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The Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) is tasked to provide maritime security along the Pacific, Atlantic and Arctic coasts of Canada, exercise Canada's sovereignty over the Arctic archipelago, and support Canada's multi-national and bilateral interests overseas. It comprises the Pacific Fleet at Canadian Forces Base (CFB) Esquimalt, and the Atlantic Fleet at CFB Halifax. CFB Esquimalt is on Vancouver Island, in British Columbia, and is home to 15 vessels and 6,000 staff, the headquarters for Maritime Forces Pacific, His Majesty's Canadian (HMC) Dockyard Esquimalt, Fleet Maintenance Facility – Cape Breton (FMF-CB), Fire Fighting and Damage Control School, the Naval Officer Training Centre (NOTC Venture), and extensive housing. CFB Halifax is home port for the 18 vessels of the Canadian Atlantic Fleet and situated in Halifax, Nova Scotia. CFB Halifax employs 7,000 civilians and military staff, and hosts the Canadian Atlantic Fleet headquarters, HMC Dockyard Halifax, FMF Cape Scott, extensive maritime research facilities, an ammunition depot, and the four maritime squadrons of the Royal Canadian Air Force that deploy helicopters aboard ships.[1][2] The Canadian Armed Forces are currently constructing a new naval facility at Nanisivik, Baffin Island, to provide a summer port for RCN patrols in the Canadian arctic.[3]
With the loss of area air defence capabilities in 2015 (and, temporarily, at-sea replenishment capabilities), the RCN was, at that time, classified as a Rank 5 navy (offshore regional coastal defence) on the Todd-Lindberg navy classification system, dropping from Rank 3 (multiregional power projection).[4] Commissioned vessels are designated as 'His Majesty's Canadian Ship' (HMCS), minor ships as 'Patrol Craft Training' (PCT) and auxiliaries as 'Canadian Forces Auxiliary Vessel' (CFAV).[5]
The Victoria class are British built diesel-electric fleet submarines designed in the late 1970s to supplement the Royal Navy's nuclear submarine force. They were decommissioned at the end of the Cold War. In 1998, Canada purchased the submarines to replace the aging Oberon-class submarines. Refit for Canadian service included the removal of Sub-Harpoon missile firing and mine-laying capabilities, installation of torpedo launch systems and upgrades to weapons and fire control systems. Each vessel holds 53 crew.[6]
| Class | Boat | Pennant | Armament | Displacement | Propulsion | Service | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Builder | Laid down | Commissioned | Fleet | ||||||
| Upholder/Victoria class | HMCS Victoria | SSK 876 |
|
|
|
Cammell Laird | 12 August 1987 | December 2000 | Pacific |
| HMCS Windsor | SSK 877 | Cammell Laird | 13 March 1990 | October 2003 | Atlantic | ||||
| HMCS Corner Brook | SSK 878 | Cammell Laird | 10 January 1989 | March 2003 | Pacific | ||||
| HMCS Chicoutimi | SSK 879 |
|
Vickers Shipbuilding and Engineering | February 1983 | September 2015 | Pacific | |||
The Halifax-class frigates are multi-role vessels with anti-submarine, anti-aircraft and anti-ship capability. In response to recent global security interests, the role of the class has shifted from open ocean to littoral engagement. Innovations in operational tactics have allowed the vessels of this class to adapt to new asymmetric surface threats. To ensure effective long-term capacity in this new threat environment the ships are undergoing a refit, including passive and active weapons, radars, and new combat architecture to meet the modern requirements. As of 2018, all twelve ships had been refitted. Each holds a complement of 225 officers and crew. All ships of the class are named after major Canadian cities.[7][8]
The Harry DeWolf-class offshore patrol vessels are warships from the Arctic and Offshore Patrol Ship (AOPS) procurement project, part of the National Shipbuilding Strategy. In July 2007 the federal government announced plans for acquiring six to eight icebreaking warships for the RCN. The class is based on the Norwegian Coast Guard ship NoCGV Svalbard, and is named after Vice Admiral Harry DeWolf. The class is equipped with a hangar and flight deck and can operate the Sikorsky CH-148 Cyclone. The ships can deploy with multiple payloads, including shipping containers, underwater survey equipment or landing craft and have a 20-tonne (20-long-ton; 22-short-ton) crane for loading and unloading. They are for use in the Arctic regions of Canada for patrol and support within Canada's exclusive economic zone.[9][10][11]
| Class | Ship | Pennant | Armament | Displacement | Propulsion | Service | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Builder | Laid down | Commissioned | Fleet | ||||||
| Harry DeWolf class | HMCS Harry DeWolf | AOPV 430 |
|
6615 t |
|
Irving Shipbuilding | 11 March 2016 | 26 June 2021[12] | Atlantic |
| HMCS Margaret Brooke | AOPV 431 | 29 May 2017 | 28 October 2022[13] | Atlantic | |||||
| HMCS Max Bernays | AOPV 432 | 5 December 2018 | 3 May 2024 | Pacific | |||||
