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MV Asterix

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MV Asterix (formerly MS Asterix, MS Amorito, MS Neermoor and MS Cynthia) is a Canadian commercial container ship. It was purchased by Federal Fleet Services as part of Project Resolve, and was later converted into a supply ship for the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN). She is intended to act as an interim replacement between the out of service Protecteur-class replenishment oiler and the future Protecteur-class auxiliary vessel. Originally launched in Germany in 2010 as Cynthia, the ship was converted and delivered to the RCN in December 2017 when she will be leased to the navy with a merchant navy crew, complemented by RCN personnel. Asterix will be in Canadian service well into the 2020s.[9]

MV Asterix in July 2018
History
NameAsterix
Owner
  • Federal Fleet Services Inc. (as of October 2015)
  • Capital Ship Management (before October 2015)
OperatorCapital Ship Management (before October 2015)
Port of registry
BuilderLloyd Werft Wismar
Yard number147
Laid down21 October 2008
Launched27 January 2009
Completed1 May 2010
In service2010–2015
Out of serviceOctober 2015 – January 2018
Renamed
  • Amorito October 2010 – November 2013
  • Neermoor June–October 2010
  • Cynthia early 2010 – June 2010
Identification
StatusConverted to military supply ship by Davie Shipbuilding/Federal Fleet Services and leased to the Government of Canada
Canada
NameAsterix
Acquired2015
Commissioned6 March 2018
Identification
StatusIn service
General characteristics (as built)
TypeContainer ship
Tonnage
Length182.52 m (598 ft 10 in) oa[1]
Beam25.2 m (82 ft 8 in)
Draught9.5 m (31 ft 2 in)
Installed powerMAN 7S60 MC-C Mk8, 16,660 kW (22,340 hp)
Propulsion1 fixed propeller, 1 bow thruster
Speed20.5 knots (38.0 km/h; 23.6 mph)
Crew24
General characteristics (as converted)
TypeAuxiliary replenishment vessel
Displacement26,000 tonnes (full load)[4]
Length182.5 m (598 ft 9 in)[6]
Beam25.2 m (82 ft 8 in)[6]
Draught7 m (23 ft 0 in)
Propulsion1 engine[5] plus retractable bow thruster
Speed>20 knots (37 km/h; 23 mph)
Range>10,000 nmi (19,000 km)[3]
Boats & landing
craft carried
Capacity
  • 400 tonnes (400 cubic metres (400,000 L))/day of fresh water[8]
  • F76 marine diesel: 10,497 m3 (10,497,000 L)
  • F44 aviation fuel: 1,332 m3 (1,332,000 L)[4]
Complement350 (HaDR)[4]
Crew150
Armament
Aircraft carried2 × Sikorsky CH-148 Cyclones
Aviation facilitiesaft deck - 1 landing spot and 2 hangars capable of holding Chinook size helicopters.[3]

The ship was owned by Capital Ship Management of Greece and registered in Monrovia, Liberia.[10] The vessel was delivered at Quebec in October 2015 for conversion by a pan-consortium comprising Chantier Davie Canada,[11] Aecon Pictou Shipyard of Pictou, Nova Scotia and NavTech, the conversion designer.[12] The vessel is limited in her deployment to enter dangerous areas due to her lack of weapons systems and military-grade radars, and inability to survive combat damage.

Construction and career as container ship edit

The ship was laid down on 21 October 2008 at the Nordic Yards Wismar in Wismar, Germany with the yard number 147. The ship was launched as Cynthia on 27 January 2009 and work was completed on the vessel on 1 May 2010. The ship was renamed Amorito in 2010. That same year the ship was renamed again to Neermoor, operating under an Antigua and Barbuda flag while owned by Briese Schiffahrts GmbH & Co KG. In 2013 the ship was renamed Asterix.[13]

Project Resolve edit

Main article: Project Resolve

The ship was selected for the Royal Canadian Navy's Project Resolve, where in conjunction with Davie Shipbuilding of Quebec, a ship would be leased by the RCN and converted for use as a naval auxiliary supply vessel. The work converting the ship was initially to be done partially at the AECON shipyard in Pictou, Nova Scotia before being completed at Davie Shipbuilding in Quebec;[14] instead, the ship was sent directly to Davie Shipbuilding.[15] Pending an official agreement between the shipyard and the Canadian government, the vessel was to be ready by mid-2017.[16] The ship is planned to be under contract with the Royal Canadian Navy until 2021 when the second of the two Protecteur-class support ships (renamed from the Queenston class) would be completed.[17] The ship was reportedly acquired for $20 million.[18]

