Iroquois class destroyer
Encyclopedia
Iroquois-class destroyers, also known as Tribal class, are a class of four helicopter
Helicopter
A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by one or more engine-driven rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forwards, backwards, and laterally...
-carrying, guided missile destroyer
Guided missile destroyer
A guided missile destroyer is a destroyer designed to launch guided missiles. Many are also equipped to carry out anti-submarine, anti-air, and anti-surface operations. In the U.S...
s of the Canadian Forces
Canadian Forces
The Canadian Forces , officially the Canadian Armed Forces , are the unified armed forces of Canada, as constituted by the National Defence Act, which states: "The Canadian Forces are the armed forces of Her Majesty raised by Canada and consist of one Service called the Canadian Armed Forces."...
. Launched in the 1970s, they were originally fitted out for anti-submarine warfare
Anti-submarine warfare
Anti-submarine warfare is a branch of naval warfare that uses surface warships, aircraft, or other submarines to find, track and deter, damage or destroy enemy submarines....
, but a major upgrade programme in the 1990s overhauled them for area-wide anti-aircraft defence. HMCS Huron was paid off and later sunk in a live-fire exercise, leaving three ships in the class.
Original design
The ships were originally intended for long-range anti-submarine warfare. Their primary weapon for this role was their complement of two CH-124 Sea KingCH-124 Sea King
The Sikorsky CH-124 Sea King is a twin-engined anti-submarine warfare helicopter designed for shipboard use. The Canadian variant is based on the US Navy's SH-3 and has been continuously in service with the Royal Canadian Navy and Canadian Forces since 1963.-Design and development:The advent of...
helicopters, which were supported on a large flight deck with a two-helicopter hangar that collectively took up roughly half of the ship's available area. The helicopters could be launched in even high sea states due to their "bear trap
Beartrap (helicopter device)
The beartrap is the Canadian name of a device invented for smaller warships, like frigates and destroyers, that carry helicopters. While not essential to enable embarked helicopters to operate from small escort vessels, it enables them to operate in a wider range of weather conditions.In the...
" winch system.
The Iroquois represented an uncommon design compromise compared to its contemporaries. Most ships of the same general size and role, like the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
's Type 22
Type 22 frigate
The Type 22 Broadsword class is a class of frigate built for the British Royal Navy. Fourteen of the class were built in total, with production divided into three batches. With the decommissioning of HMS Cornwall on 30 June 2011, the final Type 22 of the Royal Navy was retired from service...
or US Navy's Oliver Hazard Perry
Oliver Hazard Perry class frigate
The Oliver Hazard Perry class is a class of frigates named after the American Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry, the hero of the naval Battle of Lake Erie...
, had much smaller helicopter support areas, typically only the rear 1/4 of the ship. These supported a single, small, short-range helicopter, the Westland Lynx
Westland Lynx
The Westland Lynx is a British multi-purpose military helicopter designed and built by Westland Helicopters at its factory in Yeovil. Originally intended as a utility craft for both civil and naval usage, military interest led to the development of both battlefield and naval variants...
or Kaman Seasprite. These were incapable of operating independently of the ship's sensors, and were effectively a system for extending the range of the weapons they carried. In contrast, the Iroquois' Sea Kings were able to carry a complete sensor suite and operate at much longer ranges, allowing a single Iroquois to independently control a much larger area of the ocean. The downside to this design is that the area taken up by the helicopters would normally be given over to other weapon systems.
For anti-submarine use, the helicopters were backed up by two triple-mount torpedo launchers firing Mk.44 and Mk.46 Mod 5 torpedoes and a Limbo Mark 10
Limbo (weapon)
Limbo, or Anti Submarine Mortar Mark 10 , was the final British development of a forward-throwing anti-submarine weapon originally designed during the Second World War. Limbo, a three-barreled mortar similar to the earlier Squid that it superseded, was developed by the Admiralty Underwater Weapons...
depth charge
Depth charge
A depth charge is an anti-submarine warfare weapon intended to destroy or cripple a target submarine by the shock of exploding near it. Most use explosives and a fuze set to go off at a preselected depth in the ocean. Depth charges can be dropped by either surface ships, patrol aircraft, or from...
mortar
Mortar (weapon)
A mortar is an indirect fire weapon that fires explosive projectiles known as bombs at low velocities, short ranges, and high-arcing ballistic trajectories. It is typically muzzle-loading and has a barrel length less than 15 times its caliber....
