HMCS Ville de Québec (FFH 332)
{{Short description|Royal Canadian Navy frigate}}
{{other ships|HMCS Ville de Québec}}
{{Use Canadian English|date=January 2023}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2020}}
| {{Infobox ship begin}}
{{Infobox ship image |Ship image=HMCS Ville de Quebec - 10-Sep-2016.jpg |Ship caption=HMCS Ville de Québec in September 2016 }} {{Infobox ship career |Hide header= |Ship country=Canada |Ship flag={{shipboxflag|Canada|naval}} |Ship name=Ville de Québec |Ship namesake=Quebec City, Quebec |Ship ordered= |Ship awarded= |Ship builder=MIL-Davie Shipbuilding, Lévis-Lauzon |Ship original cost= |Ship yard number= |Ship way number= |Ship laid down=16 December 1988 |Ship launched=16 May 1991 |Ship sponsor= |Ship christened= |Ship completed= |Ship acquired= |Ship recommissioned= |Ship decommissioned= |Ship maiden voyage= |Ship in service= |Ship out of service= |Ship renamed= |Ship reclassified= |Ship refit= |Ship struck= |Ship reinstated= |Ship homeport=CFB Halifax |Ship identification=* Hull number: FFH 332
|Ship motto=Don de Dieu feray valoir (I will be worthy) |Ship nickname="VDQ" |Ship honours=Atlantic 1942–1944, Gulf of St. Lawrence 1942, Mediterranean 1943, English Channel 1944–1945 |Ship captured= |Ship status=Ship in active service |Ship fate= |Ship notes= |Ship colours=Gold and blue |Ship badge= }} {{Infobox ship characteristics |Hide header= |Header caption= |Ship class={{sclass|Halifax|frigate}} |Ship displacement=*{{cvt|4795|t|LT|lk=on}} (standard)
|Ship length={{convert|134.2|m|ftin|abbr=on}} |Ship beam={{convert|16.5|m|ftin|abbr=on}} |Ship draught={{convert|7.1|m|ftin|abbr=on}} |Ship power= |Ship propulsion=*2 × LM2500 gas turbines
|Ship speed={{convert|30|kn|lk=in}} |Ship range={{convert|9500|nmi|abbr=on}} |Ship endurance= |Ship complement=255 (including air detachment){{Cite journal |title=Commander Task Group Habitability – Executing Innovation and Ingenuity in a Constrained Space |last=Waller |first=Rob |p=27 |date=March 2017 |journal=Maritime Engineering Journal |url=https://publications.gc.ca/collections/collection_2017/mdn-dnd/D12-21-82-eng.pdf |access-date=2024-08-09 |number=82 |edition=Special – HCM/FELEX |issn=0713-0058}} |Ship sensors= |Ship EW= |Ship armament=*Missiles
|Ship armour= |Ship aircraft=1 × Sikorsky CH-148 Cyclone |Ship aircraft facilities= |Ship notes= }} |
HMCS Ville de Québec (FFH 332) (commonly referred to as VDQ) is a {{sclass|Halifax|frigate}} that has served in the Canadian Forces and Royal Canadian Navy since 1993. Ville de Québec is the third vessel in her class which is the name for the Canadian Patrol Frigate Project. The frigate is the second Royal Canadian Navy ship to be named Ville de Québec and is Canada's only fully bilingual warship. She is assigned to Maritime Forces Atlantic (MARLANT) and is homeported at CFB Halifax. The vessel serves on MARLANT missions protecting Canada's sovereignty in the Atlantic Ocean and enforcing Canadian laws in its territorial sea and exclusive economic zone.
Description and design
The Halifax-class frigate design of which Ville de Québec belongs, was ordered by the Canadian Forces in 1977 as a replacement for the aging {{sclass|St. Laurent|destroyer|5}}, {{sclass|Restigouche|destroyer|5}}, {{sclass|Mackenzie|destroyer|5}}, and {{sclass|Annapolis|destroyer|4}}es of destroyer escorts, which were all tasked with anti-submarine warfare.Milner, p. 284 In July 1983, the federal government approved the budget for the design and construction of the first batch of six new frigates of which Ville de Québec was a part, out of twelve that were eventually built.Macpherson and Barrie, p. 291 To reflect the changing long-term strategy of the Navy during the 1980s and 1990s, the Halifax-class frigates was designed as a general purpose warship with particular focus on anti-submarine capabilities.
