Province class destroyer

The "Province"-class destroyer is the name given by naval observers for the expected replacement of the sclass|Iroquois|destroyer|1 that has served the Canadian Forces since 1972.

The replacement vessels would be somewhat larger than the existing sclass|Halifax|frigate|1 and presumably equipped with a new radar system and SM-2 missiles in order to provide a wide-area air defence capability. As the "Halifax" class are named after Canadian cities, the suggestion was that the replacement for the Iroquois fleet would adopt the names of Canadian provinces, although this has never been confirmed. It is unclear whether this class will ever be constructed; it is thought that a newer class of frigates or destroyers might replace both the "Iroquois" and "Halifax" classes under what Maritime Command (MARCOM) has called the Single Class Surface Combatant Project (SCSCP).

Originally the batch-2 "Halifax"-class ships from HMCS|Montreal|FFH 336 on were to have been stretched about convert|32|ft|m. It was speculated that the added space between the forward-mounted gun and bridgework were to have housed a small Mk.41 VLS package with SM-2 missiles during the Frigate Life Extension Project (FELEX) mid-life upgrade program. [ [http://www.hazegray.org/navhist/canada/current/futurddg/ Single Class Surface Combatant] ] Budget cuts during delivery meant that the batch 2 ships were instead delivered identical to the earlier examples, which means there is no room for any significant upgrade during FELEX.

MARCOM had investigated adopting the European Active Phased Array Radar, leading observers to suggest that APAR and the associated SMART-L would equip the "Province"-class or upgraded "Halifax"'s during the FELEX project. Upgrades to the existing "Halifax"-class with such a system would likely be difficult since the APAR requires its own mast and might make the "Halifax"-class design top-heavy. [ [http://www.cdnmilitary.ca/?p=22 FELIX, The Frigate Life Extension Programme] ]

The Department of National Defence has not identified a procurement timeframe for the replacement of the "Iroquois"-class however it has been reported that design work is underway and a project office and personnel have been assigned. The "Iroquois"-class is currently scheduled for retirement around 2010 after 40 years in service, [ [http://homepage.eircom.net/~steven/cn.htm Canadian Navy, Province Class DDG] ] however it is possible that the remaining vessels might have their service years extended.

References

External links

* [http://www.hazegray.org/navhist/canada/current/futurddg/ Concept DDG]