HMCS Protecteur (AOR 509)

{{Infobox ship image

|Ship image=HMCS Protecteur (AOR 509).jpg

|Ship caption=HMCS Protecteur in Pearl Harbor after a port visit in 2009

}}

{{Infobox ship career

|Ship country=Canada

|Ship flag={{shipboxflag|Canada|naval}}

|Ship service=Royal Canadian Navy

|Ship name=Protecteur

|Ship ordered=16 December 1966

|Ship builder=Saint John Shipbuilding

|Ship laid down=17 October 1967

|Ship launched=18 July 1968

|Ship commissioned=30 August 1969

|Ship decommissioned=14 May 2015

|Ship homeport= CFB Esquimalt, British Columbia

|Ship identification=*{{IMO Number|6900678}}

{{MMSI Number|316146000}}
Callsign: CYTV

|Ship motto=*Soutien avec Courage ("Support with Courage")

|Ship honours=

Gulf and Kuwait
Arabian Sea

|Ship fate=Sold for scrap 27 November 2015 at Liverpool, Nova Scotia{{Cite news |last=Ward |first=Rachel |date=26 February 2016 |title=Former HMCS Protecteur towed from Esquimalt, will bring jobs to Liverpool |work=CBC News |url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/hmcs-protecteur-liverpool-1.3466327 |url-status=live |access-date=27 February 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170405140137/http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/hmcs-protecteur-liverpool-1.3466327 |archive-date=5 April 2017}}

|Ship badge=Azure, a silver helmet with the five grills or, garnished of the last, and bearing a coronet "fleur-de-lis" also or.{{Cite book |last=Arbuckle |first=J. Graeme |title=Badges of the Canadian Navy |date=1987 |publisher=Nimbus Publishing |isbn=0-920852-49-1 |location=Halifax, Nova Scotia |page=94}}

}}

{{Infobox ship characteristics

|Ship class={{sclass|Protecteur|replenishment oiler}}

|Ship displacement=*{{convert|8380|t|LT|0|abbr=on}} standard

{{convert|24700|t|LT|0|abbr=on}} full load

|Ship length={{convert|171.9|m|ftin|abbr=on}}

|Ship beam={{convert|23.2|m|ftin|abbr=on}}

|Ship draught={{convert|10.1|m|ftin|abbr=on}}

|Ship propulsion=*2 × Babcock & Wilcox boilers

1 × General Electric steam turbine
{{convert|21000|shp|kW|lk=in|abbr=on}}

|Ship speed={{convert|20|kn|lk=in}}

|Ship range=*{{convert|7500|nmi|abbr=on|lk=in}}

at {{convert|11.5|kn}}

|Ship complement=365 officers and crew (men and women) including 45 in air detachment

|Ship EW=*4 × BAE Systems Mark 36 SRBOC chaff launchers

AN/SLQ-25 Nixie towed decoy

|Ship armament=*2 × 20 mm Phalanx CIWS

6 × .50 calibre machine guns

| Ship aircraft facilities = aft deck hangar and flight deck

|Ship aircraft=3 × CH-124 Sea King helicopters

|Ship ice class=3

}}

HMCS Protecteur (AOR 509){{efn|HMCS stands for Her Majesty's Canadian Ship as the sovereign of Canada was Queen Elizabeth II at the time the ship was in service.}} was the lead ship of the {{sclass|Protecteur|replenishment oiler}}s in service with the Royal Canadian Navy. She was part of Maritime Forces Pacific (MARPAC), homeported at CFB Esquimalt, British Columbia. Built by Saint John Shipbuilding and Dry Docks in Saint John, New Brunswick, she was commissioned on 30 August 1969. She was the first Canadian naval unit to carry the name Protecteur; however, there have been several units, including a base, named {{HMCS|Protector}}.

Mostly known for her humanitarian efforts, Protecteur had also served in times of war including Operation Friction and Operation Apollo in the Persian Gulf region, multi-national naval exercises, and as part of the INTERFET in East Timor. Operation Apollo was the largest deployment of the Royal Canadian Navy since the Korean War. In six months Protecteur logged over {{convert|50000|nmi|lk=in}}, delivering over {{bbl to t|150000}} of fuel and 390 pallets of dry goods to deployed coalition ships. Protecteur, as well as her sister ship Preserver, were scheduled to be paid off in 2017, however, damage due to an engine fire aboard the ship in 2014 forced Protecteur to be paid off prematurely. Protecteur was decommissioned at a farewell ceremony on 14 May 2015.{{Cite news |last=Dirk Meissner |date=14 May 2015 |title=Farewell ceremony for HMCS Protecteur after 46 years at sea |work=CTV News |agency=The Canadian Press |url=http://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/farewell-ceremony-for-hmcs-protecteur-after-46-years-at-sea-1.2375128 |url-status=live |access-date=15 May 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150515092504/http://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/farewell-ceremony-for-hmcs-protecteur-after-46-years-at-sea-1.2375128 |archive-date=15 May 2015}}

Building ''Protecteur''

Protecteur was the first Canadian naval unit to carry the name Protecteur, French for "Protector"; however, there have been two Australian and seven British naval units named Protector. The name was also used for a Canadian base, named {{HMCS|Protector}}.