As built, the Halifax-class vessels displaced {{convert|4750|LT|t}} and were {{convert|441|ft|9|in|m|order=flip}} long overall and {{convert|408|ft|5|in|m|order=flip}} between perpendiculars with a beam of {{convert|53|ft|8|in|m|order=flip}} and a draught of {{convert|16|ft|4|in|m|order=flip}}.Saunders, p. 90 That made them slightly larger than the Iroquois-class destroyers. The vessels are propelled by two shafts with Escher Wyss controllable pitch propellers driven by a CODOG system of two General Electric LM2500 gas turbines, generating {{convert|47500|shp|kW|lk=in}} and one SEMT Pielstick 20 PA6 V 280 diesel engine, generating {{convert|8800|shp|kW}}.
This gives the frigates a maximum speed of {{convert|29|kn|lk=in}} and a range of {{convert|7000|nmi|lk=in}} at {{convert|15|kn}} while using their diesel engines. Using their gas turbines, the ships have a range of {{convert|3930|nmi}} at {{convert|18|kn}}. The Halifax class have a complement of 198 naval personnel of which 17 are officers and 17 aircrew of which 8 are officers.
=Armament and aircraft=
As built the Halifax-class vessels deployed the CH-124 Sea King helicopter, which acted in concert with shipboard sensors to seek out and destroy submarines at long distances from the ships. The ships have a helicopter deck fitted with a "bear trap" system allowing the launch and recovery of helicopters in up to sea state 6. The Halifax class also carries a close-in anti-submarine weapon in the form of the Mark 46 torpedo, launched from twin Mark 32 Mod 9 torpedo tubes in launcher compartments either side of the forward end of the helicopter hangar.
As built, the anti-shipping role is supported by the RGM-84 Harpoon Block 1C surface-to-surface missile, mounted in two quadruple launch tubes at the main deck level between the funnel and the helicopter hangar. For anti-aircraft self-defence the ships are armed with the Sea Sparrow vertical launch surface-to-air missile in two Mk 48 Mod 0 eight-cell launchers placed to port and starboard of the funnel. The vessels carry 16 missiles. A Raytheon/General Dynamics Phalanx Mark 15 Mod 21 Close-In Weapon System (CIWS) is mounted on top of the helicopter hangar for "last-ditch" defence against targets that evade the Sea Sparrow.
As built, the main gun on the forecastle is a Bofors 57 mm L/70 naval artillery gun from Bofors.{{efn|name=gun nomenclature}} The gun is capable of firing {{convert|2.4|kg|adj=on}} shells at a rate of 220 rounds per minute at a range of more than {{convert|17|km}}.
=Countermeasures and sensors=
As built, the decoy system comprises two BAE Systems Shield Mark 2 decoy launchers which fire chaff to {{convert|2|km}} and infrared rockets to {{convert|169|m|yd}} in distraction, confusion and centroid seduction modes. The torpedo decoy is the AN/SLQ-25A Nixie towed acoustic decoy from Argon ST. The ship's radar warning receiver, the CANEWS (Canadian Electronic Warfare System), SLQ-501, and the radar jammer, SLQ-505, were developed by Thorn and Lockheed Martin Canada.
Two Thales Nederland (formerly Signaal) SPG-503 (STIR 1.8) fire control radars are installed one on the roof of the bridge and one on the raised radar platform immediately forward of the helicopter hangar. The ship is also fitted with Raytheon AN/SPS-49(V)5 long-range active air search radar operating at C and D bands, Ericsson HC150 Sea Giraffe medium-range air and surface search radar operating at G and H bands, and Kelvin Hughes Type 1007 I-band navigation radar. The sonar suite includes the CANTASS Canadian Towed Array and GD-C AN/SQS-510 hull mounted sonar and incorporates an acoustic range prediction system. The sonobuoy processing system is the GD-C AN/UYS-503.