In September 2015, it was announced that L-3 MAPPS (a subsidiary of L-3 Communications) was selected as partner in the conversion for its Integrated Platform Management System.[19] Hepburn Engineering was chosen to provide new state of the art Replenishment at Sea equipment.[15] OSI Maritime Systems was chosen by Davie Shipyards to install their integrated navigation and tactical system aboard the converted ship.[20]

In November 2015, the Liberal government delayed final approval of the $700 million seven-year deal for two months.[21] On 30 November 2015, the Liberal government reversed that decision and gave final approval for the project, allowing Davie to go ahead with the conversion.[22] As of October 2016, the conversion was ahead of schedule, with 60% of the conversion completed.[23]

On 20 July 2017 Davie Shipbuilding unveiled Asterix in a public ceremony with the traditional breaking of a bottle of champagne. This honour was performed by Pauline Théberge, spouse of J. Michel Doyon, the Lieutenant Governor of Quebec.[24] The vessel was re-launched on 15 October 2017 at Quebec City. Sea trials were scheduled to begin on 16 November in Gaspé Bay.[25] The vessel arrived at Halifax, Nova Scotia on 27 December 2017 to embark naval complement to begin training in January 2018.[26] While shifting position within Halifax Harbour in preparation for a storm, the ship lost power. No damage was done to Asterix and the vessel made it safely to the new position.[27] The vessel completed sea trials and was formally accepted into service with the Royal Canadian Navy in January 2018.[28]

Design edit

 
The Chilean Navy frigate Almirante Lynch and the Indian Navy frigate Sahyadri perform a replenishment-at-sea with Asterix off the coast of Hawaii during Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) 2018 exercise on 28 July 2018

The vessel also has a container bay for protection of the containers while in transit. The ship has a double hull,[29] a feature that the previous Protecteur class did not have and prevented them from operating outside of international waters.[30]

A retractable thruster at the bow was added for additional maneuverability and redundancy. The extra thruster allows for dynamic positioning and improved station-keeping in Asterix.[3]

For mission purposes the ship has rooms for crew and medical/hospital facilities for humanitarian missions, along with humanitarian and disaster relief capabilities. There is an area to treat and process evacuees and survivors; a large medical ward divided into two areas capable of treating up to 60. The ship also provides room for 350 in emergency situations.[8]

Asterix, post-conversion, is able to operate up to eight smaller boats with quick launch and recovery capability. Asterix has two aircraft hangars planned for two embarked CH-148 Cyclone helicopters,[8] but big enough to hold CH-147F Chinook helicopters,[31] as well as a landing deck capable of handling the largest helicopters.[29] The ship is crewed by 36 civilian personnel and up to 114 military personnel, with a 67-person detachment specifically aboard for replenishment duties.[32]

Due to the civilian nature of her design, Asterix is limited in her ability to survive damage sustained in combat (because of less compartmentalization and redundancy of systems compared to military design ships), and is lacking military-grade radars.[33] The ship also lacks any installed self-defense weapons systems, although there are provisions should the need arise.[7] These two issues prevent the ship from being deployed to hazardous combat areas.[34]

Royal Canadian Navy service edit

In June and July 2018, Asterix, along with the Halifax-class frigates Vancouver and Ottawa, took part in RIMPAC 2018 around the Hawaiian Islands.[35] The ship then joined HMCS Calgary in the Western Pacific, visiting Da Nang, Vietnam.[36] Calgary and Asterix sailed in the South China Sea and were shadowed by a Chinese naval vessel. Asterix supported Calgary during the frigate's assignment enforcing United Nations resolutions against North Korea. After a year at sea, Asterix and Calgary returned to Canada at CFB Esquimalt on 18 December.[37]