. For other duties the ships also mounted a Otobreda 127/54 Compact
Otobreda 127/54 Compact
The Otobreda 127mm/54 Compact gun is a naval artillery piece built by the Italian company Oto Melara. The gun is completely new but uses the same semi fixed ammunition as the American 5 inch/ 54 gun. It was introduced into service in 1968. A new advanced lightweight mounting for corvettes has been...
5" multi-purpose gun and two four-round Sea Sparrow launchers for point anti-aircraft defence. The two four-round missile batteries were located in a protected box on the deck just in front of the bridge area (behind the gun). For firing, the box opened and the battery extended to the sides, requiring some time for them to unlimber.
The ships were powered primarily by two Pratt & Whitney FT12-AH3 of 7,400 shp each, backed up by two more FT4-A2 gas turbines of 50,000 shp each for boost. They were the first large combat ships to be powered entirely by gas turbine. The power from these turbines was used to run the twin shafts through a series of helical gears. One unique feature was the distinctive Y-shaped "Playboy Bunny
Playboy Bunny
A Playboy Bunny is a waitress at the Playboy Club. The Playboy Clubs were originally open from 1960 to 1988. The Club re-opened in one location in The Palms Hotel in Las Vegas in 2006...
" funnels, which were designed to exit the exhaust gases to either side of the helicopter deck.
The ships were 425 × 50 × 14 feet (129.8 × 15.2 × 4.4 metres) and 4,700 tons displacement. The normal crew complement was 285.
Gulf War modification
was deployed on Operation Friction, the Canadian Forces contribution to the international coalition naval task force serving in Operation Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm (the Gulf WarGulf War
The Persian Gulf War , commonly referred to as simply the Gulf War, was a war waged by a U.N.-authorized coalition force from 34 nations led by the United States, against Iraq in response to Iraq's invasion and annexation of Kuwait.The war is also known under other names, such as the First Gulf...
).
Athabaskan was the flagship of the Canadian Naval Task Group and was hurriedly modified at CFB Halifax
CFB Halifax
Canadian Forces Base Halifax is Canada's east coast navy base and home port to the Atlantic fleet, known as Maritime Forces Atlantic....
in August 1990 prior to the deployment. These modifications included a new mine-avoidance sonar, a Phalanx 20mm CIWS (mounted over the Limbo mortar well, which was made inoperative) and shoulder launched Blowpipe
Blowpipe missile
The Shorts Blowpipe is a man-portable surface-to-air missile which was in use with the British Army and Royal Marines from 1975. It was superseded by an interim design, Javelin, and later the greatly improved Starstreak missile.-Description:...
and Javelin
Javelin surface-to-air missile
Javelin is a British, man-portable surface-to-air missile, formerly used by the British Army and Canadian Army. It can be fired from the shoulder, or from a dedicated launcher known as Javelin LML—Lightweight Multiple Launcher...
missiles.
TRUMP modifications
The entire class underwent major retrofits as a part of the Tribal Class Update and Modernization Project (TRUMP) in the early 1990s. These refits had the effect of re-purposing the ships for area air defence; following TRUMP the Iroquois-class were referred to as air defence destroyers. Their former anti-submarine role was largely transferred to the s.The main weapon of the new design is the Mk.41 VLS, firing 29 SM-2 Block III
RIM-66 Standard
The RIM-66 Standard MR is a medium range surface-to-air missile originally developed for the United States Navy . The SM-1 was developed as a replacement for the RIM-2 Terrier and RIM-24 Tartar that were deployed in the 1950s on a variety of USN ships...
long-range anti-aircraft missiles. In order to provide room for the VLS, the original 5" gun was replaced with the smaller but much faster firing Oto Melara 76 mm gun, relocated from the deck to the bridgework above it. A Phalanx CIWS
Phalanx CIWS
The Phalanx CIWS is an anti-ship missile defense system. It is a close-in weapon system and was designed and manufactured by the General Dynamics Corporation, Pomona Division...
was also added for self-defence. The torpedo tubes were retained, but the Sea Sparrow system was removed.
The modernization also replaced the original Pratt & Whitney FT-12 cruise turbines with newer 12,788 shp 570-KF engines from Allison
Allison Engine Company
The Allison Engine Company was a U.S. aircraft engine manufacturer. In 1929, shortly after the death of James Allison, the company was purchased by the Fisher brothers. Fisher sold the company to General Motors, who owned it for most of its history...
