- Reaction score
- 1
- Points
- 230
Barriers to protect HMC Ships at dockyards
By Virginia Beaton
HALIFAX - The Navy will be putting in protective barriers around Her Majesty's Canadian Ships in Halifax to assure a higher level of security.
"We know where we're going to put them, but the design or the product itself has not gone to Public Works for contracting for bidders," said Lieutenant-Commander (LCdr) Scott Tofflemire, Queen's Harbour Master. "So until that is all done, we won't have an idea what company is actually going to provide and meet our needs."
Maritime Forces Pacific (MARPAC) had built its own boom (or barrier) last year, "but it's a little cumbersome," said to LCdr Tofflemire. The project for the new security barriers is nationally driven, with the budget to be shared between the east and west coasts.
The east coast boom will define the dockyard areas where Navy ships are customarily berthed, said LCdr Tofflemire. This will provide protection against small vessels coming into the controlled access zones.
"It gives us a clear indication as to whether a small vessel intends to access our controlled access zone, or if it goes through it, then we have reasonable information that it is done with intent, which could possibly pose harm or a threat to our vessels or our infrastructure here at the dockyard," said LCdr Tofflemire.
This project has been under consideration for some time, he further explained. "This is not something we just thought about a few weeks ago. It had been looked at as early as April 2002, just after the Government of Canada put an Order in Council that DND is allowed to establish controlled access zones."
Since that time, the Navy has been looking at ways to better define these controlled access zones and provide protection for key assets.
"It's just one more measure that we are putting in place."
The purchase and installation of the new barriers is expected to be completed by the end of March 2006.
By Virginia Beaton
HALIFAX - The Navy will be putting in protective barriers around Her Majesty's Canadian Ships in Halifax to assure a higher level of security.
"We know where we're going to put them, but the design or the product itself has not gone to Public Works for contracting for bidders," said Lieutenant-Commander (LCdr) Scott Tofflemire, Queen's Harbour Master. "So until that is all done, we won't have an idea what company is actually going to provide and meet our needs."
Maritime Forces Pacific (MARPAC) had built its own boom (or barrier) last year, "but it's a little cumbersome," said to LCdr Tofflemire. The project for the new security barriers is nationally driven, with the budget to be shared between the east and west coasts.
The east coast boom will define the dockyard areas where Navy ships are customarily berthed, said LCdr Tofflemire. This will provide protection against small vessels coming into the controlled access zones.
"It gives us a clear indication as to whether a small vessel intends to access our controlled access zone, or if it goes through it, then we have reasonable information that it is done with intent, which could possibly pose harm or a threat to our vessels or our infrastructure here at the dockyard," said LCdr Tofflemire.
This project has been under consideration for some time, he further explained. "This is not something we just thought about a few weeks ago. It had been looked at as early as April 2002, just after the Government of Canada put an Order in Council that DND is allowed to establish controlled access zones."
Since that time, the Navy has been looking at ways to better define these controlled access zones and provide protection for key assets.
"It's just one more measure that we are putting in place."
The purchase and installation of the new barriers is expected to be completed by the end of March 2006.