=Construction=

First authorized in 1959,{{Cite journal |year=2010 |title=Milestones in Canadian Naval History |url=http://www.navalreview.ca/wp-content/uploads/public/vol6num1/vol6num1art7.pdf |url-status=dead |journal=Canadian Naval Review |volume=6 |issue=1 |page=31 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131203002042/http://www.navalreview.ca/wp-content/uploads/public/vol6num1/vol6num1art7.pdf |archive-date=3 December 2013 |access-date=30 April 2014}} Protecteur was constructed by Saint John Shipbuilding and Dry Docks in Saint John, New Brunswick, starting on 17 October 1967,{{Cite book |last=Wertheim |first=Eric |url={{google books|TJunjRvplU4C|page=82|plainurl=yes}} |title=The Naval Institute Guide to Combat Fleets of the World: Their Ships, Aircraft, and Systems |publisher=Naval Institute Press |year=2007 |isbn=978-1-59114-955-2 |edition=1st |page=82}}{{Cite book |last=Tracy |first=Nicholas |url={{google books|eLQKvMpsc9gC|page=11|plainurl=yes}} |title=Two-Edged Sword: The Navy as an Instrument of Canadian Foreign Policy |publisher=McGill-Queen's University Press |year=2012 |isbn=978-0-7735-8781-6 |page=149 |access-date=2 December 2013}} was launched on 18 July 1968, and was commissioned by the Canadian Forces on 30 August 1969.{{Cite book |url=http://www.cmp-cpm.forces.gc.ca/dhh-dhp/his/ol-lo/vol-tom-2/par1/doc/ecs-ns.pdf |title=The Insignia and Lineages of the Canadian Forces |date=8 January 2001 |publisher=Canadian Forces Heritage Publication |volume=2, Part 1 |pages=2-81–2-82 |access-date=29 November 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131017002346/http://www.cmp-cpm.forces.gc.ca/dhh-dhp/his/ol-lo/vol-tom-2/par1/doc/ecs-ns.pdf |archive-date=17 October 2013 |url-status=live}}

=General characteristics=

Protecteur was one of two ships in the Protecteur class of replenishment oilers in service with the Royal Canadian Navy. The ship was {{convert|171.9|m|ftin|}} long and {{convert|23.2|m|ftin}} wide, with a displacement between {{convert|8380|and|24700|t|LT|0|abbr=off}} depending on her load.{{Cite web |date=2 June 2013 |title=Ship's Characteristics |url=http://www.navy.forces.gc.ca/protecteur/1/1-s_eng.asp?category=17&title=578 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130607202504/http://www.navy.forces.gc.ca/protecteur/1/1-s_eng.asp?category=17&title=578 |archive-date=7 June 2013 |access-date=29 November 2013}} Protecteur{{'}}s draught was {{convert|10.1|m|ftin|abbr=on}}, and she had been given an ice rating of three.{{Cite journal |last= |year=1983 |title=HMCS Protecteur |url={{google books|kmBUAAAAMAAJ|page=423|plainurl=yes}} |journal=Marine News |location=Kendal, England |publisher=World Ship Society |volume=37 |page=423 |issn=0025-3243 |oclc=8782985 |access-date=10 January 2014}}

Two Babcock & Wilcox boilers fed a single General Electric steam turbine rated at {{convert|21000|shp|kW|lk=in}} that drove a single propeller, allowing the ship to reach a maximum speed of {{convert|20|kn|lk=in}}. At {{convert|20|kn}}, the range of Protecteur was limited to {{convert|4100|nmi|abbr=off|lk=in}}, but her range could be extended to {{convert|7500|nmi}} when only travelling at {{convert|11.5|kn}}.

Protecteur{{'}}s primary role was to deliver supplies to deployed ships. Fully loaded, Protecteur could store up to {{convert|14590|t|LT|0|abbr=on}} of fuel, {{convert|400|t|LT|0|abbr=on}} of aviation fuel, {{convert|1048|t|LT|0|abbr=on}} of dry cargo, and {{convert|1250|t|LT|0|abbr=on}} of ammunition.{{Cite news |last=Taylor-Vaisey |first=Nick |date=3 September 2013 |title=Canada's Pacific fleet can't catch a break |work=Maclean's |publisher=Rogers Media |url=http://www.macleans.ca/2013/09/03/canadas-pacific-fleet-cant-catch-a-break/ |url-status=live |access-date=9 December 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131211232704/http://www2.macleans.ca/2013/09/03/canadas-pacific-fleet-cant-catch-a-break/ |archive-date=11 December 2013}} Fuel could be transferred at a rate of {{convert|1500|t|LT|0|abbr=on}} per hour and {{convert|2500|lbs|kg|abbr=on}} of dry cargo per hour could be transferred all while travelling at her top speed.{{Cite book |url=http://www.forposterityssake.ca/Navy/HMCS_PROTECTUER_509_SUB1.htm |title=The Commissioning of HMCS Protecteur |date=30 August 1969 |publisher=Saint John Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company |location=Saint John, NB |access-date=9 December 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131213014659/http://www.forposterityssake.ca/Navy/HMCS_PROTECTUER_509_SUB1.htm |archive-date=13 December 2013}}