. The speed remained the same, however, as the weight had increased to 5,100 tons full load. The original split funnel was replaced by a simpler single one, as the exhaust proved not to be a problem.
The TRUMP was intended to be a stop-gap measure since the radar systems on these ships are outdated. Following TRUMP, the Iroquois-class were intended to be decommissioned by 2010. Defence budget cuts during the mid-1990s resulted in Huron being left without a crew. Huron was paid off in 2005, and sunk in a live-fire exercise in 2007 by her sister ship Algonquin.
There has been some preliminary work on a replacement design, known to Canadian naval observers as the ; however, this was confined largely to studies of a much-improved phased array radar system being developed for the Royal Netherlands Navy
Royal Netherlands Navy
The Koninklijke Marine is the navy of the Netherlands. In the mid-17th century the Dutch Navy was the most powerful navy in the world and it played an active role in the wars of the Dutch Republic and later those of the Batavian Republic and the Kingdom of the Netherlands...
and German Navy
German Navy
The German Navy is the navy of Germany and is part of the unified Bundeswehr .The German Navy traces its roots back to the Imperial Fleet of the revolutionary era of 1848 – 52 and more directly to the Prussian Navy, which later evolved into the Northern German Federal Navy...
known as APAR
Active Phased Array Radar
APAR is a shipborne multifunction radar developed and manufactured by Thales Nederland. It is the first Active Electronically Scanned Array MFR employed on an operational warship.-Characteristics:...
. Current speculation is that the ships themselves would be similar to an enlarged Halifax-class frigate. Such a design would have similar capability to the Iroquois but only embark one helicopter. There appear to be no current plans to actually build such a class.
HMCS Iroquois (DDG 280)
- Builders:
CanadaCanadaCanada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
(Built at Marine Industries Ltd.Marine Industries LimitedMarine Industries Limited was a Canadian ship building company, in Sorel, Quebec, with a shipyard located on the Richelieu river about 1 km from the St. Lawrence River. It employed up to 10,000 people during the post WWII boom....
, Sorel) - Laid down: 15 January 1969
- Launched: 28 November 1970
- Operator: Royal Canadian Navy
- Commissioned: 29 July 1972
- Status: In active service
- Modifications: 3 July 1992 TRUMP - addition of Mk.41 VLS SM-2 Block IIIRIM-66 StandardThe RIM-66 Standard MR is a medium range surface-to-air missile originally developed for the United States Navy . The SM-1 was developed as a replacement for the RIM-2 Terrier and RIM-24 Tartar that were deployed in the 1950s on a variety of USN ships...
, Phalanx CIWSPhalanx CIWSThe Phalanx CIWS is an anti-ship missile defense system. It is a close-in weapon system and was designed and manufactured by the General Dynamics Corporation, Pomona Division...
and Otobreda 76 mmOtobreda 76 mmThe Otobreda 76 mm gun is a naval artillery piece built by the Italian defence conglomerate Otobreda. It is based on the Oto Melara 76mm/L62 Allargato, which was bigger and heavier...
gun; removal of Sea Sparrow SAM - Operations: 6 month deployment to the Arabian Sea as a part of Operation Enduring Freedom.
HMCS Huron (DDG 281)
- Builders:
Canada (Davie ShipbuildingDavie ShipbuildingDavie Shipbuilding is a historic shipbuilding company located in Lauzon, Quebec. The facility has undergone restructuring and is currently operating as Davie Yards Incorporated.-History:...
, LauzonLauzon, QuebecLauzon is a former city in southern Quebec, Canada, located on the St. Lawrence River northeast of Lévis. Founded in 1910, Lauzon had a population of about 14,500 when it merged with Lévis in 1989...
) - Laid down: 1 June 1969
- Launched: 9 April 1971
- Operator: Royal Canadian Navy
- Commissioned: 16 December 1972
- Decommissioned: 31 March 2005
- Status: Sunk on 14 May 2007 100 km west of Vancouver IslandVancouver IslandVancouver Island is a large island in British Columbia, Canada. It is one of several North American locations named after George Vancouver, the British Royal Navy officer who explored the Pacific Northwest coast of North America between 1791 and 1794...
as part of a SINK-EX named exercise Trident Fury 2007. - Modifications: 25 November 1994 TRUMP - addition of Mk.41 VLS SM-2 Block IIIRIM-66 StandardThe RIM-66 Standard MR is a medium range surface-to-air missile originally developed for the United States Navy . The SM-1 was developed as a replacement for the RIM-2 Terrier and RIM-24 Tartar that were deployed in the 1950s on a variety of USN ships...
