The Canadian government has extended its at-sea support services contract with Federal Fleet Services for its Resolve-class support ship MV Asterix.
During the two-year extension, the firm will continue to maintain the Royal Canadian Navy auxiliary oiler replenishment vessel, which it has supported since 2018.
The added period is covered by an optional 10-year lease.
The deal ensures that the navy can maintain at-sea support operations while adding four more permanent replenishment ships and two Protecteur-Class supply ships to the fleet.
“Locking in Asterix’s capability for Canada and the NATO alliance is smart business. Its strategic capability is critical to Canada maintaining a capable, deployable, blue-water navy,” Federal Fleet Services CEO Gilles Couturier said.
“The RCN (Royal Canadian Navy) can deploy anywhere in the world in response to crises, conflicts or to support humanitarian missions.”
“Everyone at FFS, seafarers and civilians, is proud that we will continue to provide this critical capability. Asterix has rightly become a permanent and well-integrated component of the RCN fleet,” he added.
The MV Asterix
The MV Asterix was originally a container ship converted to a military support vessel by Davie Shipbuilding.
It has a length of 182.5 meters (599 feet) and a beam of 25.2 meters (83 feet). It travels at a speed of 25 knots (44 kilometers/28 miles per hour) and has a full load displacement of 26,000 tons.
It can carry up to 150 crew and 350 humanitarian assistance and disaster relief personnel. Its halo deck can carry two Sikorsky CH-148 Cyclone helicopters.
It can also transport 10,500 cubic meters (10.5 million liters) of F76 marine diesel and 1,300 cubic meters (1.3 million liters) of F44 aviation fuel.