File:HMCS Regina and Protecteur - RAS 2013.jpg by Protecteur in the Pacific Ocean]]

=Armament=

Four BAE Systems Mark 36 SRBOC chaff launchers and an AN/SLQ-25 Nixie towed decoy were the ship's primary defences. When Protecteur was originally launched, she was fitted with a twin 3-inch/50-calibre gun mounted on her bow; however, the 3-inch guns were replaced with two 20 mm Phalanx CIWS mounts, one at the bow and one astern in August 1990. The CIWS emplacements were part of the upgrades that Protecteur received before deploying to the Persian Gulf region.{{Cite journal |year=1992 |title=Jane's Defence Weekly |url={{google books|vK1DAQAAIAAJ|plainurl=yes}} |publisher=Jane's Publishing |volume=17}}{{Cite news |last=Spears |first=John |date=18 August 1990 |title=Canadian vessels bulk up for gulf |page=A12 |work=Toronto Star |publisher=Star Media Group |id={{ProQuest|436248793}}}} The CIWS was found above the bridge.

Her former 3-inch guns were temporarily fitted,{{Cite news |date=25 August 1990 |title=Canadians 'chugging along,' navy says |page=B8 |work=The Vancouver Sun |publisher=Postmedia Network |agency=The Canadian Press |id={{ProQuest|243502307}}}} together with two Bofors 40 mm guns, six {{convert|0.5|in|mm|1|adj=on}} machine guns, as well as Blowpipe and Javelin MANPADs during the Gulf War.{{Cite book |last=Baker |first=A.D. |title=The Naval Institute Guide to Combat Fleets of the World 1998–1999: Their Ships, Aircraft, and Systems |publisher=Naval Institute Press |year=1998 |isbn=1-55750-111-4 |location=Annapolis, Maryland |pages=83–84}} The CIWS mounts were retained after the war,{{Cite book |title=Jane's Fighting Ships |publisher=Jane's Information Group |year=2002 |isbn=0710624328 |editor-last=Saunders |editor-first=Stephen |edition=2002–2003 |location=Coulsdon, UK |page=65}} but the Bofors and 76 mm gun were removed from Protecteur after returning from war.{{Cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/janesfightingshi00saun_737 |title=Jane's Fighting Ships |publisher=Jane's Information Group |year=2004 |isbn=0-7106-2623-1 |editor-last=Saunders |editor-first=Stephen |edition=2004–2005 |location=Coulsdon, UK |page=[https://archive.org/details/janesfightingshi00saun_737/page/n277 186] |url-access=registration}}

Originally Protecteur was to be fitted with Mark 29 NATO Sea Sparrow. However, due to delays in procurement, the Sea Sparrow system was never installed.{{Cite journal |date=17 October 2009 |title=SeaWaves Today in History |url=http://www.seawaves.com/TDIH/october/17Oct.txt |url-status=dead |publisher=Shirlaw News Group |issn=1710-6966 |oclc=77076813 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131214004000/http://www.seawaves.com/TDIH/october/17Oct.txt |archive-date=14 December 2013 |access-date=8 December 2013}} The Sikorsky CH-124 Sea King helicopters on board Protecteur also provided weapons support, carrying Mark 46 torpedoes and a 7.62 mm machine gun.{{Cite book |last=Crawford |first=Steve |url={{google books|bd5hQiT2JRgC|page=9|plainurl=yes}} |title=Twenty-first Century Military Helicopters: Today's Fighting Gunships |publisher=Zenith Imprint |year=2003 |isbn=978-0-7603-1504-0 |page=9 |access-date=9 December 2013}}

=Crew=

Three hundred sixty-five men and women served on Protecteur. There were 27 officers aboard ship and a total of 45 crew members who were part of the air detachment that flew three CH-124 Sea King helicopters off the back of the ship.{{Cite journal |year=1971 |title=Canadian Shipping and Marine Engineering |url={{google books|a6UfAAAAMAAJ|page=223|plainurl=yes}} |publisher=Maclean-Hunter |volume=43 |page=223}} In 1988 the crew of Protecteur was officially desegregated, allowing both men and women to serve on board her.{{Cite book |last1=Morin |first1=Jean H., Maj. |url={{google books|4drL0pEFUDYC|page=275|plainurl=yes}} |title=Operation Friction 1990–1991: The Canadian Forces in the Persian Gulf |last2=Gimblett |first2=Richard H., LCdr. |publisher=Dundurn Press |year=1997 |isbn=978-1-55488-256-4 |pages=44–47 |access-date=1 December 2013}} Protecteur was equipped with a small dental clinic, which provided dental care for the Canadian Forces when deployed.{{Cite book |last1=Singh |first1=Paramjit |url={{google books|QJV9faMuBPoC|page=34|plainurl=yes}} |title=Military Dentistary: Terrain, Trends and Training |last2=Arora |first2=Vimal |publisher=Jaypee Brothers Medical Publishers |year=2005 |isbn=978-81-8061-418-7 |edition=1st |page=34 |access-date=1 December 2013}}

