View source for Royal Canadian Navy

{{Short description|Maritime component of the Canadian Armed Forces}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2025}}
{{Infobox military unit
| unit_name                     = Royal Canadian Navy
| native_name                   = {{native name|fr|nolink=on|Marine royale canadienne}}
| image                         = RCN Emblem.svg
| caption                       = [[#Badge|Badge of the RCN]]
| start_date                    = {{start date and age|1910|05|04|df=yes}}
| country                       = [[Canada]]
| type                          = [[Navy]]
| role                          = [[Naval warfare]]
| size                          = 68 ships <br/> Personnel: <br/> {{*}}Regular Force: 8,400 Regular force members ("Effective strength" was 6,226 personnel as of late 2023)<ref>{{Cite web |date=20 November 2023 |title=Canadian Navy Readiness in 'Critical State': Commander |url=https://thedefensepost.com/2023/11/30/canadian-navy-readiness-critical/ |access-date=6 July 2025 |website=The Defense Post |last=Saballa |first=Joe }}</ref><br/> {{*}}Reserve Force: 4,100 Reserve force members<br/> {{*}}Civilian members: 3,800 civilian members<ref name="size">{{Cite web |date=28 November 2022 |title=Royal Canadian Navy |url=https://www.canada.ca/en/navy.html |access-date=29 March 2023 |website=www.canada.ca}}</ref> 
| command_structure             = [[Canadian Armed Forces]]
| garrison                      = [[National Defence Headquarters (Canada)|National Defence Headquarters]], [[Ottawa]], Ontario
| garrison_label                = Headquarters
| motto                         = {{langnf|la|Parati vero parati|Ready aye ready}}
| march                         = "[[Heart of Oak]]"
| mascot                        = SONAR (Newfoundland dog)
| anniversaries                 = Niobe Day
| battles                       = {{plainlist|
* [[First World War]]
* [[Second World War]]
* [[Cold War]]
* [[Korean War]]
* [[Gulf War|Persian Gulf War]]
* [[War in Afghanistan (2001–present)|War in Afghanistan]]
* [[Operation Mobile]]
* [[Operation Caribbe]]
* [[Piracy off the coast of Somalia|Operation Artemis]]
* [[Operation Prosperity Guardian]]
}}
| website                       = {{official URL}}
<!-- Commanders and Senior Leaders -->
| commander1                    = Vice-Admiral [[Angus Topshee]]
| commander1_label              = [[Commander of the Royal Canadian Navy|Commander of the RCN]]
| commander2                    = [[CPO1]] Pascal Harel
| commander2_label              = [[Command Chief Petty Officer of the Royal Canadian Navy|Command CPO of RCN]]
<!-- Insignia -->
| identification_symbol         = [[File:Naval ensign of Canada.svg|150px|border]]
| identification_symbol_label   = [[Canadian Naval Ensign|Naval ensign]]
| identification_symbol_2       = [[File:Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg|150px|border]]
| identification_symbol_2_label = [[Naval jack]]
| identification_symbol_6       = 
| identification_symbol_6_label = 
| identification_symbol_4       = [[File:Canadian Commissioning Pennant.png|200px]]
| identification_symbol_4_label = Pennant
| identification_symbol_3       = [[File:Logo of the Royal Canadian Navy.svg|200px]]
| identification_symbol_3_label = Bilingual logo
}}

The '''Royal Canadian Navy''' ('''RCN'''; {{langx|fr|link=no|Marine royale canadienne}}, ''MRC'') is the [[Navy|naval force]] of [[Canada]]. The navy is one of three environmental commands within the [[Canadian Armed Forces]]. As of February 2024, the RCN operates 12 {{sclass|Halifax|frigate}}s, 4 {{sclass|Kingston|coastal defence vessel}}s, 4 {{sclass|Victoria|submarine}}s, 5 {{sclass|Harry DeWolf|offshore patrol vessel}}s, 8 {{sclass|Orca|patrol vessel|1}}s, and several auxiliary vessels. Officially, the RCN consisted of 8,400 [[Regular Force]] and 4,100 [[Primary Reserve]] sailors, supported by 3,800 civilians.<ref name="rcn" group="a">{{Cite web |date=28 November 2022 |title=Royal Canadian Navy |url=https://www.canada.ca/en/navy.html |access-date=29 March 2023 |website=www.canada.ca}}</ref>  

