Canada unveils connector barges for shore access of its naval fleet
The new SSC pontoons will allow the Royal Canadian Navy to transport heavier equipment from its JSS to the shore. (Photo: Canadian DND)
The Royal Canadian Navy’s Sea-to-Shore Connector project has been designed to allow ship-borne vehicles, troops and equipment to be delivered ashore more rapidly.
The delivery of three pontoon barges to CFB Esquimalt has represented a new Sea-to-Shore Connector (SSC) capability that the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) has not had for some time.
The barges, part of the RCN’s ongoing SSC project, have been undertaking final sea trials. The fourth and final barge will be due for delivery by March 2024 to CFB Halifax, with sea trials and training to be conducted in early 2024.
Once completed, the four barges, consisting of 12 modules each, will be available for RCN operations. The contract with Montreal-based Navamar for the SSC pontoons was signed on 29 August 2019 for C$11.7
Our news & analysis is now part of Defence Insight®
A Basic-level or higher Defence Insight subscription is now required to view this content.
More from Naval Warfare
-
![Ukraine war drives ‘minimum deployable capability’ doctrine in uncrewed systems development]()
Ukraine war drives ‘minimum deployable capability’ doctrine in uncrewed systems development
Ukraine’s battlefield has rewritten the rules of uncrewed systems development. For Syos Aerospace, real-time operator feedback, lean serial production and a system-of-systems philosophy are central to its operating model.
-
![AUKUS advance on UUVs contrasts with Virginia-class compromise]()
AUKUS advance on UUVs contrasts with Virginia-class compromise
The AUKUS partnership is accelerating uncrewed undersea capability while its submarine arm inches forward, and Australia’s decision to settle for three in-service Virginia-class boats raises questions about industrial risk, dependency and whether Pillar II may deliver meaningful capability long before Pillar I can.
-
![AUKUS plan B? Japan’s submarines stopgap gains traction]()
AUKUS plan B? Japan’s submarines stopgap gains traction
Australia’s Collins-class life of type extension has revived debate over whether Canberra needs a contingency plan as risks to every stage of the AUKUS pathway mount. With Japan newly open to exports, the case for a diesel-electric stopgap is gaining traction.
-
![Seoul’s SSN programme launch raises questions on fuel, tech and build location]()
Seoul’s SSN programme launch raises questions on fuel, tech and build location
Seoul has unveiled its “Jangbogo-N Project” to develop domestically built, nuclear-propelled attack submarines in close coordination with Washington, marking an escalation of the Republic of Korea’s deterrence posture against Pyongyang’s undersea nuclear capabilities.