Service

File:HMCS Protecteur during Operation Friction.jpg

In 1974 the Polish sailboat Gedania embarked on an attempt to traverse the Northwest Passage, as part of a journey to circumnavigate the North and South American continents.{{Cite news |last=Tobolewski |first=Jerzy |date=16 June 1979 |title=Editorials |page=J10a |work=Toronto Star |publisher=Torstar Corporation}} Although the Canadian authorities refused to grant the necessary visa, the captain of the yacht persisted, and Protecteur was sent to intercept the yacht on 30 August 1975. The captain eventually turned back of his own accord, but the operation was estimated to have cost $400,000 (equivalent to ${{Formatprice|{{Inflation|CA|400000|1975|r=-2}}}} in {{CURRENTYEAR}}){{Inflation-fn|CA}}.{{Cite web |last=Gabryś |first=Marcin |date=May 2014 |title=Gedania in the Northwest Passage |url=https://www.academia.edu/9289479 |access-date=13 March 2019 |website=academia.eu}}

In 1980, while Protecteur was operating off the coast of Portugal, Commanding Officer Captain Larry Dzioba hoisted an Esso flag on the ship's mast, joking that they were the "biggest floating gas station in the neighbourhood".{{Cite news |last=Ward |first=Peter |date=8 June 1980 |title=Canada's Proud Navy Papers Over its Cracks |page=C19 |work=Toronto Star}} In 1981, Protecteur served in CARIBOPS 81 off the coast of Puerto Rico, along with at least two Canadian destroyers.{{Cite news |date=27 January 1982 |title=Fill'er up |work=The Leamington Post |publisher=Canadian Newspapers Company |location=Leamington, Ontario |url=http://ink.ourontario.ca/lp/reel81/00116-x0-y0-z1-r0-0-0?query=protecteur&p=1 |url-status=dead |access-date=29 November 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131203023903/http://ink.ourontario.ca/lp/reel81/00116-x0-y0-z1-r0-0-0?query=protecteur&p=1 |archive-date=3 December 2013}} Protecteur and her CH-124 helicopters performed a nighttime rescue of the crew of a disabled Norwegian chemical tanker in June 1982. The Norwegian crew was forced to abandon their ship after a fire had broken out.{{Cite news |date=31 July 2013 |title=Bittersweet 50th anniversary for Canada's Sea King helicopters |work=CBC News |publisher=CBC/Radio-Canada |url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/bittersweet-50th-anniversary-for-canada-s-sea-king-helicopters-1.1349878 |url-status=live |access-date=12 December 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140104052435/http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/bittersweet-50th-anniversary-for-canada-s-sea-king-helicopters-1.1349878 |archive-date=4 January 2014}} For the 75th anniversary of the Royal Canadian Navy, Protecteur hosted a dinner with the captains of 35 ships, including ships from Belgium, Brazil, Denmark, France, Great Britain, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, and the United States, as well as then Governor General Jeanne Sauvé and Prince Andrew.{{Cite news |last=Fulton |first=J.A. |date=8 August 1985 |title=Selective coverage |page=7 |work=The Globe and Mail}}

