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HMCS Kingston

Not to be confused with HMS Kingston.

HMCS Kingston is a Kingston-class coastal defence vessel that has served in the Canadian Forces since 1996. Kingston is the lead ship of her class, ordered under the Maritime Coastal Defence Vessel Project. She is the first vessel to use the designation HMCS Kingston. She is assigned to Maritime Forces Atlantic (MARLANT) and is homeported at CFB Halifax.

HMCS Kingston alongside in 2010
History
Canada
NameKingston
NamesakeKingston, Ontario
BuilderHalifax Shipyards Ltd., Halifax, Nova Scotia
Laid down12 December 1994
Launched12 August 1995
Commissioned21 September 1996
HomeportCFB Halifax
Identification
MottoPro Rege et Grege (For sovereign and people)[1]
StatusActive
NotesColours: Gold and Red
General characteristics
Class and typeKingston-class coastal defence vessel
Displacement970 long tons (986 t)
Length55.3 m (181 ft 5 in)
Beam11.3 m (37 ft 1 in)
Draught3.4 m (11 ft 2 in)
Propulsion
  • 4 × Jeumont ANR-53-50 alternators, 4 × 600VAC Wärtsilä UD 23V12 diesel engines, 7.2 MW (9,700 hp)
  • 2 × Jeumont CI 560L motors, 3,000 hp (2,200 kW)
  • 2 × LIPS Z drive azimuth thrusters
Speed15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph)
Range5,000 nmi (9,300 km; 5,800 mi) at 8 kn (15 km/h; 9.2 mph)
Complement37
Sensors and
processing systems
  • Kelvin Hughes navigation radar (I-band)
  • Kelvin Hughes 6000 surface search radar (E-F band)
  • Global Positioning System
  • AN/SQS-511 towed side scan sonar
  • Remote-control Mine Hunting System (RMHS)
Armament

Design and description

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The Kingston class was designed to fill the minesweeper, coastal patrol and reserve training needs of the Canadian Forces, replacing the Bay-class minesweepers, Porte-class gate vessels and Royal Canadian Mounted Police coastal launches in those roles.[2] In order to perform these varied duties the Kingston-class vessels are designed to carry up to three 6.1-metre (20 ft) ISO containers with power hookups on the open deck aft in order to embark mission-specific payloads.[3] The seven module types available for embarkation include four route survey, two mechanical minesweeping and one bottom inspection modules.[2]

The Kingston class displace 970 long tons (986 t) and are 55.3 metres (181 ft 5 in) long overall with a beam 11.3 metres (37 ft 1 in) and a draught of 3.4 metres (11 ft 2 in).[2] The coastal defence vessels are powered by four Jeumont ANR-53-50 alternators coupled to four Wärtsilä UD 23V12 diesel engines creating 7.2 megawatts (9,700 hp). Two LIPS Z-drive azimuth thrusters are driven by two Jeumont CI 560L motors creating 3,000 horsepower (2,200 kW) and the Z drives can be rotated 360°. This gives the ships a maximum speed of 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph) and a range of 5,000 nautical miles (9,300 km; 5,800 mi) at 8 knots (15 km/h; 9.2 mph).[4]

The Kingston class is equipped with a Kelvin Hughes navigational radar using the I band and a Kelvin Hughes 6000 surface search radar scanning the E and F bands. The vessels carry an AN/SQS-511 towed side scan sonar for minesweeping and a Remote-control Mine Hunting System (RMHS). The vessels are equipped with one Bofors 40 mm/60 calibre Mk 5C gun and two M2 machine guns.[4][a] The 40 mm gun was declared obsolete and removed from the vessels in 2014. Some of them ended up as museum pieces and on display at naval reserve installations across Canada.[5] The Kingston-class coastal defence vessels have a complement of 37.[2]

Service history

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Kingston was laid down on 12 December 1994 at Halifax Shipyards Ltd., Halifax, Nova Scotia and was launched on 12 August 1995. The first ship to be constructed at Halifax in 32 years, Kingston was commissioned into the Canadian Forces at Kingston, Ontario on 21 September 1996 and carries the hull classification number MM 700.[6]

In September 1998, Kingston was among the Canadian Forces vessels deployed to Peggy's Cove, Nova Scotia in response to the crash of Swissair Flight 111, conducting recovery operations.[7] In March 1999, the coastal defence vessel sailed to the Baltic Sea to participate in the NATO naval exercise "Blue Game" with sister ship Glace Bay and Anticosti.[6]

In 2011, Kingston was among the Royal Canadian Navy vessels deployed to the Caribbean Sea as part of Operation Caribbe, Canada's contribution to Operation Martillo, the multinational effort to eliminate illegal drug trafficking in the Caribbean Sea and the eastern Pacific Ocean. In total, 201 metric tons were interdicted that year, in which Kingston played a part. In 2012, Kingston was assigned again to Operation Caribe. That year, Operation Martillo seized 152 tons of cocaine and several million dollars in cash.[8]

In June 2013, Kingston and Glace Bay were sent on a seven-week tour of the Saint Lawrence Seaway and the Great Lakes, making several port calls along the way. In 2014, she returned to serve in Operation Caribbe.[9] In the summer of 2014, Kingston, joined by the Canadian Coast Guard vessel CCGS Sir Wilfrid Laurier and two private ships searched for and found one of the ships that disappeared during Franklin's lost expedition.[10]

