HMCS Ottawa (FFH-341)

History of HMCS Ottawa (FFH-341)

Delays and rising costs have finally limited the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN)'s planned 20-man multi-mission Halifax-class frigate group to 12 ships superior. This model was requested in December 1977 (as part of the "Canada Patrol Frigate Program" - CPFP) to modernize the RCN's blue water capabilities and replace the ageing line frigates and frigate types in service at the time.

The end result was a dozen warships focused on anti-submarine operations along Canada's long coastline and beyond (the Soviet Navy was the enemy at the time). The first contract for the series was not awarded until June 1983, which resulted in two batches of six ships being built to Halifax-class standards - the first of which became the HMCS Halifax (FFH-330) itself.

HMCS Ottawa (FFH-341) became the last ship to be built, which was laid on April 29, 1995 by St. John's Shipyard in St. John, New Brunswick. It entered service in 1996 and officially cooperated with RCN on September 28, 1996, pennant "FFH-341".

Today (2020) she is in the home port of CFB Esquimalt and continues to serve in the Canadian fleet.

The HMCS Ottawa follows the established design standards of the Halifax class: she is rated at 5,300 tonnes at standard load, has a barrel length of 440 feet, a beam of 54 feet and a draft of 23 feet. Power comes from a CODOG (combined diesel or gas) propulsion scheme consisting of 2 GE LM2500 gas turbines rated at 47,500 hp and a SEMT Pielstick marine diesel engine rated at 8,800 hp.

These are used to drive the two propeller shafts under the stern and allow the vessel to reach speeds of just over 30 knots within a range of 9,500 nautical miles.

There are approximately 225 personnel on board, including an air force that manages the functions of one or two Sikorsky CH-148 Tornado naval helicopters. The ship (modernized) is equipped with a Saab "Sea Giraffe" HC150 G-band air/surface search radar, Thales SMART-S Mk.

2 3D system and Saab CEROS-200 Fire Control System (FCS). Additionally, the hull houses an AN/SQS-510 sonar unit and carries an AN/SQR-501 CANTASS passive towed array variable depth sonar unit. Electronic warfare (EW) is handled through TKWA/MASS (Multiple Ammunition Soft Kill System).

The combat frigate's armament includes 1 x 57mm Bofors deck gun and turret, 1 x 20mm Phalanx Close-In Weapon System (CIWS), 16 x Evolved Sea Sparrow (ESS) Surface-to-Air Missiles (SAMs) , 8 x Mk 141 "Harpoon" anti-ship missiles, up to 6 x 12.7mm heavy machine guns (HMG) and 24 x Mk 46 torpedo reloads. Her multi-mission mindset means her armor suite is designed to deal with nearly every threat at sea - whether operating independently or as part of a main force.

CH-148 Cyclone (replacing the older CH-124 "Sea King" series), supported by a super-stern helipad/hangar combination, providing the all-important beyond-visual-range capability, thereby increasing the ship's range and tactical value. The helicopter is a relatively new development by American Sikorsky Aircraft and entered the RCN ranks in July 1018 after a long period of development.

The series is based on the successful Sikorsky S-92 civilian variant and has been adapted for both maritime and naval roles to perform a variety of roles, primarily related to anti-submarine warfare (ASW) and anti-ship defense, but may also include resupply Search and rescue (SAR) operations.

Like the other ships in this group, the HMCS Ottawa has undergone extensive refit/modernization as part of the Frigate Equipment Life Extension (FELEX) program to maintain the ship's survivability in the modern era. Changes have been made to weapons, radar, electronic warfare and communications systems, and command and control (C2) capabilities to expand support for striking smaller, more maneuverable ships.

During this period, the helipad and hangar facilities were modernized to accommodate the upcoming CH-148 helicopter fleet. Work on this course took place between 2010 and 2018.

These changes add years to the class, which is expected to withstand modern threats in the 2030s.

In addition to some well-meaning breaks early in her career, Ottawa joined her allies in Pacific Rim and other fleet-related exercises. Her voyages took her through the waters of the Pacific Ocean, the Gulf of India and the Persian Gulf.

She was spotted crossing the Taiwan Strait in September 2019 amid growing tensions between China and the West.

Specification

Basics

Year of Service

1996

Origins

Canada

Status

supplement

225

staff

Class information

Class

Halifax Class

Class Size

12

ships

Class

HMCS Halifax (FFH-330); HMCS Vancouver (FFH-331); HMCS Quebec City (FFH-332); HMCS Toronto (FFH-333); HMCS Regina (FFH-334); HMCS Calgary (FFH-335); HMCS Montreal (FFH-336); HMCS Fredericton (FFH-337); HMCS Winnipeg (FFH-338); HMCS Charlottetown (FFH-339); HMCS St. John's (FFH-340); HMCS Ottawa (FFH-341)

Operator

Canada

Characters

Sea Bombing

Maritime bombardment/attack of surface targets/areas primarily through ship-based ballistic weapons.

Land Assault

Littoral attacks against surface targets primarily through ship-based missiles/missile weapons.

Sea Patrol

Active patrolling of critical waterways and sea areas; also serves as a local deterrent against air and maritime threats.

Airspace Denial/Deterrence

Neutralization or deterrence of flying elements by airborne missile weapon ballistics.

Fleet Support

Provide support (fire or materiel) to major surface fleets in blue water environments.

Dimensions and Weight

Length

440. 0 feet

134.11m

Ray

54. 0 feet

16.46m

Draft

23. 0 feet

7.01 m

Shift

5,500 t

Power and Performance

Installed Power:

CODOG (combined diesel or gas): 2 x 47,500hp GE LM2500 gas turbines and 1 x 8,800hp SEMT Pielstick marine diesel engine on 2 stern shafts.

Surface Velocity

30.0 nodes

(34.5 km/h)

Area

9,472nm

(10,900 miles | 17,542 kilometers)

Weapons

1 x 57 mm Bofors Mk. 3 turret deck gun. 16 x Evolved Sea Sparrow Medium-Range Surface-to-Air Missile Systems (SAM). 8 x RGM-84 "Harpoon" anti-ship missiles. 1 x 20mm Phalanx Close-In Weapon System (CIWS). 24 x MK. 46 torpedoes. 6 x 12.7mm Heavy Browning Machine Guns (HMG).

Aircraft

1 x Sikorsky CH-148 Tornado naval helicopter, supported by the stern helipad.