In 1991, Protecteur was part of the Canadian contingent sent to the Persian Gulf as part of Operation Desert Shield and later Operation Friction (the Canadian name for its operations during the Gulf War). The ship, part of a three-vessel force,{{Cite news |last=Toth |first=Derrick |date=10 January 1991 |title=Protecteur crew returns from Gulf |page=A1 |work=Kitchener – Waterloo Record |publisher=Metroland Media Group |url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/275215221 |url-status=live |url-access=subscription |access-date=29 November 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131203053245/https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/thestar/doc/275215221.html?FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Jan+10%2C+1991&author=Toth%2C+Derrick&pub=Kitchener+-+Waterloo+Record&edition=&startpage=&desc=Protecteur+crew+returns+from+Gulf |archive-date=3 December 2013 |id={{ProQuest|275215221}}}} the other two being the {{sclass|Iroquois|destroyer|1}} {{HMCS|Athabaskan|DDG 282|2}} and the {{sclass|Restigouche|destroyer|1}} {{HMCS|Terra Nova|DDE 259|2}},{{Cite news |last=Spears |first=John |date=23 August 1990 |title=Canadian warships set to sail for gulf |work=Toronto Star |publisher=Star Media Group |url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/436247410 |url-status=live |access-date=29 November 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131203050749/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/thestar/doc/436247410.html?FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Aug+23%2C+1990&author=John+Spears+Toronto+Star&pub=Toronto+Star&edition=&startpage=&desc=Canadian+warships+set+to+sail+for+gulf |archive-date=3 December 2013|id={{ProQuest|436247410}} }} saw extensive service in the Central Gulf. The ship was honoured with the Gulf and Kuwait Medal and the Arabian Sea award for her service in the war.{{Cite book |last=McCreery |first=Christopher |url={{google books|HM5lR-0-Kp4C|page=551|plainurl=yes}} |title=The Canadian Honours System |publisher=Dundurn Press |year=2005 |isbn=978-1-55488-017-1 |pages=551–553 |access-date=1 December 2013}}{{Cite press release |title=South-West Asia Theatre Honours |date=9 May 2014 |publisher=Government of Canada |location=Ottawa, Ontario |url=http://pm.gc.ca/eng/news/2014/05/09/south-west-asia-theatre-honours |access-date=9 May 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140512231549/http://pm.gc.ca/eng/news/2014/05/09/south-west-asia-theatre-honours |archive-date=12 May 2014 |author-link1=Prime Minister of Canada |author=Office of the Prime Minister of Canada}} In 1992, Protecteur was sent to help after Hurricane Andrew in Florida,{{Cite news |date=15 September 1992 |title=Canadians Help Rebuild 2 Schools in S. Florida |work=Deseret News |agency=Associated Press |url=http://www.deseretnews.com/article/247475/CANADIANS-HELP-REBUILD-2-SCHOOLS-IN-S-FLORIDA.html?pg=all |url-status=dead |access-date=29 November 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131203033405/http://www.deseretnews.com/article/247475/CANADIANS-HELP-REBUILD-2-SCHOOLS-IN-S-FLORIDA.html?pg=all |archive-date=3 December 2013}} with tasks including repairing schools, community centres, and hospitals in the region.{{Cite news |date=8 September 1992 |title=Canada sending hurricane relief crews to Florida |work=Toronto Star |publisher=Star Media Group |agency=The Canadian Press |url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/436701588 |url-status=live |access-date=29 November 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131203051102/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/thestar/doc/436701588.html?FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Sep+8%2C+1992&author=CP&pub=Toronto+Star&edition=&startpage=&desc=Canada+sending+hurricane+relief+crews+to+Florida |archive-date=3 December 2013|id={{ProQuest|436701588}} }} A small pool was built on the helipad of Protecteur providing some relief to hurricane ravaged Floridians. Homes, churches, and a senior centre were also repaired in the Bahamas.{{Cite news |date=26 October 1992 |title=Canadian sailors keeping busy rebuilding storm-struck Bahamas |page=A7 |work=Kitchener – Waterloo Record |publisher=Metroland Media Group |url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/275259488 |url-status=live |access-date=29 November 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131203051949/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/thestar/doc/275259488.html?FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Oct+26%2C+1992&author=&pub=Kitchener+-+Waterloo+Record&edition=&startpage=&desc=Canadian+sailors+keeping+busy+rebuilding+storm-struck+Bahamas |archive-date=3 December 2013|id={{ProQuest|275259488}} }} The homeport of Protecteur was changed from CFB Halifax to CFB Esquimalt after the hurricane relief efforts.{{Cite news |date=4 October 1992 |title=Sailors built pool on ship during mission to aid hurricane victims |page=A6 |work=Ottawa Citizen |publisher=Postmedia Network |agency=The Canadian Press |id={{ProQuest|239715306}}}} The frigate {{HMCS|Vancouver|FFH 331|2}} and Protecteur participated in the multi-national RIMPAC 98 off the coast of Hawaii in June 1998.{{Cite news |date=6 May 1998 |title=Navy ships ready for Asian tour |page=A3 |work=The Record |publisher=Metroland Media Group |url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/275545384 |url-status=live |access-date=29 November 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131203051433/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/thestar/doc/275545384.html?FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=May+6%2C+1998&author=&pub=The+Record&edition=&startpage=&desc=Navy+ships+ready+for+Asian+tour |archive-date=3 December 2013|id={{ProQuest|275545384}} }}

