HMCS Fredericton is a that has served in the Canadian Forces since 1994. Fredericton is the eighth ship in her class which is based on the Canadian Patrol Frigate Project. She is the second vessel to carry the name. Fredericton serves on MARLANT missions protecting Canada's sovereignty in the Atlantic Ocean and enforcing Canadian laws in its territorial sea and Exclusive Economic Zone. Fredericton has also been deployed on missions throughout the Atlantic and to the Indian Ocean; specifically the Persian Gulf and Arabian Sea on anti-terrorism operations. Fredericton has also participated in several NATO missions, patrolling the Atlantic Ocean as part of Standing Naval Force Atlantic (STANAVFORLANT) and its successor Standing NATO Response Force Maritime Group 1 (SNMG1). The frigate is assigned to Maritime Forces Atlantic (MARLANT) and is homeported at CFB Halifax.
As of 8 July 2022 Fredericton has been commanded by Commander Matt Mitchell.
Description and design
The Halifax-class frigate design, emerging from the Canadian Patrol Frigate Project, was ordered by the Canadian Forces in 1977 as a replacement for the aging , , , and es of destroyer escorts, which were all tasked with anti-submarine warfare. Fredericton was ordered in December 1987 as part of the second batch of frigates. To reflect the changing long term strategy of the Navy during the 1980s and 1990s, the Halifax-class frigate was designed as a general purpose warship with particular focus on anti-submarine capabilities. That made them slightly larger than the Iroquois-class destroyers.
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.
Operational history
Frederictons keel was laid down on 25 April 1992 at Saint John Shipbuilding Ltd. at Saint John, New Brunswick and the frigate was launched on 26 June 1993. Fredericton was commissioned into the Canadian Forces on 10 September 1994 and carries the hull classification symbol FFH 337. From February to April 1995, the frigate sailed to the Persian Gulf to take part in sanctions enforcement against Iraq that were instituted following the end of the Gulf War. On 5 April, while transiting the Gulf of Aden, the frigate responded to a distress call from the yacht Longo Barda which was under attack by pirates. The warship deployed to the Adriatic Sea, joining the blockade force on 14 December 1995. Fredericton was flagship of the force from 29 February to 11 March 1996.
Fire and collision
A fire broke out in the forward engine room of the frigate on 6 May 2009. The fire was suppressed within a few minutes and the ship made a brief stop at the home base of Halifax before being given the all-clear to return to sea. Fredericton departed Halifax, Nova Scotia on 25 October 2009 to commence her transit to the Gulf of Aden, northern Arabian Sea and Gulf of Oman. She integrated into SNMG1 in November 2009 and remained with SNMG1 until February 2010 conducting counter-piracy patrols in the Gulf of Aden and Somali Basin. Following a Rest and Maintenance Period (RAMP), the vessel integrated into Combined Task Force 150 (CTF 150) to conduct counter-terror patrols in the Gulf of Aden and Gulf of Oman. Fredericton returned home on 4 May 2010, the 100th Anniversary of the Canadian Navy. On 18 November 2010, Fredericton briefly came into contact with during a replenishment-at-sea manoeuvre off the coast of Florida. There were no injuries, but both ships suffered superficial damage consisting of scrapes and dents on both hulls.
Refit
On 6 October 2011, Fredericton was turned over to Irving Shipbuilding's Halifax Shipyards, to start the vessel's FELEX mid-life upgrading and modernization. Fredericton was returned to CFB Halifax Dockyard on 24 January 2013. She completed readiness work-ups (WUPs) in September 2014. Following her refit, Fredericton was deployed to the Mediterranean Sea as part of Operation Reassurance on 30 December 2014. The frigate joined Standing NATO Maritime Group 2 (SNMG2) in the Black Sea in March 2015 for training exercises. As part of SNMG2, Fredericton took part in Exercise "Joint Warrior", a training exercise off the coast of the United Kingdom in April 2015.
Fredericton deployed to the Baltic Sea in June 2015 for training. While there Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Defence Minister Jason Kenney visited the ship. While they were aboard, the frigate was tailed by two Russian ships keeping a distance of . The frigate returned from deployment on 12 July 2015. During a routine inspection in November, fissures were found in the hull requiring repairs at Halifax. Following completion of repairs, the ship relieved in the Mediterranean, sailing on 5 January 2016.
During her deployment with SNMG2 in the Mediterranean, Fredericton was charged with halting the smuggling of migrants to Europe. In April it was announced that Fredericton would be one of the test ships for the Royal Canadian Navy's planned reduced crew size trials. Fredericton deployed to Operation Reassurance with a reduced version of the experiment that will be done on sister ship . The same month, SNMG2 deployed to the Black Sea as part of Operation Reassurance. The ship returned to Halifax on 5 July 2016.
In September 2016 Fredericton was among the Canadian warships deployed to the NATO naval training exercise "Cutlass Fury" off the east coast of North America. In November the frigate sailed to the Caribbean Sea visiting several nations. Fredericton stopped at Cuba to make the first port visit by a Canadian warship in 50 years to the country.
thumb|HMCS Fredericton and [[HMS Kent (F78)|HMS Kent in July 2020]]
On 20 January 2020, Fredericton departed Halifax as part of Operation Reassurance in the Mediterranean and Black seas. While in the Mediterranean, the frigate made a port call in Italy in March, sparking concerns over possible infection during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, no cases were found aboard the ship and the vessel was ordered to cancel a number of other port calls while continuing its mission.
Helicopter crash
On 29 April 2020, it was reported the frigate's CH-148 Cyclone had crashed into the Ionian Sea, near the Greek island of Cephalonia. The helicopter had been returning from a NATO training mission, with six members of the Canadian Armed Forces on board, at the time of the incident. Of the six service members killed, four were members of the Royal Canadian Air Force, with the remaining two members of the Royal Canadian Navy. As of 1 May 2020, only one body has been recovered, with the remaining victims missing and presumed dead. The specialised salvage ship EDT Hercules was dispatched with Canadian and American military recovery teams from Souda Bay, Greece to recover the wreckage of the Cyclone helicopter on 25 May. The wreckage was located in of water. Fredericton returned to Halifax on 28 July 2020. The crash was caused in part by a conflict between the helicopter's autopilot and the pilot's manual controls. The investigation further concluded that manufacturer supplied CH148 publications contained "information that may have been confusing or misleading to operators, contained numerous sections on automation considerations that were incomplete, and lacked manoeuvre descriptions that would have been required for operational use." The recommended fix was to modify the software embedded within the electronic flight control laws and to enhance flight mode annunciation and awareness to the crew.
2021 fire
Fredericton departed Halifax on 24 July 2021 for a six-month deployment with NATO in European waters. Participating in the Norwegian led exercise FLOTEX 2021, on 18 November Fredericton reported a fire in the forward engine room. The fire was put out by the crew, but led to loss of propulsion for some time. The frigate later recovered propulsion and was assisted by the Norwegian Coast Guard to port in Trondheim for repairs. The fire occurred when a temporary bilge pump was left connected while the main pump was under repair. The ship returned to Canada on 18 December.
In January 2023, Fredericton departed Halifax for another six-month deployment in support of NATO operations in the Mediterranean Sea. The vessel returned in July.