The new multi-role boats (MRBs) with twin diesel engines, propeller drives, shock-absorbing seats, and a built-in platform were designed by Zodiac Hurricane for interception and boarding missions.
Under Canada’s National Shipbuilding Strategy (NSS), Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) signed a contract on behalf of the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) for 30 fast, safe, and agile MRBs designed and made by Zodiac Hurricane Technologies. The March 2020 contract for the 30 new MRBs will take about 4 years to fulfill.
In addition, ZHT was recently awarded another contract in December 2020 to repair and overhaul some of the RCN’s current stock of inflatable rubber boats (IRBs) and rigid hull inflatable boats (RIBs) to keep them operating into the future. They are used for naval missions such as search and rescue, dive support, fisheries patrols, boarding party operations, and moving personnel and equipment.
The new MRBs are designed to be launched and to be operated from the Navy’s Halifax-class warships. They are replacing the RHIBs the Halifax-class frigate have been using. MRBs can travel at speeds more than 40 knots. The Navy’s current fleet of RHIBs can travel fully loaded at 35 knots with a range of 100 nautical miles.