Protecteur was deployed to East Timor as part of the Australian-led INTERFET peacekeeping taskforce from 23 October 1999 to 23 January 2000.{{Cite book |last=Stevens |first=David |url=http://www.navy.gov.au/w/images/Working_Paper_20.pdf |title=Strength Through Diversity: The combined naval role in Operation Stabilise |type=Working Paper |publisher=Sea Power Centre – Australia |year=2007 |isbn=978-0-642-29676-4 |series=Working Papers |volume=20 |location=Canberra |pages=14–15 |issn=1834-7231 |access-date=6 September 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110312180452/http://www.navy.gov.au/w/images/Working_Paper_20.pdf |archive-date=12 March 2011}} Crew from Protecteur helped reconstruct a police academy in Dili during their deployment in support of INTERFET. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police then used the newly reconstructed academy to set up a training school for the National Police of East Timor.{{Cite journal |last=Grunau |first=Steve |year=2003 |title=The Limits of Human Security: Canada in East Timor |url=http://jmss.org/jmss/index.php/jmss/article/viewArticle/237 |url-status=dead |journal=Journal of Military and Strategic Studies |location=New York |publisher=Columbia University Press |volume=6 |issue=1 |oclc=192026323 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140112063527/http://jmss.org/jmss/index.php/jmss/article/viewArticle/237 |archive-date=12 January 2014 |access-date=12 January 2014}} Protecteur participated in Operation Apollo for six months, logging over {{convert|50000|nmi}} and delivering over {{bbl to t|150000}} of fuel and 390 pallets of dry goods,{{Cite journal |date=24 November 2010 |title=SeaWaves Today in History |url=http://www.seawaves.com/TDIH/november/24nov.txt |url-status=dead |publisher=Shirlaw News Group |issn=1710-6966 |oclc=77076813 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131214004115/http://www.seawaves.com/TDIH/november/24nov.txt |archive-date=14 December 2013 |access-date=8 December 2013}} returning to CFB Esquimalt in November 2002.{{Cite news |date=25 November 2002 |title=HMCS Protecteur arrives home |page=B12 |work=The Guelph Mercury |publisher=Metroland Media Group |url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/355735173 |url-status=live |access-date=29 November 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131203050610/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/thestar/doc/355735173.html?FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Nov%2025,%202002&author=&pub=The%20Guelph%20Mercury&edition=&startpage=&desc=HMCS%20Protecteur%20arrives%20home |archive-date=3 December 2013|id={{ProQuest|355735173}} }} Operation Apollo was the largest Canadian deployment since the Korean War.{{Cite book |last=Conrad |first=LCol. John |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LxmxBkiubkwC&pg=PA215 |title=Scarce Heard Amid the Guns: An Inside Look at Canadian Peacekeeping |publisher=Dundurn Press |year=2011 |isbn=978-1-4597-0096-3 |page=215 |access-date=1 December 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140103135928/http://books.google.com/books?id=LxmxBkiubkwC&pg=PA215 |archive-date=3 January 2014 |url-status=live}} Protecteur participated in RIMPAC again in 2004, along with the {{HMCS|Algonquin|DDG 283|2}} and {{HMCS|Regina|FFH 334|2}}.{{Cite news |last=Rozenberg |first=SLt. Kelly |title=Algonquin Embarks Upon RIMPAC |publisher=United States Navy |url=http://www.cpf.navy.mil/RIMPAC2004/news_page/Algoquin_story/algoquin_story.htm |url-status=dead |access-date=8 December 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050310191019/http://www.cpf.navy.mil/RIMPAC2004/news_page/Algoquin_story/algoquin_story.htm |archive-date=10 March 2005}}

File:USNS Sioux (T-ATF-171) towing HMCS Protecteur (AOR 509) in 2014.JPG

On 19 September 2011, Protecteur departed from CFB Esquimalt for a two-month deployment off southern California as part of the {{USS|Abraham Lincoln|CVN 72|6}} carrier strike group. Protecteur joined the destroyer Algonquin and the frigate {{HMCS|Ottawa|FFH 341|2}} in Fleet Week activities in San Diego, California, between 26 and 30 September 2011.{{Cite news |last=McCracken |first=E |date=16 September 2011 |title=CFB Esquimalt supply ship heading south for warfare training |work=Victoria News |publisher=Black Press |url=http://www.vicnews.com/news/129996593.html |url-status=live |access-date=29 November 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131203013837/http://www.vicnews.com/news/129996593.html |archive-date=3 December 2013}} On 30 August 2013, the ship was involved in a collision with Algonquin during towing exercises. There were no injuries to personnel, although Protecteur sustained damage to her bow.{{Cite news |date=31 August 2013 |title=2 Canadian warships collide en route to Hawaii |work=CBC News |publisher=CBC/Radio-Canada |agency=The Canadian Press |url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/2-canadian-warships-collide-en-route-to-hawaii-1.1309679 |url-status=live |access-date=31 August 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170915040942/http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/2-canadian-warships-collide-en-route-to-hawaii-1.1309679 |archive-date=15 September 2017}} The damage was repaired in time for Protecteur to participate in a Task Group Exercise with the United States Navy in mid-October 2013.{{Cite press release |title=U.S. and Canadian Navies Complete Task Group Exercise |date=15 October 2013 |publisher=United States Navy |url=http://www.navy.mil/submit/display.asp?story_id=77092 |access-date=30 November 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131203010550/http://www.navy.mil/submit/display.asp?story_id=77092 |archive-date=3 December 2013}}