, Phalanx CIWSPhalanx CIWSThe Phalanx CIWS is an anti-ship missile defense system. It is a close-in weapon system and was designed and manufactured by the General Dynamics Corporation, Pomona Division...
and Otobreda 76 mmOtobreda 76 mmThe Otobreda 76 mm gun is a naval artillery piece built by the Italian defence conglomerate Otobreda. It is based on the Oto Melara 76mm/L62 Allargato, which was bigger and heavier...
gun; removal of Sea Sparrow SAM - Operations:
HMCS Athabaskan (DDG 282)
- Builders: Canada (Davie ShipbuildingDavie ShipbuildingDavie Shipbuilding is a historic shipbuilding company located in Lauzon, Quebec. The facility has undergone restructuring and is currently operating as Davie Yards Incorporated.-History:...
, LauzonLauzon, QuebecLauzon is a former city in southern Quebec, Canada, located on the St. Lawrence River northeast of Lévis. Founded in 1910, Lauzon had a population of about 14,500 when it merged with Lévis in 1989...
) - Laid down: 1 June 1969
- Launched: 27 November 1970
- Operator: Royal Canadian Navy
- Commissioned: 30 November 1972
- Status: In active service
- Modifications: 4 June 1994 TRUMP - addition of Mk.41 VLS SM-2 Block IIIRIM-66 StandardThe RIM-66 Standard MR is a medium range surface-to-air missile originally developed for the United States Navy . The SM-1 was developed as a replacement for the RIM-2 Terrier and RIM-24 Tartar that were deployed in the 1950s on a variety of USN ships...
, Phalanx CIWSPhalanx CIWSThe Phalanx CIWS is an anti-ship missile defense system. It is a close-in weapon system and was designed and manufactured by the General Dynamics Corporation, Pomona Division...
and Otobreda 76 mmOtobreda 76 mmThe Otobreda 76 mm gun is a naval artillery piece built by the Italian defence conglomerate Otobreda. It is based on the Oto Melara 76mm/L62 Allargato, which was bigger and heavier...
gun; removal of Sea Sparrow SAM - Operations: Operation HESTIAOperation HestiaOperation Hestia is the name of the Canadian Forces humanitarian response to the 2010 Haiti earthquake which struck Haiti on 12 January, 2010. Operation Hestia is the military component of an interagency response that also involves Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada and the Canadian...
HMCS Algonquin (DDG 283)
.jpg)
- Builders: Canada (Davie ShipbuildingDavie ShipbuildingDavie Shipbuilding is a historic shipbuilding company located in Lauzon, Quebec. The facility has undergone restructuring and is currently operating as Davie Yards Incorporated.-History:...
, LauzonLauzon, QuebecLauzon is a former city in southern Quebec, Canada, located on the St. Lawrence River northeast of Lévis. Founded in 1910, Lauzon had a population of about 14,500 when it merged with Lévis in 1989...
) - Laid down: 1 September 1969
- Launched: 23 April 1971
- Operator: Royal Canadian Navy
- Commissioned: 3 November 1972
- Status: In active service
- Modifications: 4 June 1994 TRUMP - addition of Mk.41 VLS SM-2 Block IIIRIM-66 StandardThe RIM-66 Standard MR is a medium range surface-to-air missile originally developed for the United States Navy . The SM-1 was developed as a replacement for the RIM-2 Terrier and RIM-24 Tartar that were deployed in the 1950s on a variety of USN ships...
, Phalanx CIWSPhalanx CIWSThe Phalanx CIWS is an anti-ship missile defense system. It is a close-in weapon system and was designed and manufactured by the General Dynamics Corporation, Pomona Division...
and Otobreda 76 mmOtobreda 76 mmThe Otobreda 76 mm gun is a naval artillery piece built by the Italian defence conglomerate Otobreda. It is based on the Oto Melara 76mm/L62 Allargato, which was bigger and heavier...
gun; removal of Sea Sparrow SAM - Operations: