The Royal Canadian Navy (RCN), in partnership with the Build in Canada Innovation Program (BCIP), completed a two-day Experimental Ship (X-Ship) Industry Day held yesterday at Her Majesty’s Canadian Ship (HMCS) Carleton, a local Naval Reserve Division.

“Innovation is a leading principle behind the X-Ship concept. Our aim is to rethink, and where possible, improve upon how we operate our current ships and help us prepare for our future fleet. The RCN has always embraced innovation, and it’s a practice that has only become more relevant in the modern era. Our drive to innovate comes from the need to ‘adapt to and overcome’ any emergent challenge at sea by using what is available on board your ship. For us, working with industry experts at such an early stage in the change process is a powerful way to harness their expertise and ideas to help us find solutions to the challenges we have identified.”

—    Vice Admiral Ron Lloyd, Commander Royal Canadian Navy

“The Build in Canada Innovation Program helps Canadian companies move their best-in-class innovations from the lab to the marketplace by matching innovative products with government needs, such as the ones for the RCN’s X-Ship.”

—    Arianne Reza, Assistant Deputy Minister, Procurement, Public Services and Procurement Canada

• Subjects covered during the Industry Engagement event included: an overview of the X-Ship program; a definition of RCN innovation areas of interest; an overview of the selection process; what industry can expect from the RCN; how selected industry partners will be engaged; and an explanation of the process of sea-trials for selected technologies. 

• Sea-trials enable the RCN and industry partners to collect data for use in future force development and ship builds, while also providing a first-hand view of possible benefits and pit-falls.

• The RCN’s innovation interests include: Cyber / communications; logistics; energy production / efficiency; training and simulation; habitability; stress management; and remotely piloted systems.

• The X-Ship is testing innovations in warship deployment, crew size, technology and sustainment to help prepare for the future RCN fleet and to improve the quality of life of its sailors.

• Early X-ship trials were primarily focused on human factors, such as variations of crew size and the impacts of crew rest on performance; these trials will continue throughout the testing timeframe. Future trials will also deal with operational and technical matters, including structural health monitoring, environmental effects on the ship, and information systems.

• The X-Ship is a dedicated trials platform that will continue to be employed in every day naval operations – patrols, fleet training, international exercises, and training support for Canada’s new maritime helicopters (the CH-148 “Cyclone”).

• HMCS Montréal is one of 12 modernized Halifax-class frigates. Canada’s Halifax-class frigates recently underwent a $4.3B upgrade and life-extension project that was completed on time and on budget.

• More than 235 contracts have been awarded under the BCIP, bringing Canadian companies one step closer to selling to domestic and international markets. More than $99 million has been awarded in contracts since the BCIP began in 2010.

• As outlined in Canada’s new Defence Policy, Strong, Secured and Engaged, the Department of National Defence will undertake a fundamentally new approach to fostering and harnessing the innovation capacity resident within Canada’s private sector and its academic institutions. This approach is called the Innovation for Defence Excellence and Security program (IDEaS) and it represents an investment of $1.6B over the next 20 years.

• The IDEaS program will establish networking and research clusters to stimulate collaboration and the free flow of ideas by bringing together academics, industry, and other partners. The program will also work more closely with Science and Economic Development Canada to ensure it is aligned with Canada’s Inclusive Innovation Agenda.

• The IDEaS program will include a “compete the idea” commitment, as well as the introduction of flexible new procurement mechanisms that will allow Defence to develop and test ideas, and to follow through on procuring those showing the most promise. 

Associated Links

• X-Ship leads the way in advancing innovative naval concepts
• HMCS Montréal begins first deployment as X-Ship
• Experimental ship industry day
• Selling Your Innovation
• Canada’s Defence Policy: Strong, Secure, Engaged

Media Relations
Department of National Defence
Phone: 613-996-2353
Toll-Free: 1-866-377-0811
Email: mlo-blm@forces.gc.ca

Public Services and Procurement Canada
Phone: 819-420-5501
Email: media@tpsgc-pwgsc.gc.ca