At the end of 2016, South Shields based Solar Solve Marine dispatched 22 of their brand leading SOLASAFE® roller sunscreens to Canada to be installed at the navigation bridge windows of HMCS OTTAWA, a Royal Canadian Navy Halifax-class frigate. Ottawa was commissioned in September 1996 and is the twelfth and final ship of the Halifax class that were built as part of the Canadian Patrol Frigate Project.
The vessel underwent a Mid Life Refit last year and as a consequence the 22 screens will be installed by the ship’s staff to act as a navigation safety aid as well as a means of improving their working environment. SOLASAFE® sunscreens will protect bridge personnel from solar glare as well as infra-red and ultra-violet radiation and are instantly retractable, to allow totally clear windows, any time the need arises.
HMCS OTTAWA is assigned to Maritime Forces Pacific and serves on missions protecting Canada’s sovereignty in the Pacific Ocean as well as enforcing Canadian laws in its territorial sea and Exclusive Economic Zone. The frigate has also been deployed on missions throughout the Pacific and to the Indian Ocean; specifically the Persian Gulf and Arabian Sea, on anti-terrorism operations.
John Lightfoot MBE, Solar Solve Marine’s chairman commented, “ This is the first order we have received from this customer and just like all of the other naval authorities, the Canadian government and its employees are very specific about what they need and what standards have to be met. As is usually the case, there was a lot of dialogue between Carl and Mark, two of our technical staff and the naval specifiers to ensure Solar Solve gets it right and the Canadian Department of National Defence end up being very happy.”
“We supply items that are an important piece of equipment enabling the safe, effective and efficient navigation of a vessel. They must be reliable and our SOLASAFE® sunscreen has been successfully fulfilling that role for 30 years and continues to do so. We look forward to working with the Canadian Navy again in 2017 and beyond.”
