The May 2012 review of Royal Canadian Navy shipbuilding revealled that both the RCN and Canadian government had cooled on the prospect of the Arctic/Offshore Patrol Ship. This left the Navy in the unenviable position of needing to start building something soon, having political masters who would demand progress... and no guidance.
RCN planners launched a rush effort to determine just which type of offshore patrol vessel would meet it's needs, now that the onerous demands of Arctic patrols had been lifted. During one planning session a veteran Captain was heard to comment that "What we really need is the old steamers." Said in jest, or frustration, it nonetheless stuck with one of the attending naval architects. Sketches were hastily drawn, equipment lists made up and a proposal made.
42 months later HMCS St. Laurent slipped down the ways, to be followed by other members of her class at 4-month intervals. The new St. Laurent class directly repeated the names and panant numbers used by the original class over 50 years before. Mimicking their forebears in size and appearance, they are completely new. Armaments include a Bofors 57mm MKIII, 2 x .50 Remote Heavy machine guns, 12 x Enhanced Sea Sparrow, 8 x Harpoon and a Block II Phalanx CIWS. 4 RHIB are carried, as is a CB90 Fast Insertion/Interceptor on a stern ramp. A landing deck and hangar space have been provided for an embarked CH-148 Cyclone helicopter.
HMCS Fraser is shown as she appeared in March of 2023 while forming part of the escort for HMCS Kapyong during the RCN deployment in support of Allied efforts against Iran.
Playing with Shipbucket pieces... I'm not very good, but it appealed to me. :)
