Fairbanks Morse Defense Establishes Official Canadian Headquarters After Rolls-Royce Acquisition

Fairbanks Morse Defense (FMD) has finalized its acquisition of the Rolls-Royce Naval Handling facility at 597 The Queensway to serve as its Canadian headquarters, announced on Tuesday.

Photo by David Tuan Bui.

A portfolio company of Arcline Investment Management, FMD is expanding the services division and supporting the revitalization of the Canadian defence industrial base at this location, according to George Whittier, FMD CEO.

“For nearly a century, Fairbanks Morse has been a proud partner of the Royal Canadian Navy and Canadian Coast Guard. As Canada reinvests in its naval power and domestic manufacturing, FMD is positioned to localize a robust portfolio of trusted, mission-critical maritime solutions,” he said. “Securing the Peterborough naval handling facility solidifies our commitment to manufacturing in Canada. As a trusted supplier, we are ready to act as a strategic partner under Canada’s Build, Partner, Buy framework, outlined in the country’s first Defence Industrial Strategy.”

According to a press release, the hub will serve as a specialized facility for large-scale assembly, testing and integration for complex naval and undersea handling systems.

The Peterborough facility is currently supplying the Mission Bay Handling System to Canada’s River Class Destroyer (RCD) program, the United Kingdom’s Type 26 program and Australia’s Hunter-class anti-submarine warship program.

FMD says the facility will continue to build on its undersea warfare expertise, which includes shock-hardened towed-array winches, variable-depth sonar systems, and acoustic sensor-handling solutions that provide allied navies with a decisive edge against subsurface threats. 

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