=Modernization=
The Halifax class underwent a modernization program, known as the Halifax Class Modernization (HCM) program, in order to update the frigates' capabilities in combatting modern smaller, faster and more mobile threats. This involved upgrading the command and control, radar, communications, electronic warfare and armament systems. Further improvements, such as modifying the vessel to accommodate the new Sikorsky CH-148 Cyclone helicopter and satellite links will be done separately from the main Frigate Equipment Life Extension (FELEX) program.{{cite web |url=http://www.forces.gc.ca/en/business-equipment/halifax-frigate.page |title=Halifax-class Modernization / Frigate Life Extension |publisher=National Defence and the Canadian Armed Forces |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180217141250/http://www.forces.gc.ca/en/business-equipment/halifax-frigate.page |archive-date=17 February 2018 |access-date=17 February 2018}}
The FELEX program comprised upgrading the combat systems integration to CMS330. The SPS-49 2D long range air search radar was replaced by the Thales Nederland SMART-S Mk 2 E/F-band 3D surveillance radar, and the two STIR 1.8 fire control radars were replaced by a pair of Saab Ceros 200 re-control radars. A Telephonics IFF Mode 5/S interrogator was installed and the Elisra NS9003A-V2HC ESM system replaced the SLQ-501 CANEWS. An IBM multi-link (Link 11, Link 16 and Link 22 enabled) datalink processing system was installed along with two Raytheon Anschütz Pathfinder Mk II navigation radars. Furthermore, Rheinmetall's Multi-Ammunition Soft kill System (MASS), known as MASS DUERAS was introduced to replace the Plessey Shield decoy system. The existing 57 mm Mk 2 guns were upgraded to the Mk 3 standard and the Harpoon missiles were improved to Block II levels, the Phalanx was upgraded to Block 1B and the obsolete Sea Sparrow system was replaced by the Evolved Sea Sparrow Missile.{{cite web |url=http://www.janes.com/article/60726/halifax-class-upgrade-on-finals-cansec2016d2 |title=Halifax class upgrade on finals [CANSEC2016D2] |last=Scott |first=Richard |website=janes.com |date=26 May 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180217141122/http://www.janes.com/article/60726/halifax-class-upgrade-on-finals-cansec2016d2 |archive-date=17 February 2018 |access-date=17 February 2018}}
Service history
Ville de Québec was laid down on 16 December 1988 at MIL Davie Shipbuilding, Lauzon, Quebec, and launched on 16 May 1991. The frigate was commissioned into the Canadian Forces on 14 July 1994 at Quebec City and carries the hull classification symbol FFH 332.Macpherson and Barrie, p. 296
On 9 February 1995, the ship departed Halifax to participate in the NATO naval exercise "Strong Resolve" off Norway. In July, the ship deployed as part of STANAVFORLANT in the Adriatic Sea as part of the blockade force against Yugoslavia. The ship returned to Canada in January 1996.Tracy, p. 226 In 1998, Ville de Québec was among the Canadian naval assets that deployed in the search for Swissair Flight 111. In 1999, Ville de Québec joined STANAVFORLANT again for a three-month tour.