On 6 February 2019, Regina and Asterix departed Esquimalt for Pacific operations with other nations' navies.[38] On 18 February, a Cyclone helicopter from Regina was attempting to land on Asterix and was damaged in the operation. Asterix and the damaged Cyclone were redirected to Guam to undergo inspection.[39] No damage was reported to Asterix, and following air tests of the repaired Cyclone, both ships resumed their deployment.[40] In March 2019, Regina and Asterix parted ways, with Regina deployed to the Middle East as part of Operation Artemis.[38] The vessel returned to Halifax on 26 August after 500 days at sea performing 197 refueling operations with 40 warships.[41]

In August 2020, Asterix was deployed to the Arctic as part of Operation Nanook along with HMCS Glace Bay and HMCS Ville de Québec from the Royal Canadian Navy and warships from the Danish, French, U.S. navies.[42] In August 2022, it was announced that the Royal Canadian Navy's charter of the ship would be extended for at least a further two years with further options to renew the charter, or to purchase the ship, thereafter.[43] In November 2022, the ship arrived at the Davie Shipyard for a one month maintenance period after which she would return to service.[44] On 26 March 2023, Asterix and the frigate Montréal left Halifax on a deployment to the South China Sea and the Indo-Pacific region.[45]

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ M/V Miltiadis Junior III + M/V Amorito – 1700 TEU Container Vessels, Capital Ship Management Corporation
  2. ^ "Asterix Statistics". MarineTraffic. Retrieved 13 September 2015.
  3. ^ a b c "Resolve Class Auxiliary Oiler Replenishment (AOR) Vessel". Naval Technology. Retrieved 22 May 2018.
  4. ^ a b c d "Resolve Class AOR". federalfleet.ca. Retrieved 16 June 2017.
  5. ^ "Details for registered vessel ASTERIX (O.N. 839345)". Transport Canada - Vessel Registration. Retrieved 22 May 2018.
  6. ^ a b "Asterix (container ship)". fleetmon.com. Retrieved 10 November 2015.
  7. ^ a b "The Royal Canadian Navy's new mothership sails, on time and to budget" (Press release). Canada Newswire. 9 November 2015. Retrieved 26 December 2017.
  8. ^ a b c "Resolve-Class AOR" (Press release). Canada Newswire. 9 November 2015. Retrieved 13 November 2015.
  9. ^ Pugliese, David (23 June 2016). "Canadian Navy's interim supply ship could be equipped to be able to take on disaster relief missions". National Post. Retrieved 12 January 2017.
  10. ^ "Asterix – 9348182 – Container ship". maritime-connector.com. Retrieved 10 November 2015.
  11. ^ "Canada's interim Auxiliary Oiler Replenishment ship MV Asterix has arrived in Levis". CNW. 8 October 2015. Retrieved 10 November 2015.
  12. ^ "Project Resolve – Program". projectresolve.ca. Archived from the original on 21 August 2015. Retrieved 10 November 2015.
  13. ^ "Neermoor (9348182)". Miramar Ship Index. Retrieved 24 February 2016.
  14. ^ Brewster, Murray (18 August 2015). "Future government on the hook for navy supply ship deal". CTV News. Canadian Press. Retrieved 13 September 2015.
  15. ^ a b Pugliese, David (6 October 2015). "Asterix to be outfitted with HMCS Protecteur's replenishment at sea system". Ottawa Citizen. Retrieved 9 October 2015.
  16. ^ Pugliese, David (8 October 2015). "Davie expects interim supply ship ready for Royal Canadian Navy in summer 2017". Ottawa Citizen. Retrieved 9 October 2015.
  17. ^ Pugliese, David (26 September 2015). "Canada To Lease Commercial Vessel To Refuel Navy Ships". DefenseNews.com. Retrieved 9 October 2015.
  18. ^ "Davie set to start box ship to fleet oiler conversion". MarineLog. 14 October 2015. Retrieved 15 October 2015.
  19. ^ "L-3 MAPPS Selected by Chantier Davie Canada and Project Resolve for the Royal Canadian Navy's Interim Auxiliary Oil Replenishment (iAOR) Provision of Service". navyrecognition.com. 12 September 2015. Retrieved 13 September 2015.
