Frédérick Rolette AOPV 434

 Today, December 8, the fifth in the series of Arctic Offshore Patrol Vessels moved one step closer to launch. AOPV 434, the future HMCS Frédérick Rolette, has been transported on self-propelled modular transporters (SPMTs) from its assembly position to the Boabarge 37 at Pier 6 of Halifax Shipyard.

Once safely in position the SPMTs were removed, and the ship was lowered onto its cradles again.

If all goes well the barge and ship are scheduled to move to Bedford Basin tomorrow, December 9, where the barge will be submerged and the ship will be floated off.

Construction of AOPV 435, the future HMCS Robert Hampton Gray is underway. It was laid down August 21 and will be the sixth and last ship in the series to be built for the Royal Canadian Navy. However two more AOPV ships are in the pipeline for the Canadian Coast Guard. No names have been publicized for those ships yet. As the Canadian Coast Guard is non-military, there will be notable differences for the CCG variants, in order to accommodate a civilian crew and law enforcement officers from the RCMP or the Department of Fisheries, and CCG helicopters.

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