On 27 February 2014, Protecteur suffered an engine room fire and breakdown {{convert|340|nmi}} northeast of Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. She was moving at limited speeds and the United States Navy {{sclass|Arleigh Burke|destroyer|1}} {{USS|Michael Murphy|DDG-112|2}}, {{sclass|Ticonderoga|cruiser|1}} {{USS|Chosin|CG-65|2}}, and the Military Sealift Command-operated {{sclass|Powhatan|tugboat|1}} {{USNS|Sioux|T-ATF-171|2}} were dispatched to assist. Chosin attempted to tow Protecteur, but the towing line broke.{{Cite news |last= |date=2 March 2014 |title=Line towing fire-damaged HMCS Protecteur to Hawaii breaks |work=CBC News |publisher=CBC/Radio-Canada |url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/line-towing-fire-damaged-hmcs-protecteur-to-hawaii-breaks-1.2555354 |url-status=live |access-date=3 March 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140304004154/http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/line-towing-fire-damaged-hmcs-protecteur-to-hawaii-breaks-1.2555354 |archive-date=4 March 2014}} About 20 members of the ship's crew were injured as a result of the fire,{{Cite news |date=6 March 2014 |title=HMCS Protecteur towed into Pearl Harbor |work=CBC News |publisher=CBC/Radio-Canada |url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/hmcs-protecteur-towed-into-pearl-harbor-1.2562634 |url-status=live |access-date=7 March 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140307003158/http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/hmcs-protecteur-towed-into-pearl-harbor-1.2562634 |archive-date=7 March 2014}} and her engines were badly damaged.{{Cite news |last= |date=6 March 2014 |title=HMCS Protecteur arrives safely, but suffers devastating damage |work=CTV News |publisher=Bell Media |url=http://www.ctvnews.ca/world/hmcs-protecteur-arrives-safely-but-suffers-devastating-damage-1.1717333 |url-status=live |access-date=7 March 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140307022853/http://www.ctvnews.ca/world/hmcs-protecteur-arrives-safely-but-suffers-devastating-damage-1.1717333 |archive-date=7 March 2014}}{{Cite press release |title=HMCS Protecteur, Crew Arrive Safely to Pearl Harbor |date=7 March 2014 |location=Joint Base Pearl Harbor Hickam |url=http://www.navy.mil/submit/display.asp?story_id=79524 |last1=Hubenthal |first1=Christopher |access-date=30 April 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150915041822/http://www.navy.mil/submit/display.asp?story_id=79524 |archive-date=15 September 2015 |author2=U.S. 3rd Fleet Public Affairs |agency=Navy News Service}} After a preliminary assessment, it was decided that the vessel could not be repaired in Pearl Harbor.{{Cite news |last= |date=14 May 2014 |title=HMCS Protecteur too badly damaged to sail home on her own |work=CBC News |publisher=CBC/Radio-Canada |url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/hmcs-protecteur-too-badly-damaged-to-sail-home-on-her-own-1.2573437 |url-status=live |access-date=30 April 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150530103811/http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/hmcs-protecteur-too-badly-damaged-to-sail-home-on-her-own-1.2573437 |archive-date=30 May 2015}} On 16 May, Protecteur left Pearl Harbor under tow from the United States Military Sealift Command-operated {{sclass|Safeguard|rescue and salvage ship|0}} rescue and salvage ship {{USNS|Salvor|T-ARS-52|2}} for an expected three week journey to her home port of CFB Esquimalt.{{Cite news |last= |date=16 March 2014 |title=HMCS Protecteur heading home under tow from U.S. navy tug |work=CBC News |publisher=CBC/Radio-Canada |url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/hmcs-protecteur-heading-home-under-tow-from-u-s-navy-tug-1.2645465 |url-status=live |access-date=30 April 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150530103819/http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/hmcs-protecteur-heading-home-under-tow-from-u-s-navy-tug-1.2645465 |archive-date=30 May 2015}}{{Cite web |date=16 May 2014 |title=USNS Salvor (T-ARS 52) – IMO 8434374 |url=http://www.shipspotting.com/gallery/photo.php?lid=2034620 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150505003754/http://www.shipspotting.com/gallery/photo.php?lid=2034620 |archive-date=5 May 2015 |access-date=30 April 2015 |website=Shipspotting.com Photo Gallery}} Protecteur was delivered to Esquimalt on 31 May 2014.{{Cite news |last=Petrescu |first=Sarah |date=30 May 2014 |title=Three months after fire, HMCS Protecteur back in Esquimalt |work=Times Colonist |location=Victoria, BC |url=http://www.timescolonist.com/news/local/three-months-after-fire-hmcs-protecteur-back-in-esquimalt-1.1098293 |url-status=live |access-date=30 April 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150505003644/http://www.timescolonist.com/news/local/three-months-after-fire-hmcs-protecteur-back-in-esquimalt-1.1098293 |archive-date=5 May 2015}}

Retirement and interim replacement

Protecteur was decommissioned at a farewell ceremony on 14 May 2015. Plans for replacing Protecteur and her sister ship, Preserver, were first brought up in 2004.{{Cite journal |date=23 March 2009 |title=SeaWaves Today in History |url=http://www.seawaves.com/newsletters/TDIH/march/23Mar.txt |url-status=dead |publisher=Shirlaw News Group |issn=1710-6966 |oclc=77076813 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131021220712/http://www.seawaves.com/newsletters/TDIH/march/23Mar.txt |archive-date=21 October 2013 |access-date=8 December 2013}} Lack of spare parts for the ship's boiler and the fact that she is a single-skinned tanker were the main driving points to replacing Protecteur and Preserver.{{Cite news |last=Brewster |first=Murray |date=25 August 2008 |title=Tories scuttle replacement plan for obsolete navy supply ships |page=A6 |work=The Guelph Mercury |publisher=Metroland Media Group |url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/355936852 |url-status=live |access-date=29 November 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131203053242/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/thestar/doc/355936852.html?FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Aug+25%2C+2008&author=Brewster%2C+Murray&pub=The+Guelph+Mercury&edition=&startpage=&desc=Tories+scuttle+replacement+plan+for+obsolete+navy+supply+ships |archive-date=3 December 2013|id={{ProQuest|355936852}} }}{{Cite news |last1=Curry |first1=Bill |last2=Clark |first2=Campbell |date=6 August 2010 |title=Navy ships risk being banned from ports |page=A7 |work=The Globe and Mail |id={{ProQuest|738297676}}}}

