Fleet of the Royal Canadian Navy

See also: List of ships of the Royal Canadian Navy

Main article: Royal Canadian Navy § Fleet

Ensign of Royal Canadian Navy since 2013

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. The RCN fleet comprises the Pacific Fleet at Canadian Forces Base (CFB) Esquimalt, and the Atlantic Fleet at CFB Halifax. CFB Esquimalt is located on Vancouver Island, in British Columbia, and is home to 15 vessels and 6,000 staff, the headquarters for Maritime Forces Pacific, Her 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 serve aboard the fleet. 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.

With the loss of command-and-control and resupply capabilities in 2015, the RCN is classified as a Rank 5 navy (offshore regional coastal defence) on the Todd-Lindberg classification system, dropping from Rank 3 (multiregional power projection). In 2011, the government restored the traditional name of the Royal Canadian Navy, removed at the unification of the Canadian Armed Forces in 1968. Commissioned vessels are designated as 'Her Majesty's Canadian Ship' (HMCS), minor ships as 'Patrol Craft Training' (PCT) and auxiliaries as 'Canadian Forces Auxiliary Vessel' (CFAV).

Frigates

HMCS Halifax en route to Haiti in January 2010 as part of Operation Hestia'

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. To date, seven of the twelve ships have been refitted. Each holds a complement of 225 officers and crew. All ships of the class are named after major Canadian cities.

Ship	Pennant	Armament	Displacement	Propulsion	Service
					Builder	Laid down	Commissioned	Fleet
HMCS Halifax	FFH 330	24 Honeywell Mk 46 torpedoes 16 Evolved Sea-Sparrow SAM 8 RGM-84 Harpoon SSM 1 57 mm Bofors Mk2 gun 1 20 mm Vulcan Phalanx CIWS 6 .50 caliber machine guns 1 CH-124 Sea King	3,995 t (light) 4,795 t (operational) 5,032 t (deep load)	2 LM2500 Gas turbines 1 SEMT Pielstick Diesel engine	Saint John Shipbuilding	19 March 1987	29 June 1992	Atlantic
HMCS Vancouver	FFH 331				Saint John Shipbuilding	19 May 1988	23 August 1993	Pacific
HMCS Ville de Québec	FFH 332				Davie Shipbuilding	16 December 1988	14 July 1994	Atlantic
HMCS Toronto	FFH 333				Saint John Shipbuilding	22 April 1989	29 July 1993	Atlantic
HMCS Regina	FFH 334				Davie Shipbuilding	6 October 1989	29 December 1993	Pacific
HMCS Calgary	FFH 335				Davie Shipbuilding	15 June 1991	12 May 1995	Pacific
HMCS Montréal	FFH 336				Saint John Shipbuilding	8 February 1991	21 July 1994	Atlantic
HMCS Fredericton	FFH 337				Saint John Shipbuilding	25 April 1992	10 September 1994	Atlantic
HMCS Winnipeg	FFH 338				Saint John Shipbuilding	20 March 1993	23 June 1995	Pacific
HMCS Charlottetown	FFH 339				Saint John Shipbuilding	18 December 1993	9 September 1995	Atlantic
HMCS St. John's	FFH 340				Saint John Shipbuilding	24 August 1994	16 June 1996	Atlantic
HMCS Ottawa	FFH 341				Saint John Shipbuilding	29 April 1995	28 September 1996	Pacific

Submarines

HMCS Corner Brook entering St John's harbour on Newfoundland

The Victoria class are 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.

Ship	Pennant	Armament	Displacement	Propulsion	Service
					Builder	Laid down	Commissioned	Fleet
HMCS Victoria	SSK 876	6 × 530 mm torpedo tubes 18 × Mark 48 torpedoes	2,220 t surfaced 2,439 t submerged	Diesel-electric (37 MW (50,000 hp)) 2 Paxman Valenta 16 RPA diesel generators, 4,070 hp (3,030 kW) 2 GEC, 5,000 kW (6,700 hp) motor-generators	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		2,296 t surfaced 2,540 t submerged		Vickers Shipbuilding and Engineering	February 1983	September 2015	Pacific

Maritime coastal defence vessels

HMCS Saskatoon off Vancouver Island, practicing personnel transfers, with CH-149 Cormorant helicopter

The Kingston-class coastal defence vessel 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.

