Fairbanks Morse Defense establishes official Canadian HQ

Fairbanks Morse Defense (FMD), a naval power and propulsion systems provider, and a portfolio company of Arcline Investment Management, has finalized its acquisition of the Rolls-Royce Naval Handling facility in Peterborough, Ontario. The closing officially establishes the facility as FMD’s Canadian headquarters, expanding the services division and supporting the revitalization of the Canadian defense industrial base.

“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,” said George Whittier, FMD CEO.

The Ontario Naval Handling facility will serve as FMD’s Canadian headquarters, delivering specialized, large-scale industrial capabilities in support of allied fleets. (Photo: Fairbanks Morse Defense)

The Canadian hub will serve as a specialized facility for large-scale assembly, testing and integration for complex naval and undersea handling systems. In addition, FMD will broaden its aftermarket services portfolio, which currently encompasses deck machinery, material and air handling and launch and recovery systems.

The Canadian facility positions FMD to deliver specialized handling solutions across the full spectrum of naval operations, adding large-scale naval handling systems for launch and recovery of unmanned systems as well as undersea sensing technologies. It also expands FMD’s manufacturing presence in the country, which currently includes Montreal Bronze.

Through the acquisition, FMD will continue to support the Mission Bay Handling System (MBHS) contracts for the Global Combat Ship programs of Canada, the United Kingdom and Australia. The Peterborough facility is currently supplying MBHS systems to Canada’s River Class Destroyer (RCD) program, the United Kingdom’s Type 26 program and Australia’s Hunter-class anti-submarine warship program.

In addition, with the support of FMD, the facility will continue building 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 sub-surface threats.