[[Origins of the Royal Canadian Navy|Founded in 1910]] as the '''Naval Service of Canada''' ({{langx|fr|link=no|Service naval du Canada}}) and given royal sanction on 29 August 1911, the RCN was amalgamated with the [[Royal Canadian Air Force]] and the [[Canadian Army]] to form the [[Unification of the Canadian Forces|unified Canadian Armed Forces]] in 1968, after which it was known as '''Maritime Command''' ({{langx|fr|link=no|Commandement maritime}}) until 2011.

In 2011, its historical title of "Royal Canadian Navy" was restored. The RCN has served in the [[First World War|First]] and [[Second World War]]s, the [[Korean War]], the [[Gulf War|Persian Gulf War]], [[Canada's role in the Afghanistan War#Other operations|Afghanistan]], and numerous [[United Nations]] peacekeeping missions and [[NATO]] operations.

==History==

===1910–1968===
{{main|Origins of the Royal Canadian Navy|History of the Royal Canadian Navy|List of ships of the Royal Canadian Navy}}
Established following the introduction of the ''[[Naval Service Act]]'' by Prime Minister [[Sir Wilfrid Laurier]], the Naval Service of Canada (NSC) was intended as a distinct naval force for Canada that could, should the need arise, be placed under British control. The bill received [[Royal Assent]] on 4 May 1910. Initially equipped with two former [[Royal Navy]] vessels, [[HMS Niobe (1897)|HMCS ''Niobe'']] and [[HMCS Rainbow (1891)|HMCS ''Rainbow'']], [[King George V]] granted permission for the service to be known as the Royal Canadian Navy on 29 August 1911.<ref>Tucker, Gibert Norman. [http://www.cmp-cpm.forces.gc.ca/dhh-dhp/his/oh-ho/detail-eng.asp?BfBookLang=1&BfId=46 ''The Naval Service of Canada: Volume I: Origins and Early Years.''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191214164259/http://www.cmp-cpm.forces.gc.ca/dhh-dhp/his/oh-ho/detail-eng.asp?BfBookLang=1&BfId=46 |date=14 December 2019 }} Ottawa: King's Printer, 1952, p. 137.</ref>

During the first years of the [[First World War]], the RCN's six-vessel naval force patrolled both the North American west and east coasts to deter the German naval threat, with a seventh ship, [[HMS Shearwater (1900)|HMCS ''Shearwater'']], joining the force in 1915. Just before the end of the war in 1918, the [[Royal Canadian Naval Air Service]] was established with the purpose of carrying out anti-submarine operations; however, it was disbanded after the armistice of 11 November.<ref name="navaviation">Kealey, J.D.F. and E.C. Russell. [http://www.cmp-cpm.forces.gc.ca/dhh-dhp/his/oh-ho/detail-eng.asp?BfBookLang=1&BfId=37 ''A History of Canadian Naval Aviation, 1918–1962.''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111023114508/http://www.cmp-cpm.forces.gc.ca/dhh-dhp/his/oh-ho/detail-eng.asp?BfBookLang=1&BfId=37 |date=23 October 2011 }} Ottawa: Queen's Printer, 1967, pp. 1–10. Retrieved: 6 May 2010.</ref>

[[File:HMS Uganda underway.jpg|thumb|left|[[HMS Uganda (66)|HMCS ''Québec'']], formerly HMS ''Uganda'', was one of many ships commissioned by the RCN in the [[Second World War]]. Expanding substantially during the war, the RCN had become the world's third-largest navy (471 warships and auxiliary vessels) by 1945.]]

