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	HMCS Brandon in July 2004
History
Canada
Name	Brandon
Namesake	Brandon, Manitoba
Builder	Halifax Shipyards Ltd., Halifax, Nova Scotia
Laid down	6 December 1997
Launched	10 July 1998
Commissioned	5 June 1999
Homeport	CFB Esquimalt
Identification	Pennant number: MM 710; MMSI number: 316267000; Callsign: CGJI;
Honours and; awards	Atlantic, 1941–45; Gulf of St. Lawrence, 1944.;
Status	in active service
General characteristics
Class and type	Kingston-class coastal defence vessel
Displacement	970 long tons (986 t)
Length	55.3 m (181 ft 5 in)
Beam	11.3 m (37 ft 1 in)
Draught	3.4 m (11 ft 2 in)
Propulsion	4 × Jeumont ANR-53-50 alternators, 4 × 600VAC Wärtsilä UD 23V12 diesel engines, 7.2 MW (9,700 hp); 2 × Jeumont CI 560L motors, 3,000 hp (2,200 kW) ; 2 × LIPS Z drive azimuth thrusters;
Speed	15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph)
Range	5,000 nmi (9,300 km; 5,800 mi) at 8 kn (15 km/h; 9.2 mph)
Complement	37
Sensors and ; processing systems	Kelvin Hughes navigation radar (I-band); Kelvin Hughes 6000 surface search radar (E-F band); Global Positioning System; AN/SQS-511 towed side scan sonar; Remote-control Mine Hunting System (RMHS);
Armament	1 × Bofors 40 mm/60 Mk 5C gun (removed from the class); 2 × M2 machine guns;

HMCS Brandon is a Kingston-class coastal defence vessel that has served in the Canadian Forces since 1999. Brandon is the eleventh ship of her class. She is the second vessel to use the name HMCS Brandon. The Brandon is assigned to Maritime Forces Pacific (MARPAC) and is homeported at CFB Esquimalt.

Design and description

The Kingston class was designed to fill the minesweeper, coastal patrol and reserve training needs of the Canadian Forces, replacing the Bay-class minesweepers, Porte-class gate vessels and Royal Canadian Mounted Police coastal launches in those roles.^[2] In order to perform these varied duties the Kingston-class vessels are designed to carry up to three 6.1-metre (20 ft) ISO containers with power hookups on the open deck aft in order to embark mission-specific payloads.^[3] The seven module types available for embarkation include four route survey, two mechanical minesweeping and one bottom inspection modules.^[2]

The Kingston class displace 970 long tons (986 t) and are 55.3 metres (181 ft 5 in) long overall with a beam 11.3 metres (37 ft 1 in) and a draught of 3.4 metres (11 ft 2 in).^[2] The coastal defence vessels are powered by four Jeumont ANR-53-50 alternators coupled to four Wärtsilä UD 23V12 diesel engines creating 7.2 megawatts (9,700 hp). Two LIPS Z-drive azimuth thrusters are driven by two Jeumont CI 560L motors creating 3,000 horsepower (2,200 kW) and the Z drives can be rotated 360°. This gives the ships a maximum speed of 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph) and a range of 5,000 nautical miles (9,300 km; 5,800 mi) at 8 knots (15 km/h; 9.2 mph).^[4]

The Kingston class is equipped with a Kelvin Hughes navigational radar using the I band and a Kelvin Hughes 6000 surface search radar scanning the E and F bands. The vessels carry an AN/SQS-511 towed side scan sonar for minesweeping and a Remote-control Mine Hunting System (RMHS). The vessels are equipped with one Bofors 40 mm/60 calibre Mk 5C gun and two M2 machine guns.^[4]^[a] The 40 mm gun was declared obsolete and removed from the vessels in 2014. Some of them ended up as museum pieces and on display at naval reserve installations across Canada.^[5] The Kingston-class coastal defence vessels have a complement of 37.^[2]

Service history

Brandon's keel was laid down on 6 December 1997 by Halifax Shipyards Ltd. at Halifax, Nova Scotia and was launched on 10 July 1998. The ship transferred to the west coast, arriving at CFB Esquimalt on 3 May 1999. Brandon was commissioned into the Canadian Forces on 5 June 1999 at Esquimalt, British Columbia and carries the hull number MM 710.^[6]

