Originally designed and installed in the 1960s for the RCN's Oberon class submarines, the Syncrolift in HMC Dockyard (it is attached to FMF Cape Scott and their submarine maintenance building) has been upgraded over the years - in both length and lifting capacity - to allow it to lift the Navy's Halifax class frigates and Iroquois class destroyers.
HMCS TORONTO is currently up on the Syncrolift - a platform suspended between an array of 180 and 280 ton winches (which are under the light blue covers running along each side of the lift platform). The 280 ton winches are located midships (the heaviest portion the ship) while the 180 ton winches are arranged towards the bow and stern.
While a Halifax class ship comes in at around 5,000 tonnes, 134 metres long, and 16.4 metres wide, the next generation of RCN frigate - the proposed Canadian Surface Combatant (CSC) - is going to be a bit larger. Those ships, based on the British Type 26 design, will be almost 8000 tonnes, 150 metres long, and 21 metres wide.
I'm guessing that this will exceed the design parameters for the Syncrolift as it is currently configured, and wonder if another upgrade is planned (assuming it is possible to do so).
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