In the summer of 2016, Kingston was sent on a goodwill tour of the Great Lakes, making several port visits.[11] On 7 October, Kingston left Halifax to participate in Operation Caribbe in the Caribbean Sea, returning on 9 December 2016.[12][13] In August 2017, the Halifax-class frigate HMCS Montréal and Kingston and sister ship Moncton departed Halifax to take part in the Operation Nanook in Canada's northern waters.[14]

On 26 January 2018, Kingston and sister ship Summerside departed Halifax for West Africa to take part in the naval exercise Obangame Express 2018 with the United States Navy and several African navies.[15] Their visit to Nigeria marked the first time Canadian warships have ever visited the country.[16] The vessels returned to Halifax on 17 April.[17] In August, Kingston and Charlottetown departed Halifax to take part in Operation Nanook, travelling to Iqaluit, Nunavut and Nuuk, Greenland.[18] On 22 January 2019, Kingston and sister ship Shawinigan departed Halifax for operations off West Africa as part of Operation Projection, working with African nations as well as the United States, United Kingdom and France.[19] The vessels returned to Halifax on 26 April.[20]

In June 2022, Kingston and Summerside were deployed to Europe in support of NATO following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. During their deployment, they detected naval mines leftover from World War II and safely detonated them. They returned to Halifax in November.[21]

References

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Notes

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  1. ^ The 60 calibre denotes the length of the gun. This means that the length of the gun barrel is 60 times the bore diameter.

Citations

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  1. ^ "Official Lineages, Volume 2: Extant Commissioned Ships". National Defence and the Canadian Forces. Retrieved 15 March 2014.
  2. ^ a b c d Macpherson and Barrie, p. 299
  3. ^ Saunders (2008), p. 95
  4. ^ a b Saunders (2004), p. 92
  5. ^ Mallett, Peter (17 October 2018). "Big guns find new life". CFB Esquimalt Lookout. Retrieved 31 October 2018.
  6. ^ a b Macpherson and Barrie, p. 302
  7. ^ Petersen, J. K. (2007). Understanding Surveillance Technologies: Spy Devices, Privacy, History & Applications (Second ed.). Boca Raton, Florida: Auerbach Publications. p. 256. ISBN 978-1-4398-3231-8.
  8. ^ "Operation CARIBBE". National Defence and the Canadian Armed Forces. Retrieved 15 March 2014.
  9. ^ "Her Majesty's Canadian Ships Kingston and Glace Bay Have Joined HMC Ships Nanaimo and Whitehorse On Op CARIBBE". Ottawa Citizen. 10 March 2014. Retrieved 15 March 2014.
  10. ^ Rennie, Steve (9 September 2014). "Ship from famous lost Franklin expedition found in Arctic". CTV Montreal News. The Canadian Press. Retrieved 1 October 2014.
  11. ^ Wisniewski, Dominik (27 June 2016). "HMCS Goose Bay defence vessel to visit Cobourg Harbour and offer ship tours". Northumberland News. Retrieved 6 July 2016.
  12. ^ Pugliese, David (6 October 2016). "Three Royal Canadian Navy ships to take part in counter-drug operation". Ottawa Citizen. Retrieved 7 October 2016.
  13. ^ Pugliese, David (7 December 2016). "HMCS Kingston returns home Friday after counter-drug missions". Ottawa Citizen. Retrieved 8 December 2016.
  14. ^ Pugliese, David (15 August 2017). "Royal Canadian Navy ships to conduct operations in Canada's northern waters". Ottawa Citizen. Retrieved 16 August 2017.
  15. ^ Ayers, Tom (26 January 2018). "PHOTOS: HMCS Summerside, Kingston head for Africa". Halifax Chronicle Herald. Retrieved 27 January 2018.
  16. ^ Nwachukwu, John Owen (12 March 2018). "Canadian warships arrive Nigeria after 108 years". Daily Post. Retrieved 16 March 2018.
  17. ^ Ahern, Brendan (17 April 2018). "Canadian naval vessels return from West Africa". Halifax Chronicle Herald. Retrieved 21 April 2018.
  18. ^ Pugliese, David (8 August 2018). "Royal Canadian Navy ships leave Halifax to take part in Arctic exercise". Ottawa Citizen. Retrieved 9 August 2018.
  19. ^ Groff, Meghan (22 January 2019). "Navy ships deploy to West Africa". halifaxtoday.com. Retrieved 17 February 2019.
  20. ^ Draus, Alicia (26 April 2019). "HMCS Kingston and Shawinigan return to Halifax after three-month deployment to Africa". Global News. Retrieved 28 April 2019.
  21. ^ Patil, Anjuli (2 November 2022). "2 naval ships return to Halifax after NATO mine-clearing exercise in Europe". Retrieved 17 February 2023.

Sources

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  • Macpherson, Ken; Barrie, Ron (2002). The Ships of Canada's Naval Forces 1910–2002 (Third ed.). St. Catharines, Ontario: Vanwell Publishing. ISBN 1-55125-072-1.
  • Saunders, Stephen, ed. (2004). Jane's Fighting Ships 2004–2005 (107 ed.). Alexandria, Virginia: Jane's Information Group Inc. ISBN 0-7106-2623-1.
  • Saunders, Stephen, ed. (2008). Jane's Fighting Ships 2008–2009 (111th ed.). Surrey: Jane's Information Group. ISBN 978-0-7106-2845-9. OCLC 225431774.
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