PROMISING FUTURE FOR CANADIAN NAVAL SHIPBUILDING

Navy Programs Could Bring C$16 Billion In Work To Shipbuilding & Allied Industries Over Next 15 Years Based on a speech by J.W. Serge Poirier, Director-Procurement & Supply Maritime, Canadian Department of National Defense (DND), at the Canadian Maritime Industries Association (CMIA) and Allied Industries Outlook Conference late last year, the future of Canadian shipbuilding and its allied equipment and support industries appears to be promising. Acquisition of more than 65 percent of total Canadian Forces requirements over the next 15 years can be purchased in Canada. The Navy program over the 15-year period has approximately 40 projects primarily associated with the shipbuilding industry and is valued at approximately C$16 billion. While the majority of the work relates to the shipbuilding sector, large amounts of work will be assigned to the nuclear, electronics, communications, ADP and aerospace industries. It is expected that Canadian shipyards on both coasts, the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River will participate in the Navy's rebuilding programs.

Mr. Poirier outlined the status of the major maritime projects contained within the Defense White Paper and others that are ongoing within the DND. All of the proposed projects will be competing for the Defense procurement dollars over the next few years. Some of the projects have not yet received departmental or governmental approval.

Each project will be subject to intensive examination to determine need and affordability. This article provides a brief review of the status of these programs.

PROPOSED PROJECTS Nuclear-Powered Submarines The French Rubis/Amethyste Class (SNA-72) and U.K. Trafalgar Class nuclear-powered attack submarine designs are currently under evaluation by Canada. Once the country-of-origin evaluation process has been completed, a technical data package and a technology transfer contract will be purchased.

It is anticipated that once the Request For Proposal (RFP) is issued and replies evaluated, the top two will be awarded project definition studies contracts. The implementation contract is scheduled to be let for late 1991 with the acquisition phase expected to extend until the year 2014. The government plans to spend $6 billion or more to acquire a fleet of 10 to 12 nuclear-powered attack submarines.

The French Rubis Class attack submarine is 236.5 feet long and displaces 2,670 tons (submerged). Her propulsion equipment consists of a 48-MW nuclear reactor, two turboalternators and one main motor.

The larger, faster Trafalgar Class has a displacement of 5,208 tons, with an overall length of 280.1 feet.

Her propulsion machinery consists of a single pressurized-water-cooled nuclear reactor, General Electric geared steam turbines and two Paxman auxiliary diesels.

NATO Frigate Replacement NATO Frigate Replacement for the 1990s (NFR90) is an eightnation North Atlantic Treaty Or- ganization project directed towards the cooperative development and construction of a standard NATO antisubmarine warfare (ASW) frigate replacement for the 1990s.

Canada is participating on all international working groups preparing the necessary documentation required for project definition. A Canadian lead company has been designated to represent Canada in an international ship design company for the project definition phase of the project. In October 1987, the Treasury Board approved Canadian participation and Canada signed the international MOU for the project definition phase of this project. Negotiations are underway and it is expected that the definition phase will commence shortly at a cost of C$15 million-C$20 million per nation.

Should the project be implemented, the lead ship of the new ASW frigate class would be delivered in the mid-90s. Construction by the participating nations would follow.

Naval Reserve MCM Project The government has given preliminary approval to the Naval Reserve Mine Countermeasures (MCM) Project and RFPs for project definition have been issued to interested Canadian prime contractors.

After a bid evaluation period, two Canadian prime contractors will be selected to design a Maritime Coastal Defense Vessel (MCDV) for the Naval Reserve that will provide a ship capable of performing both patrol and MCM tasks in Canadian coastal waters. If the current schedule is maintained, the DND will award two project definition contracts in July 1989.

Following an evaluation of the two designs, one contractor will be selected to build 12 coastal defense vessels for delivery between 1993- 1998.

