BC Innovator Supplies Important Tech for Canada’s Largest Combat Support Ship

A BC-based Canadian manufacturer of electro-optical infrared camera systems this week announced a contribution to the Royal Canadian Navy.

Port Coquitlam’s CURRENT Scientific Corporation will be supporting Federal Fleet Services, which is the operator of Canada’s largest combat support ship, known as Asterix.

CURRENT intends to equip Asterix with “cutting-edge maritime surveillance capabilities”—including a state-of-the-art EO/IR system—as part of the firm’s broader commitment “to developing innovative technological solutions to keep Canadian waters safe.”

“We are honoured to contribute to the Royal Canadian Navy’s maritime surveillance capabilities,” stated Greg Menzies, President of CURRENT. “With our extensive expertise, we are well positioned to provide comprehensive imaging solutions to the Canadian Forces, ensuring the protection and security of our territorial waters.”

CURRENT’s camera technology will be integrated with the MARSS NiDAR Command and Control and Counter Uncrewed Aerial System, linking hardware capabilities. Furthermore, the integration of CURRENT’s Night Navigator into CSS Asterix’s surveillance system will empower RCN crews to support the ship’s day-to-day operations and to rapidly detect threats, according to a statement from the PoCo upstart.

“Our imaging systems are currently deployed worldwide in various maritime and land-based surveillance programs, serving the Naval and Defence sectors, as well as the commercial and yacht industries,” said Menzies.

Working alongside Davie, Canada’s oldest shipbuilder, Federal Fleet Services and CURRENT believe they are embarking on a historical collaboration.

The collaboration itself is the result of an investment made under the Industrial and Technological Benefits Policy.

“This partnership between Davie, Federal Fleet Services and CURRENT will enable the Canadian Navy to test advanced Canadian technology and will showcase Canada’s technological expertise for the world to see,” stated John Schmidt, CEO of FFS. “We are convinced this partnership will benefit our crew members and help advance Canada’s operational objectives.”

Asterix was completed by Davie in 2017, when it became the RCN’s first new naval support ship to enter service in over fifty years. She is based on a naval support ship design created by Rolls Royce to support military operations at sea.

CURRENT was founded in 1986 “to save lives and property at sea.”