Danish warship HDMS Thetis arrives on the 11th along with USS Wichita.
HDMS Thetis has called in Halifax before, I noted here presence in 2009. the ship is the lead ship of the Thetis Class frigates and is based on Damens StanFlex 3000 design. Thetis entered service in 1991.
USS Wichita was last here in 2018 when the ship stopped in on its delivery trip. The ship was flagged for decommissioning in 2023, but the US Navy decided to replace its engine instead.
Also in port is the USS New Jersey, SSN796, a Virginia class attack submarine.The boat was commissioned in Sept 2024. The German Sail Training Ship Gorch Fock remains at the dockyard.
The Japanese navy has two ships in port today. Both at anchor in the harbour. JS Kashima and JS Yamagiri both move to the dockyard tomorrow morning.
JS Kashima (TV 3508), and JS Asagiri (TV 3516) are both Training Vessel of the Japanese Maritime Self Defence force, and are used to train sailors. Both ships have been to Halifax before, in August 2011.
The German Navy’s Tall ship Gorch Fock took to anchor for a port visit. She will tie up on Thursday, and presumably be open to the public. This Gorch Fock was built in 1958. Built to a Blohm &Voss Design, she is a modern version of the original Gorch Fock, which was built in 1933, and was taken as war reparations from Germany after WWI. Her sisters include NRP Sagres, USCG Eagle, and Mircea. The 1933 Gorch Fock is now a museum in Germany.
Four additional ships were built to this design. Arc Gloria is the Oldest of the Modern Set of 4, Having been built in 1968 at the Astilleros Celaya S.A. shipyard in Bilbao. Her contemporaries Include Cuauhtémoc(1982 Mexico) , Guayas (1977 Ecuador) and Simon Bolivar (1980 Venezuela)
Mircea, Operated by the Romanian Navy was in port July 19-22
USS Nantucket, LCS-27 arrived in Halifax for a port visit, while on her delivery trip from the builders in Wisconsin.
To date, only LCS-19, USS St. Louis has skipped Halifax, Due to her delivery trip occurring during the Pandemic. There remain 2 more Freedom class LCS’s to be delivered, USS Beloit and USS Cleveland (LCS-31)
USCGC Eagle Arrived Wednesday, and spent 2 days at anchor before tying up at pier 20 Thursday evening. the Ship is open to the public 10am-7pm Friday and Saturday.
The ship is a regular caller in Halifax, usually stopping in every second year or so.
Today brought the arrival of two German naval vessels to pier 20 – the Supply Ship Frankfurt am Main, and the Frigate Baden-Württemberg. Both vessels will depart on the 20th.
Frankfurt am Main has been to Halifax before, is of the same design as the supply ships currently under construction by SeaSpan in Vancouver. Baden-Württemberg is the first in class of land attack frigates, and was commissioned in 2019.
This past weekend saw a port visit by the US Coast Guard Sentinel Class Cutter William Chadwick. The vessel is the 50th Sentinel class vessel built for the USCG, and is built to a Daemen Design, a larger version of the CCGS Hero class mid shore patrol vessels.
Generally i was pretty happy with fleet week, for a first event. The ship selection could have been better, and it would have been better if the week, was actually a week, and not just 4 days.
The American Ship had a not so long line, that took forever to get through, and some signage indicating it was the line for the US Ship only would have been Helpful. (also there was no shade, and the line looked to be around waste containers, and a transformer vent made part of the line quite loud.
Beyond that, Freddy was disorganized, and the Moncton’s gang plank was way to steep.
With the first ever fleet week taking place later this week, we have some updates. Yesterday saw the arrival of HMS Portland to the dockyard. USS Porter is due tomorrow.
The Halifax Fleet week tour schedule has been Released, with ships open 9-4 Friday and Saturday. Note that HMS Portland is currently scheduled to only be open Friday. Access to the dockyard is via HMCS Scotian, next to the Casino
HMCS Fredericton @ Tall Ships Quay. HMCS Moncton @ Sackville Landing HMCS Glace Bay @ Alderney Landing USS Porter @ HMC Dockyard HMS Portland @ HMC Dockyard HMCS Margaret Brooke @ HMC Dockyard.
I suspect there will be more then 2 foreign vessels participating in the Cutlass Fury exercise, as the original release indicated French and German vessels, as well as USS James E. Williams. If the Tour list is expanded, I will keep this post updated.
Sunday Noon to 1300 is the Sail Past as the ships head out for Cutlass Fury.
UPDATE: Additional Cutlass Fury arrivals Friday morning 0830-0900 at Pilot station: Destroyer USS James E Williams and Supply ship USNS William Mclean, both heading for the dockyard. An unnamed USN nuclear submarine is also due for shearwater.
the USNS William Mclean (Above) is a Lewis and Clark dry supply ship, and is named after the Navy Physicist who developed the sidewinder missile.
The exercise will conclude on the 22nd, and some ships will return to Halifax then.
USS Oscar Austin put in for a Port visit this morning tieing up at the dockyard jetty NB next to the Casino. The ship is the 29th Arligh Burke class destroyer, and the first of the Flight IIA variant. She was commissioned in August 2000.
USS Oscar Austin is homeported in Norfolk. ship was named after Pfc. Oscar P. Austin, U.S. Marine Corps, who was awarded the Medal of Honor for his heroic actions during the Vietnam War.