On 2 September 2005 Ville de Québec was deployed with a joint Canadian Forces Maritime Command/Canadian Coast Guard task force to the Gulf of Mexico to assist the United States with disaster relief efforts in Louisiana and Mississippi following Hurricane Katrina. 300 sailors deployed from the task force to Biloxi, Mississippi to assist in the cleanup and reconstruction and the ships of the task force delivered supplies to Pensacola, Florida.{{cite web|url=http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20050913_Katrina_canadian_taskforce050911/?hub=TopStories |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050915052724/http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20050913_Katrina_canadian_taskforce050911/?hub=TopStories |url-status=dead |archive-date=15 September 2005 |title=Canadian sailors go ashore to help in Biloxi |access-date=7 September 2009 |author=CTV.ca News Staff |date=14 September 2005 |publisher=CTV News }}
In 2008, the frigate deployed as Canada's contribution to Standing NATO Maritime Group 1, NATO's fleet.Milner, p. 330 On 6 August 2008, it was announced that Ville de Québec would redeploy and help in the protection of NATO relief for Somalia from pirates. The ship arrived on 19 August 2008, escorting World Food Program vessels from Mombasa, Kenya to Mogadishu.Tracy, p. 280
During the summer of 2012, the frigate conducted an extensive tour of the Great Lakes, visiting 14 Great Lakes cities on both the Canadian and United States shores to mark the 200th anniversary of the War of 1812. Ville de Québec underwent her FELEX modernization beginning in October 2014 at Halifax, completing in December 2015.{{cite news |url=https://ottawacitizen.com/news/national/defence-watch/hmcs-ville-de-quebec-to-visit-montreal-toronto-brockville-and-quebec-city |title=HMCS Ville de Québec to visit Montreal, Toronto, Brockville and Quebec City |last=Pugliese |first=David |newspaper=Ottawa Citizen |date=6 September 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180217153123/http://ottawacitizen.com/news/national/defence-watch/hmcs-ville-de-quebec-to-visit-montreal-toronto-brockville-and-quebec-city |archive-date=17 February 2018 |access-date=17 February 2018}} On 3 March 2016, while performing work up trials, the ship suffered a fire in one of her diesel generators while at HMC Dockyard in Halifax. The fire was suppressed and three crew members were sent to hospital as a precaution. The amount of damage was undeclared.{{cite news |url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/hmcs-ville-de-quebec-generator-fire-1.3475398 |title=HMCS Ville de Québec generator catches fire at Halifax dockyard |work=CBC News |last=Irish |first=David |date=3 March 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180217153510/http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/hmcs-ville-de-quebec-generator-fire-1.3475398 |archive-date=17 February 2018 |access-date=17 February 2018}}{{cite news |url=http://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/military-officials-investigate-fire-on-board-hmcs-ville-de-quebec-1.2803450 |title=Military officials investigate fire on board HMCS Ville de Quebec |work=CTV News |agency=The Canadian Press |date=4 March 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180217153336/https://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/military-officials-investigate-fire-on-board-hmcs-ville-de-quebec-1.2803450 |archive-date=17 February 2018 |access-date=17 February 2018}} The damage was repaired and the ship performed a series of port visits along the Great Lakes and Saint Lawrence Seaway in September 2016.
On 18 July 2018, Ville de Québec departed Halifax to join Canada's Operation Reassurance in the Mediterranean and Black Seas, replacing sister ship {{HMCS|St. John's}}. Ville de Québec{{'}}s departure also marked the first international deployment of the Sikorsky CH-148 Cyclone helicopter.{{cite news |url=https://globalnews.ca/news/4338592/hmcs-ville-de-quebec-deployment/ |title=HMCS Ville de Quebec sets off from Halifax for first deployment as part of Operation Reassurance |work=Global News |agency=The Canadian Press |date=18 July 2018 |access-date=26 July 2018}}{{cite news |url=http://www.timescolonist.com/hmcs-st-john-s-to-return-to-halifax-after-six-month-deployment-overseas-1.23375629 |title=HMCS St. John's to return to Halifax after six-month deployment overseas |work=Times Colonist |agency=The Canadian Press |date=21 July 2018 |access-date=26 July 2018}} In October 2018, Ville de Québec was among the Canadian ships sent to participate in the large NATO exercise Trident Juncture in the North Atlantic and Baltic Seas.