Canada's First New Arctic Patrol Vessel Launched

Canada’s lead Arctic and Offshore Patrol Vessel, the future HMCS Harry DeWolf, was launched at Halifax Shipyard on Saturday, marking a significant milestone for the National Shipbuilding Strategy (NSS) and the revitalization of the Royal Canadian Navy’s combatant fleet.

At 103 meters and 6,615 metric tons, the future HMCS Harry DeWolf is the largest Royal Canadian Navy ship built in Canada in 50 years. The ship was transitioned from the builder's land level facility to a submersible barge on Friday, and launched in the Bedford Basin the following day.

The lead ship in the Arctic and Offshore Patrol Ship program is now pier side at Irving Shipbuilding's Halifax Shipyard where shipbuilders will continue working to prepare the vessel for sea trials in 2019. HMCS Harry DeWolf is scheduled to be turned over to the Royal Canadian Navy in summer 2019.

Construction of the second and third ships, the future HMCS Margaret Brooke and Max Bernays, are well underway at Halifax Shipyard. Later this month, the first two major sections of the future HMCS Margaret Brooke will be moved outside.

The National Shipbuilding Strategy was created to replace the current surface fleets of the Royal Canadian Navy and the Canadian Coast Guard. Irving Shipbuilding was selected through a competitive bid program to construct the Royal Canadian Navy’s future combatant fleet—Arctic and Offshore Patrol Vessels followed by Canadian Surface Combatants.