mark Norman. Norman has been accused by the RCMP of warning Davie that Liberal cabinet ministers wanted to derail the Asterix project.

That development leaked out to the news media and the resulting embarrassment was one of the factors that forced the Liberal government to back down on its plans and Asterix proceeded. Norman has denied any wrongdoing.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had twice predicted that Norman would eventually wind up in court, prompting concerns of political interference and concerns the Liberal government is punishing the officer.

Norman's lawyers are in pre-trial trying to get documents they argue are needed so the officer can defend himself. Norman's trial is scheduled for August.

https://ottawacitizen.com/news/national/defence-watch/the-case-for-a-second-interim-resupply-ship-new-stats-show-how-foreign-navies-continue-to-refuel-canadian-navy-ships

On the same subject

  • Univers PME | Un contrat naval de 100 millions pour une (discrète) entreprise de Brossard

    February 21, 2024 | Local, Naval

    Univers PME | Un contrat naval de 100 millions pour une (discrète) entreprise de Brossard

    Le Groupe Bronswerk a la discrétion des sous-marins qu’elle équipe.

  • CAE USA awarded subcontract from Lockheed Martin to support development of C-130J weapon systems trainers

    November 20, 2017 | Local, Aerospace

    CAE USA awarded subcontract from Lockheed Martin to support development of C-130J weapon systems trainers

    Tampa, Florida, USA, November 20, 2017 - (NYSE: CAE; TSX: CAE) - CAE USA has been awarded subcontracts from Lockheed Martin to support the design, development and manufacture of six C-130J weapon systems trainers (WSTs) for the United States Air Force and Air National Guard. The orders for these six C-130J WSTs were booked during CAE's second quarter of fiscal year 2018 and included in the quarterly earnings announcement done on November 10, 2017. "We are pleased to continue our long-standing partnership with Lockheed Martin on the design and development of training systems for the C-130J Super Hercules," said Ray Duquette, President and General Manager, CAE USA. "The high-fidelity capabilities of these C-130J weapon systems trainers allow the Air Force to increase the amount of synthetic training used throughout the overall training curriculum, which ultimately enhances safety, efficiency and mission readiness for the aircrews." The C-130J WSTs are full-motion, full-mission simulators that accurately simulate the aircraft and its various missions. The simulators recreate the sounds, motion, virtual environment and all other systems required to provide a high-fidelity, realistic flight training environment. These six C-130J WSTs will be delivered to various air bases during 2020 and 2021. http://www.cae.com/CAE-USA-awarded-subcontract-from-Lockheed-Martin-to-support-development-of-C-130J-weapon-systems-trainers/

  • Bombardier livre le premier de trois avions d’affaires Global 6000 pour la flotte de la Luftwaffe

    September 19, 2019 | Local, Aerospace

    Bombardier livre le premier de trois avions d’affaires Global 6000 pour la flotte de la Luftwaffe

    Bombardier livre le premier de trois avions d'affaires Global 6000 pour la flotte de la Luftwaffe L'avion long-courrier Global 6000 répondra aux besoins de transport diplomatiques et parlementaires allemands Offrant une fiabilité de premier ordre, une technologie de pointe et le vol en douceur emblématique de Bombardier, l'avion Global 6000 est idéal pour les missions gouvernementales et le transport de personnalités Bombardier doit livrer deux autres avions au gouvernement allemand en 2019 MONTRÉAL, 17 sept. 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Bombardier a fièrement livré le premier de trois avions d'affaires Global 6000 destinés à être utilisés par la Luftwaffe, les forces aériennes de l'Allemagne. La Luftwaffe, exploitant de longue date d'avions Bombardier, utilisera les biréacteurs d'affaires Global 6000 pour répondre aux besoins de transport des secteurs politiques et parlementaires. « Bombardier est ravie que la Luftwaffe ajoute l'avion Global 6000 à sa flotte », a déclaré David Coleal, président de Bombardier Aviation. « Notre équipe des Avions spécialisés a b'ti des relations de longue date avec des gouvernements du monde entier qui ont confiance en la sécurité et en la performance de nos produits. » La division des Avions spécialisés de Bombardier offre des solutions sur mesure aux exploitants, avec un portefeuille diversifié d'avions qui peuvent assurer les missions de transport aérien les plus exigeantes et les plus critiques en diverses configurations. Les avions Global de Bombardier sont particulièrement intéressants en raison de leur ponctualité de départ, de leur vitesse, de leur agilité et de leur endurance excellentes, ainsi que de leurs coûts d'exploitation optimisés. Propulsés par des moteurs BR710 de Rolls-Royce, développés et construits par Rolls-Royce Deutschland à Dahlewitz, en Allemagne, l'avion Global 6000 a suffisamment d'autonomie pour des vols sans escale intercontinentaux, ce qui est idéal pour les besoins de transport des secteurs politiques et parlementaires. L'avion Global 6000 assure également un vol en douceur qui réduit la fatigue des grands voyages, tant pour les passagers que pour l'équipage, tandis que son poste de pilotage évolué Bombardier Vision est doté d'un affichage tête haute avec la vision améliorée et la vision synthétique, ce qui permet une meilleure expérience de pilotage. La livraison de l'avion resserre les importants liens entre Bombardier et l'Allemagne, où l'avionneur est le principal fournisseur d'avions d'affaires. Bombardier Transport, chef de file mondial de l'industrie ferroviaire, a son siège social à Berlin. http://www.lesailesduquebec.com/bombardier-livre-le-premier-de-trois-avions-daffaires-global-6000-pour-la-flotte-de-la-luftwaffe/

All news