MCM Auxiliaries This project was initiated to provide MCM training to reserves. Two offshore commercial vessels have been acquired and will be fitted with Hyperfix Precise Navigation Systems, side scan sonar, the PINS 9000 Precise Integrated Navigation Systems and with mechanical minesweeping equipment.

The two vessels will require docking, equipment installation and shipwork to bring them to Canadian Coast Guard pollution standards.

The DND will contract engineer support to private industry within the next six months.

Auxiliary Vessel Replacement Project This project is presently in the planning stages. When developed, it will entail the progressive modification and replacement during the 1990s of tugs, cranes and auxiliary barges. This project should generate a great deal of work for Canadian yards.

General Purpose Auxiliary Vessel The urgency of the Canadian Patrol Frigate requirement for a trials support vessel has made it necessary for the DND to bring forward the procurement of one of the vessels in the Auxiliary Fleet Replacement Project, the General Purpose Auxiliary Vessel. This vessel is needed much the same as the MCM Auxiliary, and Supply and Services Canada has sent letters to all companies who responded to the MCMA request.

Under-Ice Fixed Sonar Systems This project involves the installation of a modern, fixed under-ice surveillance system in the Arctic to aid in the detection of incursion of Canadian Arctic waters by submarines.

Departmental officials are in the process of preparing the necessary option analysis and documentation to obtain approval for this project. It is expected that a competitive contract for project definition will be issued in 1989.

Sonar Array Towing Vessels The DND has determined the need for mobile-subsurface long range surveillance systems consisting of towed arrays and up to three towing vessels. This project depends on the development of a suitable sensor to meet the performance requirements.

ONGOING PROJECTS ASW Patrol Frigates The government has approved the second phase of the ship replacement program in the form of six more Canadian patrol frigates to be delivered between 1992-1996.

The design remains essentially the same as that of the first six ships and Saint John Shipbuilding, Ltd., New Brunswick, and Paramax are in the process of placing purchase orders for material for the second batch.

At a total cost of C$10 billion, the CPF is the largest single defense project with annual expenditures now approaching C$1 billion.

Saint John Shipbuilding, the prime contractor for the first six frigates, has christened the first ASW frigate, the HMCS Halifax, and will construct two others.

Marine Industrie Limitee (MIL) of Quebec is building the other three frigates in the first batch.

Tribal Class Update & M o d e r n i z a t i o n Project (TRUMP) The C$1.2-billion TRUMP program was begun in June 1986 when Litton Systems Canada Ltd. was selected as prime contractor with responsibility for project management and combat systems design and integration.

Under the project, the four Tribal Class destroyers, the Iroquois, Algonquin, Huron and Athabaskan, are being modernized and equipped with new combat systems, gas turbine propulsion engines, diesel generator engines, vertical missile launcher modules and electronics to fulfill the role of air defense, as well as antisubmarine warfare. Each conversion takes approximately 18 months.

At present, the HMCS Iroquois and the HMCS Algonquin are being converted at the MIL Davie Shipyard in Lauzon, Quebec.

Contracts for the second two destroyers will be let by Litton on a competitive basis. The RFP was issued by Litton in 1987 and proposals have been submitted. The evaluation and approval process is proceeding and it is expected that the subcontract will be awarded early this year.

CF Maritime Experimental & Test Range Support Vessels West Coast Manly, a division of Rivtow Straits Ltd., was awarded a contract in September 1988 to build four Canadian Forces Experimental and Test Range Support vessels.

The vessels will be 98.4 feet long and displace about 220 tons.

Research & Development This year, the Research and Development Branch of the DND has been allocated C$149 million for R&D contracts and equipment, plus the support needed for research facilities.

These funds will be supplemented by additional monies identified to support international cooperative development as recently stipulated by the U.S. "Nunn Amendment." Coast Guard Projects A number of Canadian Coast Guard major capital projects have been completed, are underway or proposed. See Exhibit 1 for details.

More information will be provided next issue.