{{cite web |url=https://ottawacitizen.com/news/national/defence-watch/approximately-2000-canadian-military-personnel-in-europe-for-major-nato-exercise |title=Approximately 2,000 Canadian military personnel in Europe for major NATO exercise |work=Ottawa Citizen |last=Pugliese |first=David |date=25 October 2018 |access-date=30 October 2018}} The ship then deployed to the Mediterranean Sea as part of Operation Reassurance, joining Standing NATO Maritime Group 2 and visiting Israel and Croatia.{{cite web |url=https://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Heads-of-Canadian-Air-Force-and-Navy-join-HMCS-Ville-de-Quebec-in-Israel-574417 |title=Heads of Canadian Air Force and Navy Join HMCS Ville de Quebec in Israel |last=Ahronheim |first=Anna |work=The Jerusalem Post |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181227192002/https://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Heads-of-Canadian-Air-Force-and-Navy-join-HMCS-Ville-de-Quebec-in-Israel-574417 |archive-date=27 December 2018 |date=15 December 2018 |access-date=28 December 2018}}{{cite web |url=https://www.total-croatia-news.com/news/33264-dubrovnik |title=Dubrovnik Visited by Canadian Frigate HMCS Ville de Québec |work=total-croatia-news.com |date=30 December 2018 |last=Simmonds |first=Lauren |access-date=17 February 2019}} The frigate returned to Canada on 21 January 2019.{{cite web |url=https://globalnews.ca/news/4870073/hmcs-ville-de-quebec-returns/ |title=HMCS Ville de Québec returns to Halifax after 6-month deployment |last=Lau |first=Rebecca |work=Global News |date=21 January 2019 |access-date=17 February 2019}}
In August 2020, Ville de Québec was deployed to the Arctic as part of Operation Nanook along with {{MV|Asterix}} and {{HMCS|Glace Bay|MM 701|6}} from the Royal Canadian Navy and warships from the Danish, French, U.S. navies.{{cite web |url=https://www.rcinet.ca/eye-on-the-arctic/2020/08/05/allies-testing-naval-readiness-in-canadas-arctic/ |title=Allies testing naval readiness in Canada's Arctic |last=Brewster |first=Murray |work=Radio Canada International |date=5 August 2020 |access-date=7 January 2022 }} In 2025, the frigate joined the Royal Navy's carrier strike group as part of Operation HIGHMAST in a deployment to the Indo-Pacific region.{{cite web |title=HMS Astute participates in first photo exercise of the 2025 carrier strike group deployment |url=https://www.navylookout.com/hms-astute-participates-in-first-photo-exercise-of-the-2025-carrier-strike-group-deployment/ |access-date=30 April 2025 |work=Navy Lookout |date=29 April 2025}}
See also
References
=Notes=
{{notelist
| notes =
{{efn
| name = gun nomenclature
| The 70 calibre denotes the length of the gun. This means that the length of the gun barrel is 70 times the bore diameter.
}}
}}
=Citations=
{{Reflist|30em}}
=Sources=
- {{cite book |last1=Macpherson |first1=Ken |last2=Barrie |first2=Ron |date=2002 |title=The Ships of Canada's Naval Forces 1910–2002 |edition=Third |publisher=Vanwell Publishing |location=St. Catharines, Ontario |isbn=1-55125-072-1}}
- {{cite book |last=Milner |first=Marc |date=2010 |title=Canada's Navy: The First Century |edition=Second |publisher=University of Toronto Press |location=Toronto |isbn=978-0-8020-9604-3}}
- {{cite book |editor-last=Saunders |editor-first=Stephen |date=2004 |title=Jane's Fighting Ships 2004–05 |publisher=Jane's Information Group Inc. |location=Alexandria, Virginia |isbn=0-7106-2623-1}}
- {{cite book |last=Tracy |first=Nicholas |date=2012 |title=A Two-Edged Sword: The Navy as an Instrument of Canadian Foreign Policy |publisher=McGill-Queens University Press |location=Montreal, Quebec and Kingston, Ontario |isbn=978-0-7735-4051-4}}
External links
{{Commons category}}
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20100702133929/http://www.navy.forces.gc.ca/villedequebec/0/0-s_eng.asp HMCS Ville de Québec (FFH 332) – official website]
- [http://www.cipo.ic.gc.ca/app/opic-cipo/trdmrks/srch/vwTrdmrk.do;jsessionid=0001kfwrpblc6AgRYAELRcyNAbF:2MLLVRUAOM?lang=eng&status=&fileNumber=0903228&extension=0&startingDocumentIndexOnPage=1 HMCS Ville de Québec Trade Mark]
{{Halifax class frigate}}
{{Royal Canadian Navy}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ville de Quebec, HMCS}}
Category:Fleet of the Royal Canadian Navy
Category:Halifax-class frigates