HMCS Summerside (MM 711)

For other ships with the same name, see HMCS Summerside.
HMCS Summerside
History
Canada
Name: Summerside
Namesake: Summerside, Prince Edward Island
Builder: Halifax Shipyards Ltd., Halifax
Laid down: 28 March 1998
Launched: 25 September 1998
Commissioned: 18 July 1999
Homeport: CFB Halifax
Identification: 711
Motto: Spem Successus Alit (Success nourishes hope)[1]
Honours and
awards:		 Atlantic, 1941-44; Gulf of St. Lawrence, 1942, 1944; Normandy, 1944; English Channel, 1944-45[1]
Notes: Colours: Gold and red[1]
General characteristics
Class and type: Kingston-class coastal defence vessel
Displacement: 970 tonnes
Length: 55.3 m (181.43 ft)
Beam: 11.3 m (37.07 ft)
Draught: 3.4 m (11.15 ft)
Propulsion:
  • 2 × Jeumont DC electric motors
  • 4 × 600VAC Wärtsilä SACM V12 diesel alternators
Speed: 15 kn (27.78 km/h)
Range: 5,000 nmi (9,260.00 km)
Complement: 31 to 47
Sensors and
processing systems:
  • Kelvin Hughes navigation radar (I-band)
  • Kelvin Hughes 6000 surface search radar (E-F band)
  • Global Positioning System
  • A towed high-frequency sidescan sonar
  • Remote-control Mine Hunting System (RMHS)
Armament:

HMCS Summerside is a Kingston-class coastal defence vessel of the Royal Canadian Navy that has served in the Canadian Forces since 1999. Summerside is the twelfth ship of her class which is the name for the Maritime Coastal Defence Vessel Project. She is the second vessel to use the designation HMCS Summerside. She is assigned to Maritime Forces Atlantic (MARLANT) and is homeported at CFB Halifax.[2]

Design

The Kingston-class patrol vessels were conceived to advance the use of commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) equipment and construction techniques in a ship designed to military specifications.

While the Z-drive thrusters make the Kingston-class vessels extremely manoeuvrable (able to turn within their own shiplength) and the engines are quite powerful and fuel-efficient, the hull shape, with a blunt stern and "hard" chine designed for minesweeping, prevents the ship from achieving a "sprint" speed and the patrol vessels of other nations are considerably faster. However, the Kingstons' top speed is faster than that of most mine warfare vessels and is comparable to most large non-naval seagoing vessels.

The hull is a longitudinally framed structure and has been designed to minimize steel weight. The construction involved initial production of partially outfitted steel modules which were made into sub-assemblies and then integrated into the ship. The decks were assembled upside down with pre-outfitting of the underside of the deck prior to installation on the ship. In contrast to many modern mine warfare vessels, which often have hulls made of non-magnetic glass-reinforced plastic or similar material, the Kingston class have conventional steel hulls. The vessels are, however, equipped with a magnetic degaussing system that allows the ship's magnetic signature to be manipulated in three dimensions to minimize vulnerability to magnetic mines.

Modular payload

Kingston class vessels are designed to carry up to three 20-foot (6.1 m) ISO containers with power hookups on the open deck aft in order to embark mission-specific payloads.[3] As of 2009, the available modules included:[3]

Weapons

The ships are equipped with a Bofors 40 mm Model 60 Mk 5C rapid fire gun, and two 12.7 mm (.50 cal) machine guns.[4] The Bofors gun is mounted on the forecastle deck and the arc of fire extends forwards by ±120°. The machine guns are mounted on either side at the front of the bridge deck. In a depressed position each machine gun fires in an 118° arc.

The main armament is a Second World War Bofors design that is manually loaded and lacks modern targeting capability.[5]

In October 2006, Maritime Command experimented with mounting a remote controlled heavy machine gun station, the OTO Melara 12.7 mm RCHMG, in place of the 40 mm Bofors cannon aboard HMCS Summerside.[6][7][8]

Sensors

The navigation equipment includes a Sperry Marine Bridge Master E I-band navigation radar and a Global Positioning System. The surface search radar is the E to F-band Sperry Marine Bridge Master E. A towed high-frequency sidescan sonar can be fitted for bottom mapping and route surveys.

Propulsion

The ship is equipped with four main Wärtsilä UD 23V12 diesel engines which are coupled to four alternators (600 V AC). Two Jeumont electric motors (±740 V DC) provide power to the two LIPS Z-drive azimuth thrusters which are fitted with fixed-pitch reversing propellers. The propulsion system provides 15 knots (28 km/h) maximum continuous speed. The range at the economical cruising speed of 9 knots (17 km/h) using two engines is 5,000 nautical miles (9,000 km) with a 20% margin in tank capacity. Mechanical minesweeping is carried out at 8 knots (15 km/h). The crash stop length is five ship lengths from a speed of 15 knots (28 km/h).

