A Canadian Navy vessel with the name HMCS Protecteur will again set sail, nearly a decade after the last supply ship with its respected legacy was taken out of service.
The new joint support ship — the longest naval vessel ever to be built in Canada — was launched at a rainy ceremony at shipbuilder Seaspan’s shipyards in North Vancouver, B.C., attended by dignitaries, including Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
It is the first of two joint support ships being built in British Columbia for the Canadian Navy, and Seaspan says work is “well underway” for a second vessel, the HMCS Preserver, scheduled for delivery in 2025.
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The previous supply ship bearing the name was taken out of service in 2015 after a crippling engine-room fire in the waters off Hawaii the year before, marking the end of service for almost 46 years in conflicts, including the Gulf War.
Trudeau participated in the traditional christening ceremony on …