  20. ^ "OSI selected to support Canadian Navy's AOR provision of service project". naval-technology.com. 29 September 2015. Retrieved 9 October 2015.
  21. ^ Cudmore, James (20 November 2015). "Davie interim supply ship $700M deal delayed by Liberals". CBC News. Retrieved 20 November 2015.
  22. ^ Cudmore, James (30 November 2015). "Davie Shipyard's $700M deal for navy supply ship retrofit to go ahead". CBC News. Retrieved 1 December 2015.
  23. ^ Carl, David (31 October 2016). "Canadian Resolve-class oiler refit proceeding on course". janes.com. Retrieved 1 November 2016.
  24. ^ "Davie Shipbuilding unveils the largest naval ship ever delivered from a Canadian shipyard". www.newswire.ca. Retrieved 21 July 2017.
  25. ^ Keddie, Ian (18 October 2017). "Davie launches Resolve-class naval support ship". Jane's IHS. Retrieved 19 October 2017.
  26. ^ Palmeter, Paul (27 December 2017). "New navy supply ship arrives in home port of Halifax". CBC News. Retrieved 9 January 2018.
  27. ^ Ayers, Tom (10 January 2018). "Naval supply ship lost power in Halifax Harbour ahead of storm". Chronicle Herald. Retrieved 11 January 2018.
  28. ^ Keddie, Ian (30 January 2018). "RCN's Asterix interim support ship completes trials". Jane's 360. Retrieved 31 January 2018.
  29. ^ a b "Resolve Class AOR - Federal Fleet". federalfleet.ca. Retrieved 22 May 2018.
  30. ^ Curry, Bill (5 August 2010). "Canadian Navy's ships risk being banned from foreign ports". Globe and Mail. Retrieved 10 November 2015.
  31. ^ Gunn, Andrea (4 January 2018). "New MV Asterix could carry choppers - The Chronicle Herald". The Chronicle Herald. Retrieved 22 May 2018.
  32. ^ Pugliese, David (24 October 2017). "Here are the details on how Asterix will be crewed by the Royal Canadian Navy". Ottawa Citizen. Retrieved 26 October 2017.
  33. ^ Mageau, Jack (5 May 2023). "Preparing Canada for a New Generation of Security Challenges". Texas National Security Review. War on the Rocks. Retrieved 25 June 2023.[unreliable source?]
  34. ^ Berthiaume, Lee (20 February 2018). "Canadian naval supply ship can't go into war zones". Victoria Times-Colonist. The Canadian Press. Retrieved 21 April 2018.
  35. ^ Pugliese, David (27 June 2018). "Over 1,000 Canadian military personnel to take part in RIMPAC - exercise to start Wednesday". Ottawa Citizen. Retrieved 26 July 2018.
  36. ^ "Canadian frigate visits Vietnam's Da Nang". Xinhua. 26 September 2018. Archived from the original on 26 September 2018. Retrieved 30 October 2018.
  37. ^ Watts, Richard (18 December 2018). "For crew of MV Asterix, return home means a chance to refuel". Times Colonist. Retrieved 28 December 2018.
  38. ^ a b Watts, Richard (6 February 2019). "Three navy ships sail out of CFB Esquimalt on missions". Times Colonist. Retrieved 17 February 2019.
  39. ^ Pugliese, David (22 February 2019). "Canadian supply ship carrying damaged RCAF Cyclone helicopter headed to Guam". Regina Leader-Post. Retrieved 25 April 2019.
  40. ^ Pugliese, David (5 March 2019). "Damaged Cyclone helicopter now repaired, test flights underway". Ottawa Citizen. Retrieved 25 April 2019.
  41. ^ "Asterix returns after 500 days at sea". CFB Esquimalt Lookout. 19 September 2019. Retrieved 5 November 2019.
  42. ^ Brewster, Murray (5 August 2020). "Allies testing naval readiness in Canada's Arctic". Radio Canada International. Retrieved 7 January 2022.
  43. ^ Jullano, Michael (24 November 2021). "Resurrected Davie Shipbuilding aims to become North America's most modern shipyard". Tradewinds. Retrieved 16 December 2022.
  44. ^ "MV Asterix Comes Home to Davie for Scheduled Maintenance" (Press release). Davie Shipyard. 15 November 2022. Retrieved 29 December 2022 – via GlobeNewswire.
  45. ^ Ramesar, Vernon (26 March 2023). "HMCS Montréal, supply vessel leave Halifax on 6-month deployment". CBC News. Retrieved 21 June 2023.

External links edit

 
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Asterix (ship, 2009).
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