Irving Shipbuilding Inc. cut steel for the seventh Arctic and Offshore Patrol Ship (AOPS), the first of two for the Canadian Coast Guard’s fleet.
Celebrated at the Halifax Shipyard with Robb Wight, Director General for Vessel Procurement of the Canadian Coast Guard, Rear-Admiral Josée Kurtz (Royal Canadian Navy), and the Hon. Sean Fraser, Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities, today’s steel cutting of AOPS 7 marks the official start of construction on the vessel and once again recognises the significant progress being achieved at the Halifax Shipyard.
The Canadian Coast Guard’s AOPS will be tasked with a wide range of missions. Both ships will operate as the Canadian Coast Guard’s primary platform with increased capabilities to support fisheries enforcement on Canada’s east coast, support search and rescue and icebreaking operations, while strengthening Canada’s presence in the Arctic.
Under the National Shipbuilding Strategy (NSS), Irving Shipbuilding is constructing six AOPS vessels for the Royal Canadian Navy, two AOPS for the Canadian Coast Guard and 15 Canadian Surface Combatants (CSC) for the Royal Canadian Navy.
The first three AOPS have been delivered to the Royal Canadian Navy, with AOPS 4 to be delivered later this summer. The mega blocks of AOPS 5 will be joined in August 2023 and construction on AOPS 6 is continuing with the keel laying this month. Both AOPS 5 and 6 are on schedule for delivery in 2024 and 2025 respectively.
“The milestones we are achieving on AOPS today are a direct result of our workers’ commitment to delivering on Canada’s National Shipbuilding Strategy, shipbuilding at its core is about people. We are reestablishing Canada’s shipbuilding industrial base right here in Halifax and Atlantic Canada. With the completion of each ship, there are significant learnings which deliver continuous improvement, efficiencies and shortened delivery schedules for the next vessel. Every year, our workforce is growing and honing their skills, becoming more advanced shipbuilders. We take immense pride in serving our country’s navy and coast guard.”
Dirk Lesko, President, Irving Shipbuilding Inc.
The CSC program will form the backbone of Canada’s future naval combat capability. In ten short years, the NSS has put an end to the boom-and-bust cycles that characterized Canada’s shipbuilding industry for decades previous. Halifax shipbuilders have been able to focus on building back critical supply chains and developing their advanced skills to produce the cornerstone of the naval fleet which will keep Canada’s sailors safe, protect Canadians, and confidently deliver on our international security responsibilities abroad.
