At CANSEC 2023, Vard Marine Inc. (VARD), a proud member of the Fincantieri family, set sail with VIGILANCE, their answer to replacing the Royal Canadian Navy’s (RCN) aging Kingston Class Maritime Coastal Defence Vessels (MCDV) as part of Canada’s National Shipbuilding Strategy. Partnering with esteemed allies including Ontario Shipyards, Thales Canada, SH Defense, and Fincantieri, VIGILANCE promises the RCN a cutting-edge, versatile, and globally deployable naval vessel fit for multi-mission excellence.
This strategic alliance ensures Team Vigilance stands poised to meet the Royal Canadian Navy’s evolving needs with a tailor-made naval solution, perfectly balancing prowess and affordability while upholding VARD’s reputation for cost-effective naval designs.
Continuing their mission, Team Vigilance rallies a diverse array of Canadian enterprises, cementing a solid foundation essential for VIGILANCE’s Canadian conception, construction, and outfitting. The launch of their Preferred Suppliers Program at DEFSEC 2023 in Halifax marked a pivotal step towards this objective.
In their most recent announcement, VARD designated Serco as a Preferred Supplier to Team Vigilance. Serco, boasting a workforce of 1,200 spread across 100 offices in Newfoundland and Labrador, Ontario, Saskatchewan, and British Columbia, stands as a beacon of excellence in integrated logistics support and ship design solutions. Their inclusion in Team Vigilance ensures a wealth of Canadian talent is on hand to shepherd every phase of design, from inception to intricate 3D production modeling, within Canada’s borders.
“Design and engineering is a critical element of the shipbuilding value chain, and a strategic domestic shipbuilding capability simply does not exist without it. We remain fully committed to the principle that VIGILANCE will be designed, built, and equipped in Canada. Bringing Serco onboard as a Preferred Supplier to Team Vigilance, with the bench strength they can provide in support of design and engineering activities, will ensure middle-class, Canadian-based and trained knowledge workers are provided the valuable experience they need to succeed and help build enduring positive impacts in the marine sector right here at home,” expressed Derek Buxton, Vice President Business Development, Vard Marine Inc.
Serco’s comprehensive approach spans the entire lifecycle of maritime assets, from conceptualization and design to modernization, maintenance, and operational support. With a proven track record in managing vessels navigating the harshest conditions, from icy waters to deep submarine dives, Serco is primed to bolster Team Vigilance’s arsenal with their expertise.
“Serco is proud to be able to bring its design and engineering capabilities to Team Vigilance as a Preferred Supplier. Our extensive design experience and rigorous design process enables us to bring real value to our customers. Maintaining a domestic ship design capability is so critical to all aspects of NSS, and this partnership with Vard for the RCN’s Kingston Class replacement project, acknowledges Serco’s commitment to developing Canada’s shipbuilding industry, for the domestic and export market alike,” commented Russell Peters, General Manager, Serco Canada Marine.
Not only will VIGILANCE furnish the Royal Canadian Navy and the Royal Canadian Naval Reserve with the cutting-edge tools necessary to safeguard Canada’s interests both domestic and abroad, but it will also continue to harness the ingenuity of Canada’s finest companies, like Serco Canada.
