Orca-class patrol vessel
 Patrol Craft Training Orca
| |
| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Name | Orca-class patrol craft |
| Builders | Victoria Shipyards, Esquimalt, BC |
| Operators |  Maritime Command (Canada) |
| Preceded by | YAG 300 |
| In service | 17 November 2006 |
| Planned | 8 |
| Building | Cougar, Moose |
| Completed | 6 |
| Active | Orca, Raven, Caribou, Renard, Wolf, Grizzly |
| General characteristics | |
| Displacement | 210 tons |
| Length | 33.00 m |
| Beam | 8.34 m |
| Draught | 2.00 m |
| Propulsion | 2 x Caterpillar 3516B rated 1864 kW at 1,600 rpm |
| Speed | 20+ knots |
| Range | 660 nmi (1,220 km) at 15 knots (28 km/h) |
| Complement | 4 crew, 16 trainees, 4 spare berths |
| Armament | Fitted with mounting for 12.7 mm M2 machinegun |
The Orca-class patrol craft are new training and patrol vessels being built for the Canadian Forces Maritime Command. A $70 million CAD contract for six vessels, with an option for a further two, was awarded in early November 2004 to Victoria Shipyards.
The new ships are replacements for the aging wooden-hulled YAG (Yard Auxiliary, General) 300 series training boats, which were built in the 1950s. As such, their primary role will be training junior regular and reserve naval officers, as well as at sea familiarization training for Royal Canadian Sea Cadets. All vessels of the class will be based at CFB Esquimalt in British Columbia.
The ship's design shares the same basic hull design of the Australian Pacific-class patrol boat, but with a minor hull stretch to meet CF requirements. The superstructure design for the Orca class training vessels is all new and is also designed to accommodate CF training requirements. The hull is made of steel, which is more durable than the old YAG's which had a wooden hull.
Although they were designed with the Junior Officer Training requirement in mind, they may also provide a secondary inshore patrol capability on the West Coast. At 20 knots (37 km/h), these vessels will be 5 knots (9.3 km/h) faster than the Kingston-class Maritime Coastal Defense Vessel (MCDV), but slower than many purpose-built patrol vessels such as the 30-knot (56 km/h) US Coast Guard Island Class cutter.
Orca, the lead hull of the class, was delivered to CFB Esquimalt on 9 November 2006, and formally accepted by the Navy on 17 November 2006 in a ceremony at the base. Acceptance ceremonies were not held for any of the remaining seven vessels; they were simply delivered to the base.
Ships in class
| Name | Launch date | Delivery date | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Orca (PCT 55) | 9 Aug 2006 | 17 Nov 2006 | In service |
| Raven (PCT 56) | 10 Jan 2007 | 15 Mar 2007 | In service |
| Caribou (PCT 57) | 2 May 2007 | 31 Jul 2007 | In service |
| Renard (PCT 58) | 1 Aug 2007 | 13 Sep 2007 | In service |
| Wolf (PCT 59) | 22 Oct 2007 | 29 Nov 2007 | In service |
| Grizzly (PCT 60) | 14 Feb 2008 | 19 Mar 2008 | In service |
| Cougar (PCT 61) | Under construction | ||
| Moose (PCT 62) | Under construction |
External links
- DND/CF press release NR-04.086 announcing the Orca class purchase.
- DND/CF Backgrounder BG-04.038 detailing the purchase process behind the Orca class.
- CdnMilitary.ca Article on the Orca class.
- Canadian American Strategic Review.
- CASR: Background — the Origins of the Orca Class Patrol Craft, Training.