HALIFAX Class

Ships:

Name	Pendant	Commissioned	Homeport
HALIFAX	330	29/06/92	Halifax
VANCOUVER	331	23/08/93	Esquimalt
VILLE DE QUEBEC	332	14/7/94	Halifax
TORONTO	333	29/07/93	Halifax
REGINA	334	30/9/94	Esquimalt
CALGARY	335	12/5/95	Esquimalt
MONTREAL	336	21/7/94	Halifax
FREDERICTON	337	10/9/94	Halifax
WINNIPEG	338	23/6/95	Esquimalt
CHARLOTTETOWN	339	9/9/95	Halifax
ST. JOHN'S	340	24/6/96	Halifax
OTTAWA	341	28/9/96	Esquimalt

As early as the late 1970's, it was clearly apparent that Canada's aging fleet of ASW destroyer escorts would desperately need replacing in the near future. The HALIFAX Class, or Canadian Patrol Frigate (CPF), resulted from this requirement and the first ships started to appear in the early 1990's. These large multi-purpose frigates are excellent in the heavy seas found in the North Atlantic, and are tailored to Canadian requirements in other respects as well. Various members of the class have deployed to the Persian Gulf and Northern Arabian Sea, most recently in support of Operation Apollo and the war against terrorism.

Although large ships, they were designed with a low profile and a reduced radar signature, which results from sloping many vertical surfaces away from the vertical. Engines are raft mounted to reduce noise transmission to the hull, and extensive heat emissions reduction has resulted in a low heat signature. A single diesel engine provides economical cruising propulsion, while two GE LM2500 gas turbines (basically jet engines) provide sprint speeds in excess of 28 knots. Although principally designed for ASW (anti-submarine warfare) with good sonars and Mk.46 torpedoes (both ship- and helicopter-launched), these ships carry a good balance of weapons giving them anti-surface (Harpoon and the 57mm gun) as well as anti-aircraft self defence (Sea Sparrow, 57mm gun, and Phalanx CIWS) capabilities. The weapons are coupled with good sensor systems in the form of the SQS 510 hull mounted sonar, SQR 19 towed array sonar with CANTASS computer processors, SPS 49 long range air search radar, and the Sea Giraffe air/surface search radar system. These ships also continue the Canadian tradition of operating large helicopters from small decks, and are fitted with the Canadian developed Beartrap (RAST in USN parlance) helicopter haul-down system which allows Sea Kings to take-off and land from these ships in most weather conditions.

Around 1998, HMCS MONTREAL came out of refit with new propellors and anechoic tiles on the hull in an attempt to further reduce radiated noise levels. The whole class was originally fitted with the Prairie Masker systems, which released air bubbles from the hull around noise-generating regions of the ship; these systems were deactivated when the Navy determined that the operating costs of this system outweighed the benefits. Jane's Fighting Ships reported that the whole class was to receive Towed Integrated Active/Passive Sonar (TIAPS) starting in 2002, although this does not appear to have come to pass. The Phalanx CIWS (Close-In Weapons System) is being upgraded to Mod 1B, which upgrades the radar system and adds an infrared camera to allow for capability against small surface targets. Furthermore, these ships are slated to undergo a mid-life refit under the FELEX program, although the details have yet to be established. The Sea King helicopter is to be replaced with the Sikorsky H-92 in the coming years.

Click on the thumbnail to load a larger image. Photos by Sandy McClearn unless noted otherwise.