Canada names its long-awaited Joint Support Ship, HMCS Protecteur
HMCS Protecteur at the Seaspan shipyard. (Photo: Seaspan)
Development of the Protecteur Joint Support Ship was delayed by the Covid-19 pandemic and supply chain issues.
HMCS Protecteur, the longest naval vessel ever built in Canada, was commissioned at Seaspan Shipyards on 13 December. It is the fifth ship to be designed by Seaspan under the National Shipbuilding Strategy.
The Royal Canadian Navy’s (RCN’s) two Joint Support Ships (JSS), HMCS Protecteur and HMCS Preserver, have had a long and interrupted journey to development, having first been planned in 2013 as replacements for the Navy’s Protecteur-class Auxiliary Oiler Replenishment vessels.
In 2017, the procurement of the two new JSS was approved by the Canadian government and a C$2.4 billion (US$1.77 billion) contract awarded to Seaspan to deliver the vessels.
Related Articles
Keel laid for future HMCS Protecteur
Is the end in sight for Canada’s painful Joint Support Ship procurement journey?
The building of the ships then ran into two significant delaying factors, namely supply chain complications and the worldwide Covid pandemic, which meant that by June 2022, Canada’s procurement authority, Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC), had to announce delays to the delivery dates of both vessels.
HMCS Protecteur was pushed from 2023 and is now likely to enter service fully in 2025 and Preserver is likely to enter service in 2027.
The JSS will provide at-sea replenishment for the RCN fleet, but will also be able to integrate with either Canadian or allied task groups as required.
Bill Blair, Canada’s Minister of National Defence, said: “Joint Support Ships provide the Royal Canadian Navy with the essential capability to support naval task groups. These ships are an investment not only in defence but also in Canadian industry, workers and our economy.”
Related Programmes in Defence Insight
Protecteur Class Joint Support Ship (JSS) (1-2) [Canada]
Related Equipment in Defence Insight
More from Naval Warfare
-
![US Navy SPY-6 approaches FRP with Raytheon already having “a hot production line”]()
US Navy SPY-6 approaches FRP with Raytheon already having “a hot production line”
Jen Gauthier, Raytheon’s VP of Naval Systems and Sustainment, told Shephard that the company is awaiting the US Navy’s green light to move “fully into full-rate production”.
-
![Ireland releases maritime strategy as it looks to new naval bases and stronger partnerships]()
Ireland releases maritime strategy as it looks to new naval bases and stronger partnerships
Ireland has a maritime area ten times the size of its land mass but has a limited naval capacity and faces an ongoing threat to critical underwater infrastructure. A new strategy is looking to address the challenge.
-
![How the Golden Fleet will change the US Navy acquisition process]()
How the Golden Fleet will change the US Navy acquisition process
The procurement of the future USN Golden Fleet is planned to be less bureaucratic than previous strategies, involving AI-enabled designs and scheduling tools to increase productivity and avoid delays.
