HMCS Halifax is the first of the class of 12 Canadian Patrol Frigates, now known as the Halifax Class. Each ship of the class is named after a Canadian city, leading the Halifaxes to sometimes be referred to as the "City Class." Halifax was commissioned in 1992 as a multi-purpose platform; her Sea King detachment provides Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) capabilities along with her Mk46 torpedo launchers; her Harpoon missile and 57mm Bofors gun cover Anti-Surface Warfare (ASuW), and Sea Sparrow, Phalanx CIWS and 57mm Bofors are her Anti-Air Warfare (AAW) defences.

This class of ships is being modernized via the FELEX (Frigate Life Extension) program. This extensive refit of sensors, communications, weapons and countermeasures, as well as the planned upgrade of the aviation element to the long delayed CH-148 Cyclone, will ensure the Halifax's are an effective tool in Canada's maritime arsenal for many years to come.

Halifax is cast as a water line hull, with little over pour or flash to clean up. Detail is typically good, with a few small blemishes around some surface detail that should clean up easily with a few scrapes from an hobby knife. There is even a fine anchor molded in-place in the bow.

There is a raised section on the helo deck, part of the bear trap recovery system, that isn't quite as crisply detailed as the rest of the hull. This part may have been better as a photoetched part.

The hull's other structures are crisp and square, and the dimensions seem accurate. The bridge does not have molded-on windows. The only real issue with the hull seems to be a droop in the starboard corner of the stern.

Over 20 resin parts make up the rest of this kit. These parts come wrapped in protective bubble wrap, snug in a plastic box. With the exception of the large funnel structure, these parts all come molded on large casting sprues. These parts are molded in the same grey-green resin as the hull, but show a greater occurance of incidental flash between the smaller parts. The 57mm gun is molded with a barrel in place, which appears surprising sturdy. Some of the other parts, like the radar illuminators, Harpoon launchers and Phalanx parts look familiar.

The funnel has smooth sides, and the intake grills are simulated with decals.

The kit includes a CH-124 Sea King, cast in one piece on a resin block.

A single sheet of coppery-brass photoetch is included. This sheet has 39 different parts, from railings and antennas to tiny 1/700 .50 machine guns and both stowed and extended rotor blades for the Sea King.

A single sheet of decals accompany this kit. These decals include marks for both the main and helo decks, and the Sea King helicopter. Intake grills for the funnel and the bridge windows are in the form of decals, which may not be to everyone's taste.

There are also hull numbers to allow you to model any of the current 12 members of this class, but modelers would need to research the appearance and fit for any member of the class other than HMCS Halifax in 2006.

Resin Shipyard's multi-page, multi-color instructions are quite extensive and information packed. As usual, close study of the directions is indicated when building this model, and black numbers still indicate resin parts, red numbers indicate photoetch. Some holes in the hull will need to be drilled to facilitate the placement of photoetch, and Resin Shipyard recommends stretched sprue for the radio aerials.

It is interesting to note the instructions spell out the angles and position of the helo deck railings depending on the flight ops status modeled.

Detailed color instructions are listed on the final page, in Model Master, Testors, and FS colors. The Resin Shipyard has worked with White Ensign Models to develop the appropriate grey-green of Canadian Navy Grey, which is available separately. (Colorcoats M23 RCN 501-509)

This is The Resin Shipyard's first 1/700 kit, and the first time a Halifax class has been offered in this scale. This is a fine little kit of a neat subject, sure to interest those who enjoy modern naval vessels, and those with a keen interest in Canadian naval forces. This kit should prove to be an easy build, and look quite impressive when finished. I hope Resin Shipyard continues to release kits in this scale, expanding and improving their line of Canadian subject matter.

This is kit #C-02 with a MSRP of $79.00 CDN$, or about $80 USD.

This is only one of the many kits produced by The Resin Shipyard. See the whole line on their website. They also have a line of reference CD's available, including one for the Halifax class.