Canada (Imagi-Nation)

[MechCommander]

Seeing that the process is getting crippling slow. Based on a suggestion that was given The Governments R&D department. Will hire in Expert Engineers to work in Quality Control to work along side the the bureaucrats to speed up the rate of production to a reasonable level while ensuring that good quality work is not compromised.

Meanwhile their is some lobbying going on with the head of the RCN Admiral Ken Brachston, as too the future of the Navy, as it was recognized there may not be enough men to crew new ships, and that the future may lay like what the ROD and KDF are doing with the Unmanned Surface ships. Ken Brachston despite his mistrust with drones, sadly agrees. and openly requests Seaspan to come up with some proposal for a USV for the RCN to use.

[MechCommander]

Seaspan has released their proposal for the USV to the RCN.
It will be based on the existing Kingston class hull for easier build time. But with a different superstructure to accommodate The huge amount of Electronic equipment for its role and to guide the ship by Radio control only. But with enough fuel to handle long deployments with the fleet. She will be armed though limited due to space restrictions.

The USV will be given the official designation Waterfowl Class with the prototype being HMCS Trumpeter Swan. they will begin construction of the first ship this weekend.

[MechCommander]

Construction of the Prototype USV HMCS Trumpeter Swan is taking shape, but the major hurtle we have to overcome is controlling a large group of these USVs in the fleet, one suggestion is to convert a existing ship into a dedicated Radio Control ship where a team of radio operators onboard handle a fleet of USVs over large distances using seperate an-alog radio frequencies unique to each vessel to avoid confusion. the prototype is expect to be ready by Next week.

[MechCommander]

Elsewhere off the coast of Quebec. HMCS Bonaventure is experimenting the launching of Canadiar CU-80 Bodkin a licenced built Copy of the Meggitt Target Systems Banshee Jet 80 drone converted into a one way attack drone, to test their effectiveness if proven successful. They might become standard equipment on RCN ships. The NC army might be interested in the OWA drone as well.




In other Navy news The NC Government has selected the Type 212CD into service with the RCN. But the difference is the NC Version will not have the Hydrogen Fuel Cell engine as The RCN does not have the logistics nor ways of maintaining such an engine. 12 Submanrines will be built by TKMS out of Germany, as the Seaspan Shipyards are already busy at the moment.

[MechCommander]

Seeing the need to expand shipbuilding and maintenance, the RCN proposed a plan to build Floating Drydocks to accommodate ships in areas where Land based drydocks are not possible to build.

[MechCommander]

The Prototype USV HMCS Trumpter Swan the first of its kind in the RCN has been launched and currently at the fitting out Warf in CFB Halifax waiting for its Remote control system to be sourced out and fitted into the ship. Sea Trials will start once the control systems are installed. The Iroquois class destroyer HMCS Athabaskan has been selected to act as a control ship for the Trumpter Swan for now. Using its helicopter hanger to house the remote controls and operators onboard.


Meanwhile after a few weeks of examining the Blueprints The Governments Project Evaluation Committee, has formally rejected Alion New Canadas proposed navy ships, citing that the shipyards are not interested in building any Next Generation Warships, amid fears of another Type 26 like disaster.

[MechCommander]

Off Halifax Nova Scotia
The NC Destoryer HMCS Athabaskan, is out on deployment today to perform sea trials on the RCNs USV HMCS Trumpeter Swan, onboard the Athabaskan's hanger deck is the radio control equipment, three USV operators to handle the USVs systems and one RCN officer assigned to the USV division. if the sea trials proves successful, then the Navy will order a fleet of these USVs built for the Pacific, Arctic and Atlantic fleets.

[MechCommander]

The Life extension refit for the Halifax Class frigates is underway, patching up her hull and overhauling the engines, this refit to extend the ships service life until her next life extension refit in the 2050s. The goal is to keep these old ships relevant for the future without replacement. once the Halifax frigates are done the older Iroquois Class Destoryers and the used Anzac Frigates from Australia will receive life extension refits as well. In other news TKMS out of Germany delivered the RCN their first of the Type 212CD submarines replacing one of the Victoria class submarines. the rest of the 12 submarine fleet will soon follow as this year rolls by.

[MechCommander]

After three Days of sea trials, the USV Prototype HMCS Trumpeter Swan has passed the initial test. the drone ship will remain at base in CFB Halifax until the final test where she will be taken out again but this time with members of the Project Evaluation Committee onboard the Athabaskan to evaluate it if they see the prototypes viability and pass their quality control checks. the USV will be accepted into service with the RCN and production can begin.

Also the Committee has added in their rules that they will accept ideas and innovations from other imagi-nations as long as it does not violate any of our nations laws.

And finally some sad news, it was reported by Seaspan that HMCS Canada our supercarrier. will no longer be operational as spare parts have become impossible to find to keep her systems running, as such she will be officially decommissioned and be placed in the mothball fleet in Hudson Bay. Her carrier Air wing will be disbanded and the squadrons move to land bases. the remaining ships in her battle group will be reassigned.

[MechCommander]

The Royal Canadian Navy has been given a offer by the UK Firm BAe Systems to build a modified version of their existing Queen Elisabeth class carrier, as a potential replacement. This new ship will have the Arresting Gear needed to operate the RCN's Sea Gripens. And the smaller crew size will help ease the crew shortages the Navy is experiencing. The RCN gracious by this offer, accepts this new carrier upon its completion.

for the interm, The RCN will use its two new Mistral Class LHAs bought from France as a temporary carrier, but for helicopter support only. and potentially operate Jet 80+ OWA drones once testing onboard the HMCS Bonaventure is concluded and if it passes the test.

[MechCommander]

After days to checks the Project Evaluation committee has accepted the RCNs USV Drones into service, they assigned Seaspan to build a fleet of them. but before that they will have to solve the radio control element to make the drones useful, the committee suggested that they use the old St Laurant class destroyers in mothballs as drone control ships. converting the hangers into radio control centers for the USVs.

(This will continue on the UIN forum, but will still post here from time to time)

[MechCommander]

New Canada Welcomes a pair of Mistral Class LHAs into the RCN, originally meant for a Amphibious fleet, they are being reassigned as interm Aircraft Carriers until UK delivers their modified Queen Elizabeth Class Carrier. the carrier Air wings on these two ship will be made up of helicopters and the future Jet80+ OWA drones once they enter service. The ships have been given the designations HMCS Lake superior and HMCS Great Bear Lake.

[MechCommander]

The NC Government released a statement today, that they are officially backing out as observer of the 6th Gen GCAP program, basing on their bad experience with 2 failed 5th Generation fighters in the past, plus the technological challenges of producing a 6th gen fighter. NCs air forces will stick to using the SAAB Gripen as their mainstay fighter for the foreseeable future.

[MechCommander]

The RCAF is putting in a Attack helicopter design competition to replace their aging fleet of OH-58 Kiowas, and AH-1 Huey Cobras. Each manufacturer both here at home and from foreign nations must submit their proposals to the NC Governments Project Evaluation Committee to deterime which one is viable enough and has better quality and safety record to enter RCAF service.

[MechCommander]

The RCN, Seaspan and the NC Governments R&D Department has run into a very complicated problem with the navys USV Program. As trying to control a fleet of these shows that using multiple radio channels are not only be impractical, but it could also accidentally disrupt radio communication’s from other manned ships and with the very high radio activity, it will leave the control ship dangerously vulnerable to Anti-Radiation missiles. this program will be put on indefinite hold, until the problems are solved before USV production can begin.