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The Royal Canadian Navy will be able to eventually purchase the interim supply ship that it expects to start using around 2017.

As Defence Watch readers know, the ship, the Asterix, is at Davie shipyards in Quebec, ready to undergo conversion into an interim supply ship for the Royal Canadian Navy. The ship will help the RCN deal with the supply ship gap (Canada no longer has any) until the Joint Support Ships arrive in 2020-2021.

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A deal still has to be reached between the federal government and Davie/Project Resolve (the firm providing such services to the RCN). But as previously reported on Defence Watch that is expected to be in place and ready to go by 2017.

Project Resolve will offer the services of Asterix until the second JSS is ready. But military and industry sources tell Defence Watch that after the service agreement runs its course, the Royal Canadian Navy will have the option – if so inclined – to buy Asterix.

Will it make that purchase of the interim supply ship? We should know closer to the end of the service contact.

Davie and Project Resolve had a proposal to offer Canada two such interim supply ships (Asterix has a sister ship which could also be converted).

But the Department of National Defence told Defence Watch recently that the RCN isn’t interested.

“A contract for the services of a second converted vessel is not being considered by the Royal Canadian Navy,” DND spokeswoman Ashley Lemire said.

Main photo above shows Asterix.

Photo courtesy of Davie.