Seaspan celebrates naming and launch for the HMCS Protecteur
North Vancouver, BC – Seaspan Shipyards was proud to host on December 13 the naming ceremony and launch celebration for the Royal Canadian Navy’s (RCN) new Joint Support Ship (JSS), the HMCS Protecteur – the longest naval vessel ever constructed in Canada.
The future HMCS Protecteur is the fifth ship designed, built and launched by Seaspan under the National Shipbuilding Strategy. The ceremony represented years of hard work and the collective efforts of thousands of Seaspan employees, the Government of Canada and Royal Canadian Navy, as well as hundreds of others across Seaspan’s pan-Canadian supply chain.
In keeping with Naval tradition, the ship’s sponsor, Teri McKinnon, broke a bottle of Black Hills Estate Winery Brut across the ship’s bow and declared “I name you Protecteur. Blessed be this ship and all who will sail in it.”
Teri was joined by the Right Honourable Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada; the Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources; Vice-Admiral Angus Topshee, Commander of the Royal Canadian Navy; and thousands of shipbuilders and members of the Royal Canadian Navy to celebrate this distinguished milestone.
The two Joint Support Ships, HMCS Protecteur and HMCS Preserver, will replace the former Protecteur-class Auxiliary Oiler Replenishment vessels. In addition to providing critical at sea replenishment, these multi-purpose warships will also be capable of seamlessly integrating with any Canadian or allied naval task group, and will significantly extend the range and endurance of these groups through the provision of fuel, ammunition, aviation support, food, spare parts, exercise and gym facilities, and medical and dental care.
Work to prepare the HMCS Protecteur for sea trials will continue at Seaspan’s Vancouver Shipyards. The ship is scheduled to be delivered to the RCN at the end of 2025. Under the National Shipbuilding Strategy, Seaspan is building more than 20 large, complex vessels for the Royal Canadian Navy and the Canadian Coast Guard.
(Photos from Seaspan)