| HMCS William Hall | AOPV 433 | 17 February 2021 | 16 May 2024 | Atlantic | |||||
The Kingston-class coastal defence vessels are multi-role vessels built and launched from the mid- to late-1990s and are crewed by a combination of Naval Reserve and Regular-Force personnel. Each vessel displaces 970 t and runs with a complement of between 31 and 47 officers and crew. Their main missions are counter narcotics, coastal surveillance, sovereignty patrol, route survey, and training. The ships' capabilities include a mechanical minesweeping system, a route survey system, and a bottom object inspection vehicle.[14][15]
| Class | Ship | Pennant | Armament | Displacement | Propulsion | Service | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Builder | Laid down | Commissioned | Fleet | ||||||
| Kingston class | HMCS Kingston | MM 700 |
|
970 t |
|
Halifax Shipyards | 12 December 1994 | 21 September 1996 | Atlantic |
| HMCS Glace Bay | MM 701 | Halifax Shipyards | 28 April 1995 | 26 October 1996 | Atlantic | ||||
| HMCS Nanaimo | MM 702 | Halifax Shipyards | 11 August 1995 | 10 May 1997 | Pacific | ||||
| HMCS Edmonton | MM 703 | Halifax Shipyards | 8 December 1995 | 21 June 1997 | Pacific | ||||
| HMCS Shawinigan | MM 704 | Halifax Shipyards | 26 April 1996 | 14 June 1997 | Atlantic | ||||
| HMCS Whitehorse | MM 705 | Halifax Shipyards | 26 July 1996 | 17 April 1998 | Pacific | ||||
| HMCS Yellowknife | MM 706 | Halifax Shipyards | 7 November 1996 | 18 April 1998 | Pacific | ||||
| HMCS Goose Bay | MM 707 | Halifax Shipyards | 22 February 1997 | 26 July 1998 | Atlantic | ||||
| HMCS Moncton | MM 708 | Halifax Shipyards | 31 May 1997 | 12 July 1998 | Atlantic | ||||
| HMCS Saskatoon | MM 709 | Halifax Shipyards | 5 September 1997 | 5 December 1998 | Pacific | ||||
| HMCS Brandon | MM 710 | Halifax Shipyards | 6 December 1997 | 5 June 1999 | Pacific | ||||
| HMCS Summerside | MM 711 | Halifax Shipyards | 28 March 1998 | 18 July 1999 | Atlantic | ||||
Orca-class patrol vessels are primarily used for one-to-six-week long 'at sea' naval officer training. Regular force boatswains, engineers and naval communicators serve in these ships to train junior officers and non-commissioned sailors. They also patrol coastal waters for pollution infractions and fishing violations, and are frequently tasked for search and rescue operations. They operate year-round in the coastal waters of British Columbia.[16][17]
| Class | Ship | Pennant | Armament | Displacement | Propulsion | Service | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Builder | Accepted | Fleet | ||||||
| Orca class | Orca | PCT 55 | Unarmed (fitted for but not with M2 machine gun) | 210 t | 2 × Caterpillar 3516B diesel engines, 1,900 kW (2,500 hp) each | Victoria Shipyards | 9 November 2006 | Pacific |
| Raven | PCT 56 | 15 March 2007 | ||||||
| Caribou | PCT 57 | 31 July 2007 | ||||||
| Renard | PCT 58 | 13 September 2007 | ||||||
| Wolf | PCT 59 | 29 November 2007 | ||||||
| Grizzly | PCT 60 | 19 March 2008 | ||||||
| Cougar | PCT 61 | 2 October 2008 | ||||||
| Moose | PCT 62 | 27 November 2008 | ||||||
The National Shipbuilding Procurement Strategy will invest more than $60 billion into the development of Arctic capable patrol vessels, frigate-class surface warships, and long-range auxiliary supply vessels. Delivery has been initiated on a class of six Harry DeWolf-class vessels under the Arctic Patrol Ship Project. (A further two AOPS are planned for the Canadian Coast Guard). [20][21]
Canada has been encouraged to invest in new submarines.[22] In July 2024, Canada launched the process to acquire up to 12 conventional attack submarines.[23]
Potential suppliers:
While up to 15 warships of the River-class destroyer/Type 26 frigate program is in the test module construction phase (with the first three ships having been ordered in 2024), the RCN has upgraded all current frigates with advanced systems and life extension maintenance to maximize operational capability into the 2030s.[26]
The commercial containership MV Asterix is currently in service as a fleet supply vessel, to meet operational requirements until the two new Protecteur-class auxiliary vessels are completed.[27][28]
On 29 April 2019 Ocean Industries was awarded a contract to build four tugboats to replace both the Fire-class fireboat (one retired in 2014) and Glen-class tugs to be delivered beginning in 2021.[29]
In May 2019, it was announced that the Skeldar V-200 unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) would be acquired for both the RCN and Canadian Special Forces. As a light helicopter UAV, it will be capable of operating from a range of RCN vessels.[30]
| Displacement | Ship displacement at full load |
| Propulsion | Number of shafts, type of propulsion system, and top speed generated |
| Service | The dates work began and finished on the ship and its ultimate fate |
| Laid down | The date the keel began to be assembled |
| Launched | The date the ship was launched |
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