Brandon, accompanied by the frigates Winnipeg, Calgary and sister ship Yellowknife, departed in October 2014 to take part in San Francisco Fleet Week and the Task Group Exercise with the United States Navy in American coastal waters.^[7] Following those exercises, Brandon and Yellowknife deployed as part of Operation Caribbe, completing their tour on 4 December.^[8]

In October 2015, Brandon deployed with Whitehorse off the Pacific coast of North America as part of Operation Caribbe. During their deployment, Brandon performed two seizures of smuggling vessels. In total, seven seizures were performed interdicting a total of nearly 9,800 kilograms (21,600 lb) of cocaine. The two ships returned to Canada in December.^[9] On 6 October 2016, Brandon and Edmonton left Esquimalt to participate in Operation Caribbe along the Pacific coast.^[10] On 5 November, Brandon was directed to intercept a suspected fishing vessel dumping cargo into the water by a United States Coast Guard aircraft. The ship sent two RHIBs to recover the cargo while Brandon went after the smugglers. The smugglers got away, but 700 kg (1,500 lb) of cocaine was recovered.^[11] Brandon and Edmonton returned to Esquimalt on 16 December.^[12]

Beginning in 2017, Brandon underwent a two-year refit at Esquimalt. The vessel returned to service in July 2019.^[13] From February to May 2021, Brandon and sister ship Saskatoon deployed as part of Operation Caribbe, taking part in the interception of illicit drugs off the coasts of the Pacific coast of Mexico and Central America.^[14] In 2022, Brandon was one of the RCN vessels sent to take part in the multinational naval exercise RIMPAC 2022.^[15]

References

Notes

^ The 60 calibre denotes the length of the gun. This means that the length of the gun barrel is 60 times the bore diameter.

Citations

^ "Volume 2, Part 1: Extant Commissioned Ships – HMCS Brandon". Official Lineages. National Defence and the Canadian Forces. 7 July 2006. Archived from the original on 19 July 2011. Retrieved 1 October 2014.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Macpherson and Barrie, p. 299
^ Saunders (2008), p. 95
^ ^a ^b Saunders (2004), p. 92
^ Mallett, Peter (17 October 2018). "Big guns find new life". CFB Esquimalt Lookout. Retrieved 31 October 2018.
^ Macpherson and Barrie, p. 300
^ Pugliese, David (9 October 2014). "HMCS Calgary, Winnipeg, Brandon and Yellowknife set sail for U.S. exercise". Ottawa Citizen. Retrieved 12 October 2014.
^ Pugliese, David (4 December 2014). "Canadian military concludes annual contribution to Operation CARIBBE 2014". Ottawa Citizen. Retrieved 6 December 2014.
^ Dedyna, Katherine (9 December 2015). "Esquimalt ships heading home after anti-drugs mission". Times-Colonist. Retrieved 15 December 2015.
^ Pugliese, David (6 October 2016). "Three Royal Canadian Navy ships to take part in counter-drug operation". Ottawa Citizen. Retrieved 7 October 2016.
^ Petrescu, Sarah (10 November 2016). "Esquimalt-based HMCS Brandon helps in seizure of $35 million in drugs". Times Colonist. Retrieved 11 November 2016.
^ "Navy ships back home after massive cocaine bust at sea". CTV News. 16 December 2016. Retrieved 17 December 2016.
^ May, Brandon (26 October 2019). "HMCS Brandon back and ready for service". The Brandon Sun. Retrieved 1 November 2019.
^ Weston, Scott (20 May 2021). "2 Canadian warships return home after three-month mission to intercept illegal narcotics". CTV News. Retrieved 5 May 2021.
^ Coyne, Todd (14 April 2022). "Canada to send 4 warships, 800 military personnel to world's largest naval exercise". CTV News. Retrieved 3 August 2022.

Sources

Macpherson, Ken; Barrie, Ron (2002). The Ships of Canada's Naval Forces 1910–2002 (Third ed.). St. Catharines, Ontario: Vanwell Publishing. ISBN 1-55125-072-1.
Saunders, Stephen, ed. (2004). Jane's Fighting Ships 2004–2005 (107 ed.). Alexandria, Virginia: Jane's Information Group Inc. ISBN 0-7106-2623-1.
Saunders, Stephen, ed. (2008). Jane's Fighting Ships 2008–2009 (111th ed.). Surrey: Jane's Information Group. ISBN 978-0-7106-2845-9. OCLC 225431774.