OVERVIEW: The Protecteur-class AOR is a steam-powered, single shaft vessel, intended to provide underway replenishment of fuel, ammunition, and supplies.

DETAILS: Protecteur class ships are deployed to supply fuel, food and ammunitions to Canadian and allied warships at sea. 

The class has four RAS stations, capable of handling two ships alongside at a time, and is capable of supporting six destroyers for six weeks without resupply. 

Aviation facilities include a flight deck, hangers and ammunition storage for up to three CH-124 Sea King helicopters for either ASW or VERTREP. 

The ships are also equipped with modern medical facilities for supporting escort vessels, as well as for use in disaster response operations.

SPECIFICATIONS:

Displacement: 	24,000 tons fully loaded
Dimensions: 	Length 171.9m, beam 23.2, draught 10.1m

Propulsion: 	2 × Babcock & Wilcox boilers, 1 × General Electric steam turbine 			engine, one fixed screw at 21,000 shp (16,000 kW)
Speed: 		20 kts
Endurance: 	7,500 nm @ 11.5 knots
Crew: 		325, additional 45 in air detachment
Aviation: 	aft helicopter deck with hangar; 3 CH-124A Sea King helicopters
Cargo: 		14,590 tonnes of fuel, 400 tonnes of aviation fuel, 1,048 tonnes 			of dry cargo, 1,250 tonnes of ammunition

Armament: 	1 x FMC 3”/50 (later removed), 1 Mk.29 octuple Sea Sparrow (fitted for but not with), 6 × .50 calibre machine guns 

Countermeasures & decoys: 4 × BAE Systems Mark 36 SRBOC chaff launchers and the AN/SLQ-25 Nixie towed decoy

NOTES: IOC:1969.  Units in class: HMCS Protecteur (AOR 509), HMCS Preserve (AOR 510). AOR 509 decommissioned May 2015; AOR 510 decommissioned October 2016.  The design allowed for Mk.29 Sea Sparrow launchers but none ever fitted.

SOURCES:
"HMCS PROTECTEUR | Ships of the Royal Canadian Navy." ReadyAyeReady.com - The Royal Canadian Navy. Accessed October 9, 2021. https://readyayeready.com/ships/shipview.php?id=1336&ship=PROTECTEUR. ; McClearn, Sandy. "PROTECTEUR Class." Haze Gray & Underway - Naval History and Photography. Accessed October 9, 2021. https://www.hazegray.org/navhist/canada/current/protect/. ; "Protecteur Class Auxiliary Vessels." Naval Technology | Naval Defence News & Views Updated Daily. Last modified January 19, 2010. https://www.naval-technology.com/projects/protecteur-class/. ; "Protecteur-class Replenishment Oiler." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Last modified September 30, 2021. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Protecteur-class_replenishment_oiler