An expansion to the Rolls-Royce Centre of Excellence for Naval Handling Equipment in Canada, has recently completed. Earlier this year, Rolls-Royce invited Canadian Government officials to break ground on the centre. The Canadian Federal Government has already selected the Global Combat Ship design for the Royal Canadian Navy’s 15 new Canadian Surface Combatant (CSC) ships. The 7,500 sq-ft expansion of the facility based in Peterborough, Ontario will facilitate the assembly and test of the innovative Mission Bay Handling System, a key feature of the Global Combat Ship design recently selected for UK, Canada and Australia’s advanced anti-submarine warfare frigate programs.
Bruce Lennie, Rolls-Royce Canada, Vice President, Business Development & Government Affairs said: “The timely completion of the expansion and the significant investment in the infrastructure to support the CSC program demonstrates our commitment to developing advanced industrial technologies to benefit the Canadian economy and Canada’s Armed Forces.”
The investment into the expansion of the facility is an example of the National Shipbuilding Strategy delivering 100% Canadian Content Value as part of the Industrial and Technological Benefits policy. Rolls-Royce has already expanded its supply chain in Canada to meet the significant domestic and international export opportunities created by the Global Combat Ship program, working closely with Irving Shipbuilding, the prime contractor for the CSC program, as well as Lockheed Martin Canada and BAE Systems to enable the company to sustain significant growth of the Canadian economy well into the future.
Rolls-Royce is a diversified, high technology partner with over 70 years of service in Canada. Today, we employ approximately 1,000 Canadians across four facilities in cities including Montreal, Ottawa and Peterborough. The Centre will harness and build upon the wealth of Canadian engineering and technological expertise we have at Rolls-Royce. Rolls-Royce’s Mission Bay Handling System (MBHS) is designed for adaptability and flexibility, offering a low-risk solution for tomorrow’s platforms. The MBHS has the capability to launch and recover naval vehicles and move containerised packages without the aid of a dockside crane. The multi-functional system can also be easily adapted to support custom operational requirements, such as humanitarian missions, by providing the space for medical facilities and aid supplies.