Operational history

Summerside was laid down on 28 March 1998 by Halifax Shipyards Ltd. at Halifax and was launched on 25 September 1998. She was commissioned into the Canadian Forces on 18 July 1999 at Summerside, Prince Edward Island and carries the classification MM 711.[2]

In August 2002, Summerside took part in Exercise "Narwhal Ranger", sailing into Arctic waters. This was the first time Canadian naval units had sailed into the Arctic in thirteen years.[2]

As part of Exercise "Tradewinds" which took place from 1-25 June 2014, Summerside took part in and led training of forces from around the Caribbean Sea.[9]

On 8 September 2015, Summerside deployed for large NATO naval exercises Joint Warrior and Trident Venture with Athabaskan, Windsor, Montréal, Halifax and Goose Bay.[10][11]

In January 2016, Summerside, alongside sister ship Moncton, sailed for the Caribbean to take part in Operation Caribbe.[12] On 7 March, off the coast of Nicaragua, a sailing vessel was intercepted in international waters. The vessel was boarded by US Coast Guard officials deploying from Summerside and 324 kg (714 lb) of cocaine was discovered and seized.[13] The ship returned to Halifax on 7 April 2016.[14]

References

Footnotes

  1. 1 2 3 "Volume 2, Part 1: Extant Commissioned Ships - HMCS Summerside". Department of National Defence and the Canadian Forces. 7 July 2006. Retrieved 26 June 2014.
  2. 1 2 3 Macpherson, Ken; Barrie, Ron (2002). Warships of Canada's Naval Forces 1910-2002 (3 ed.). St. Catharines: Vanwell Publishing Ltd. p. 304. ISBN 1-55125-072-1.
  3. 1 2 Saunders, Stephen (ed.) (2008). Jane's Fighting Ships 2008–2009. Jane's Fighting Ships (111th ed.). Surrey: Jane's Information Group. p. 95. ISBN 978-0-7106-2845-9. OCLC 225431774.
  4. ↑ Stephen Priestley (June 2006). "The Kingston Class: 'Mid-Life' or Move Over for the MCDV?". Canadian American Strategic Review. Retrieved 9 January 2012. Among MCDV inadequacies, armament is listed as the major limitation for sovereignty patrol duties. Kingston Class are armed with twin 12.7 mm M2HB machine guns on either side of the bridge but the main armament is a 40 mm L/60 Bofors. This gun is a museum piece dating back to 1944. Even as training weapons, the Bofors is of dubious value – they were just on hand and lowered costs.mirror
  5. ↑ Stephen Priestley. "The Kingston Class: 'Mid-Life' or Move Over for the MCDV? Reviewing Navy Plans for the Future of the MCDVs [Part 2]". Canadian American Strategic Review. Archived from the original on 7 August 2007. Retrieved 31 August 2007.
  6. ↑ "Background — CF Remote Control Heavy Machine Gun Project". Canadian American Strategic Review. Archived from the original on 25 May 2007. Retrieved 31 August 2007.
  7. ↑ Bell, Ryan (27 November 2006). "Summerside trials weapons system" (PDF). Trident News. Archived from the original (PDF) on 29 September 2007. Retrieved 2007-08-31.
  8. ↑ Bell, Ryan (March 2007). "HMCS Summerside Trials: Fleet Weapon System" (PDF) 16 (1). the Naval Reserve link. Retrieved 28 August 2009.
  9. ↑ Pugliese, David (25 June 2014). "Canadian Forces wraps up participation in Exercise Tradewinds". Ottawa Citizen. Retrieved 26 June 2014.
  10. ↑ "HMCS Halifax, Athabaskan depart for NATO exercises". CBC News. 8 September 2015. Retrieved 17 December 2015.
  11. ↑ "HMCS Windsor returning to Halifax port after NATO exercises". CBC News. 16 December 2015. Retrieved 17 December 2015.
  12. ↑ Brown, Rhonda (27 January 2016). "Halifax-based naval ships join fight against drug smugglers in Caribbean, Pacific Ocean". Global News. Retrieved 30 January 2016.
  13. ↑ Pugliese, David (29 March 2016). "HMCS Summerside, HMCS Saskatoon assist in seizure of almost 700 kg of cocaine". Ottawa Citizen. Retrieved 3 April 2016.
  14. ↑ "HMCS Summerside back in Halifax after anti-drug operation in Caribbean". CTV News. Canadian Press. 7 April 2016. Retrieved 8 April 2016.

External links

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