It had been planned that the ship would have continued to operate until 2015;{{Cite news |last=Berthiaume |first=Lee |date=12 October 2013 |title=Schedule conflict to cost taxpayers $55 million |work=The Vancouver Sun |publisher=Postmedia Network}} however, the Joint Support Ship Project would not have been completed until two years later,{{Cite news |date=11 October 2013 |title=Arctic icebreaker delayed as Tories prioritize supply ships |work=CBC News |publisher=CBC/Radio-Canada |agency=The Canadian Press |url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/arctic-icebreaker-delayed-as-tories-prioritize-supply-ships-1.1991522 |url-status=live |access-date=29 November 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131212135826/http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/arctic-icebreaker-delayed-as-tories-prioritize-supply-ships-1.1991522 |archive-date=12 December 2013}} leaving a gap in the ability of the RCN to refuel and resupply her own ships while deployed. Following extensive damage as a result of a fire in February 2014, Protecteur{{'}}s decommissioning was brought forward as repairs would have been "...too expensive for the navy to consider" given that she was due to be retired in 2017.

On 19 September 2014, Vice-Admiral Mark Norman announced the retirement of Protecteur, along with her sister ship {{HMCS|Preserver|AOR 510|6}} and the Iroquois-class destroyers {{HMCS|Iroquois|DDG 280|6}} and Algonquin. Protecteur, along with Algonquin, was sold for scrapping on 27 November 2015 to R.J. MacIsaac Ltd. of Antigonish, Nova Scotia. They were towed to Nova Scotia where the work was done{{Cite news |last=Dedyna |first=Katherine |date=14 January 2016 |title=Two CFB Esquimalt ships going on long journey to be demolished |work=Times Colonist |url=http://www.timescolonist.com/news/local/two-cfb-esquimalt-ships-going-on-long-journey-to-be-demolished-1.2150742 |url-status=live |access-date=18 January 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170611143748/http://www.timescolonist.com/news/local/two-cfb-esquimalt-ships-going-on-long-journey-to-be-demolished-1.2150742 |archive-date=11 June 2017}} at Liverpool.

In October 2015, {{MS|Asterix}}, a container ship, was acquired by Davie Shipyards to be converted into an auxiliary vessel, to be leased to the RCN as a temporary bridge between the Protecteur class until the new AOR class becomes available. That ship was converted and was delivered to the Royal Canadian Navy as MV Asterix on 6 December 2017.{{Cite web |last=MacDonald |first=Michael |date=6 March 2018 |title=Navy welcomes new interim replenishment vessel amid political intrigue |url=https://atlantic.ctvnews.ca/navy-welcomes-new-interim-replenishment-vessel-amid-political-intrigue-1.3831298 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181030035715/https://atlantic.ctvnews.ca/navy-welcomes-new-interim-replenishment-vessel-amid-political-intrigue-1.3831298 |archive-date=30 October 2018 |access-date=29 October 2018 |website=CTV News |agency=The Canadian Press}} On 10 March 2017, ex-Protecteur caught fire while being dismantled in Liverpool, Nova Scotia. Residual fuel caught fire during demolition of the vessel.{{Cite news |date=10 March 2017 |title=Ex-navy ship catches fire in Liverpool |work=Chronicle Herald |url=http://thechronicleherald.ca/novascotia/1449440-ex-navy-ship-catches-fire-in-liverpool |url-status=dead |access-date=12 March 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170311224235/http://thechronicleherald.ca/novascotia/1449440-ex-navy-ship-catches-fire-in-liverpool |archive-date=11 March 2017}}

New class and future service

On 12 September 2017 Vice Admiral Ron Lloyd, commander of the Royal Canadian Navy, announced that the new Joint Support Ships would no longer be named for battles of the War of 1812. Originally to be named Queenston and Chateauguay, the Joint Support Ships will instead be named Protecteur and Preserver, perpetuating the names of the former Protecteur class.{{Cite news |date=12 September 2017 |title=Navy rejects War of 1812 names for new ships because Canadians have no interest in War of 1812 |language=en-US |work=National Post |url=https://nationalpost.com/news/canada/canadian-navy-rejects-war-of-1812-names-for-new-ships-because-canadians-have-no-interest-in-war-of-1812 |access-date=13 September 2017}}