Vessel in probe to be unveiled

The ship at the heart of the investigation into Vice-Admiral Mark Norman will be unveiled on Thursday, providing the Royal Canadian Navy with a capability to refuel its vessels at sea.

The $670-million Project Resolve saw Davie Shipbuilding and its affiliated firm Federal Fleet Services convert the commercial vessel Asterix over an 18-month period, transforming it into a refuelling and resupply vessel.

The unveiling at Davie’s Quebec shipyard will be attended by navy commander Vice-Admiral Ron Lloyd, federal Liberal MPs and Quebec government officials.

In the fall of 2015 the Liberal government tried to derail the Davie project, but a leak to the media about their plan forced its abandonment.

The Liberals called for a RCMP investigation into the leak, which led to the suspension earlier this year of Norman, then the country’s second-highest ranking military officer.

The RCMP have not charged the naval officer, and questions have emerged about how solid any case against Norman might be.

Upon its completion, Project Resolve will provide the Royal Canadian Navy with the capability to independently refuel and resupply its warships at sea, for the first time in many years. Since the retirement of its own aging resupply vessels, Canada has at leased the services of Chilean and Spanish ships.

The project’s $670-million price tag includes the conversion of Asterix, the lease of its services to the navy for five years, maintenance and the salaries of a civilian crew to operate the vessel.