Ship	Pennant	Armament	Displacement	Propulsion	Service
					Builder	Laid down	Commissioned	Fleet
HMCS Kingston	MM 700	1 × Bofors 40 mm 60 Mk 5C cannon 2 × M2 machine guns	970 t	2 × Jeumont DC electric motors 4 × 600VAC Wärtsilä SACM V12 diesel alternators	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

Patrol craft training vessels

PCT Orca amongst the Gulf Islands off British Columbia. 2007

Orca-class ships 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.

Name	Pennant number	Commissioned	Builder	Fleet
Orca	PCT 55	9 November 2006	Victoria Shipyards	Pacific
Raven	PCT 56	15 Mar 2007	Victoria Shipyards	Pacific
Caribou	PCT 57	31 Jul 2007	Victoria Shipyards	Pacific
Renard	PCT 58	13 Sep 2007	Victoria Shipyards	Pacific
Wolf	PCT 59	29 Nov 2007	Victoria Shipyards	Pacific
Grizzly	PCT 60	19 Mar 2008	Victoria Shipyards	Pacific
Cougar	PCT 61	2 Oct 2008	Victoria Shipyards	Pacific
Moose	PCT 62	27 Nov 2008	Victoria Shipyards	Pacific

Support and auxiliary vessels

File:HMCS Oriole.jpg

HMCS Oriole is the oldest commissioned ship in the navy.

Sail training ship

• HMCS Oriole (KC 480)

Torpedo and sound ranging vessels

• CFAV Sikanni (YTP 611)
• CFAV Stikine (YTP 613)

Survey Ship

• CFAV Quest (AGOR 172)

Yard diving tenders

• Unnamed (YDT 11)
• CFAV Granby (YDT 12)
• CFAV Sechelt (YDT 610)
• CFAV Sooke (YDT 612)

Fireboats

• CFAV Firebird (YTR 561)
• CFAV Firebrand (YTR 562)

Tugboats

• CFAV Glendyne (YTB 640)
• CFAV Glendale (YTB 641)
• CFAV Glenevis (YTB 642)
• CFAV Glenbrook (YTB 643)
• CFAV Glenside (YTB 644)
• CFAV Tillicum (YTM 555)
• CFAV Lawrenceville (YTL 590)
• CFAV Parksville (YTL 591)
• CFAV Listerville (YTL 592)
• CFAV Merrickville (YTL 593)
• CFAV Marysville (YTL 594)

Yard auxiliary general

• CFAV Pelican (YAG 4)
• CFAV Gemini (YAG 650)
• CFAV Pegasus (YAG 651)
• CFAV Albatross (YAG 661)
• CFAV Black Duck (YAG 660)

Development and procurement

Norwegian Coast Guard vessel NoCGV Svalbard, on which the Harry DeWolf class is modelled.

The new Queenston class of ships will be based on the Berlin-class replenishment ship

The RCN is undergoing a complex program of capacity expansion, ship life extension, modernization and fleet procurement. The Nanisivik Naval Facility currently under construction on Baffin Island in the arctic will provide shore services for fleet operations in the arctic during the four month summer season. The National Shipbuilding Procurement Strategy will invest more than $30 billion into the development of Arctic capable patrol vessels, frigate-class surface warships, and long-range auxiliary supply vessels. Construction has begun on the 5–6 Harry DeWolf-class vessels under the Arctic Patrol Ship Project. The commercial containership MS Asterix is currently being converted into a fleet supply vessel, to meet operational requirements until the 2 new Queenston-class auxiliary vessels are completed. While up to 15 warships of the Single Class Surface Combatant Project remain in the planning stages, the RCN is upgrading all current frigates with advanced systems and life extension maintenance to maximize operational capability into the 2030s. In addition to the fleet component, the Canadian Armed Forces have begun replacing aging CH-124 Sea King helicopters serving in the RCN, with the CH-148 Cyclone. The first six Cyclones were delivered June 2015 followed by a further two "Block 1.1" Cyclones in November/December 2015.

Key

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

See also

• Royal Canadian Navy
• Origins of the Royal Canadian Navy
• History of the Royal Canadian Navy
• List of ships of the Royal Canadian Navy
• Hull classification symbol (Canada)
• Her Majesty's Canadian Ship
• List of aircraft of the Royal Canadian Navy