Arctic shipbuilding renewed, for now
No timetable for when vessels will be ready
Construction of the Canadian military’s new Arctic and offshore patrol ships, stopped because of the novel coronavirus pandemic, has been restarted.
But it’s unclear when the first Arctic and Offshore Patrol Ship will be ready for delivery to the Royal Canadian Navy.
Construction of the vessels, also known as AOPS, as well as maintenance of the navy’s frigates, was temporarily halted at Irving’s facilities in Halifax in March because of COVID-19. The suspension of all industrial operations at the Halifax Shipyard affected approximately 1,100 of the company’s 1,800 personnel, Irving noted in a statement at the time. Other staff continued to work from home.
Irving spokesman Tom Ormsby said rigorous protocols for extensive cleaning, social distancing, employee screening and employee temperature checks are now being done. “We are ramping up our workforce and have recommenced work on the Arctic and Offshore Patrol Ships and HMCS Charlottetown while following public health guidance,” he said. “Approximately 600 of the 1,100 employees who were laid off in March have returned to work.
“We expect to continue recalling our workforce over the next few months.”
The delivery of the first AOPS has been repeatedly delayed over the years. Earlier this year the Department of National Defence stated the delivery would happen sometime before June 21.
“Given that the extent of COVID-19 or how long this situation will last, cannot be assessed at this time, it is not yet possible to determine the impact this situation will have on our projects,” an emailed statement from DND said.
Ormsby said Irving is working closely with DND, the Royal Canadian Navy and union leadership at the yard.
The second AOPS was supposed to be delivered in late 2020. The last of the six ships was supposed to arrive in 2024.
Under the original timetable, the first AOPS was to have been delivered in 2013, with Arctic operations set for 2015.
But ongoing problems with the government’s national shipbuilding program and delays in awarding the contract continued to push schedules back.
Work on the third and fourth AOPS is expected to proceed gradually in the coming weeks, according to the email sent by DND. Personnel from the department are on-site at the shipyard to conduct inspections and other activities.
DND personnel involved in the maintenance work of the frigates at the shipyard “have returned in a limited capacity — using social distancing/shift work as well as proper PPE to ensure the workforce remains safe,” the email from DND stated.
In January 2015, the federal government announced it had awarded Irving a $2.6-billion contract to build five ships for the navy. In 2018, that deal was expanded to add a sixth vessel.
Additionally, two AOPS are to be built for the Canadian Coast Guard immediately following those for the Royal Canadian Navy.
The ships were originally announced in July 2007 by then Prime Minister Stephen Harper, who acknowledged the vessels were much different than his election promise of armed heavy icebreakers. Harper claimed at the time
WE ARE RAMPING UP OUR WORKFORCE AND HAVE RECOMMENCED WORK ON THE ARCTIC AND OFFSHORE PATROL SHIPS AND HMCS CHARLOTTETOWN WHILE FOLLOWING PUBLIC HEALTH GUIDANCE. — TOM ORMSBY, IRVING SHIPBUILDING
WE EXPECT TO CONTINUE RECALLING OUR WORKFORCE.
the AOPS were “medium” icebreakers and more versatile but critics pointed out the vessels were not icebreakers at all, but rather “ice-strengthened” ships that would be limited as to when and where they would be able to operate.
In 2017, the Senate Defence Committee raised concerns about the vessels’ capabilities. “This (concern) is based on the fact that these ships cannot operate in ice more than a metre thick, are slower than a B.C. Ferry, can only operate in the Arctic from June to October and will require a coast guard escort when in the northern waters,” the senators pointed out in their report. These capabilities should be independently reviewed to meet Canada’s sovereignty needs, they added.
The Senate also noted that the ships “will lack significant force projection in the form of weapons system.
“These limitations are troubling and raise the question of whether the taxpayers are receiving value for the moneys spent,” the Senate report stated.