OUR SHIP

Based in Esquimalt, British Columbia on beautiful Vancouver Island, OTTAWA was completed in July 1996 and is the latest ship of the Halifax Class. She is the twelfth of her kind to be delivered to the Navy under the Canadian Patrol Frigate program. OTTAWA is a highly capable ship designed to perform in a variety of roles. HMCS OTTAWA is a Canadian-designed and built ship whose name carries a proud history.

It is an honour and privilege to serve in OTTAWA as our highly trained and dedicated crew will be the first to point out. HMCS OTTAWA's primary mission is to serve and protect Canada's interests.

This mission is supported by maintaining operational and technical readiness as assigned by Commander Canadian Fleet Pacific in order to respond to a wide range of possible tasking from peace through to combat. OTTAWA's utility is exemplified by the wide-ranging deployability and flexible capability of the world-class Canadian Patrol Frigate.

The Canadian Patrol Frigate (CPF) employs a steel superstructure, ballistic protection, redundant propulsion and electrical systems, a redundant distributed combat system, a survivable integrated communications system, a survivable propulsion control system, excellent automated damage control feature, a uniquely comprehensive NBC citadel, and is rigorously shock protected and designed to withstand nuclear air blast loads.

HMCS OTTAWA, which is equipped with a medium-frequency, hull mounted sonar and a low frequency, passive towed-array sonar, hull-launched torpedoes, and one large CH-124 Sea King helicopter, as delivered is the highest rated frigate with regard to anti-submarine warfare capability.

The CPF is the only frigate that has an advance, state-of-the-art, fully distributed combat system, with a distributed command and control system linked by redundant data buses. OTTAWA's command and control system is also fully automated for all modes of operations.

OTTAWA has a state-of-the-art fully automated and integrated external communications system using computerized circuit set-up monitoring, and reconfiguration. OTTAWA's broadband high frequency communications system is assessed to provide good performance while requiring relatively limited frequency management.

OTTAWA has an advanced state-of-the-art machinery control system that is assessed to be unique in that it is completely digital and based on six multi-function electronic displays in four redundant locations. The machinery control system also interfaces with the computerized damage control system.