Canada's Seaspan Shipyards is now working towards the start of production drawings in preparation for future construction of new multi-purpose icebreakers (MPIs) for the Canadian Coast Guard.
The coast guard intends to build up to 16 MPIs, broken down into three flights, with variations in each flight’s mission profile and overall make-up. Functional design for these vessels is being done in-house at Seaspan, which said that design work on the MPI program is on schedule and under budget.
The MPIs will be built as polar class four icebreakers, with advanced capabilities such as continuous icebreaking in heavy ice conditions. Seaspan said this will allow them to carry out multiple missions including maritime search and rescue, environmental response, and maintaining Canada’s marine navigation system of about 17,000 navigation aids.
The first flight of MPIs will replace the existing Martha L. Black-class high endurance multi-tasked vessels and medium endurance multi-tasked vessels.
Each MPI will have a displacement of more than 8,500 tonnes, a length of 99.9 metres, a beam of 20.3 metres, and accommodation for up to 50 personnel. The vessels will also be able to break one metre of ice continuously.
The areas of operation for the MPIs will include: Canada’s eastern and western seaboards, within Canada’s exclusive economic zone (year-round); the Gulf of St. Lawrence, the St. Lawrence River and the Great Lakes (year-round); and the western and lower Arctic (summer).
A variant of the MPI known as the Arctic security cutter is being built for the US Coast Guard by a partnership formed by Seaspan, US-based Bollinger Shipyards, and Finnish companies Rauma Marine Constructions and Aker Arctic.