After the war, the RCN took over certain responsibilities of the [[Department of Transport (Canada)|Department of Transport]]'s Marine Service and slowly started to build its fleet, with the first warships specifically designed for the RCN being commissioned in 1932.<ref>Milner, Marc. [http://www.legionmagazine.com/en/index.php/2006/01/walter-hose-to-the-rescue/ "Walter Hose To The Rescue: Navy, Part 13."] ''Legion Magazine'', 1 January 2006. Retrieved: 2 May 2010.</ref> At the outbreak of the [[Second World War]], the Navy had 11 combat vessels, 145 officers and 1,674 men.<ref>Schull, Joseph. ''Far Distant Ships: An Official Account of Canadian Naval Operations in World War II.'' Ottawa: King's Printer, 1952 – reprinted by Stoddart Publishing, Toronto, 1987, p. 1. {{ISBN|0-7737-2160-6}}.</ref> During the Second World War, the RCN expanded significantly, ultimately gaining responsibility for the entire Northwest Atlantic theatre of war. During the [[Battle of the Atlantic]], the RCN sank 31 [[U-boat]]s and sank or captured 42 enemy surface vessels, while completing 25,343 merchant crossings. The navy suffered the loss of 33 ships and 1,797 sailors.<ref>Schull, Joseph, pp. 430–431</ref> To gain experience with the operation of aircraft carriers, RCN personnel crewed two Royal Navy [[escort carrier]]s from 1944 to 1946: {{HMS|Nabob|D77|6}}, and {{HMS|Puncher|D79|6}}.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|title=Canada's Aircraft Carriers – Naval Museum of Manitoba|url=https://naval-museum.mb.ca/rcnships/canadas-aircraft-carriers/|access-date=24 September 2020|language=en-US}}</ref>

[[File:McDonnell F2H-3 Banshees in flight over HMCS Bonaventure (CVL 22), in the late 1950s.jpg|thumb|Four [[McDonnell F2H Banshee|F2H-3 Banshees]] fly overhead {{HMCS|Bonaventure}}. ''Bonaventure'' was the last aircraft carrier in service with the RCN.]]

Starting in May 1944, when Canada began drafting plans to assume a larger role in the [[Pacific War|Pacific Theatre]] after achieving victory in Europe, the Canadian government recognized that the RCN would require much larger vessels.<ref name=":0" /> Canadian naval staff advocated for HMS ''Nabob'' and HMS ''Puncher'' to be given back to the Royal Navy in exchange for two [[Light aircraft carrier|light fleet carriers]].<ref name=":0" /> The Canadian government agreed to acquire two carriers on loan from the Royal Navy, with an option to purchase them, but they were not ready before the war ended.<ref name=":0" /> Postwar budget cuts meant that Canada could only afford to operate one aircraft carrier, instead of two as originally planned.<ref name=":0" /> The RCN operated {{HMS|Warrior|R31|6}} from 1946 to 1948, before exchanging it with the Royal Navy for the slightly larger {{HMCS|Magnificent|CVL 21|6}}.<ref name=":0" />

From 1950 to 1955, during and after the [[Korean War]], Canadian destroyers maintained a presence off of the Korean peninsula, engaging in shore bombardments and maritime interdiction. During the Cold War, the Navy developed an anti-submarine capability to counter the growing [[Soviet Union|Soviet]] naval threat.<ref>Thorgrimsson, Thor and E.C. Russell. [http://www.cmp-cpm.forces.gc.ca/dhh-dhp/his/oh-ho/detail-eng.asp?BfBookLang=1&BfId=39 ''Canadian Naval Operations in Korean Waters, 1950–1955.''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180712175651/http://www.cmp-cpm.forces.gc.ca/dhh-dhp/his/oh-ho/detail-eng.asp?BfBookLang=1&BfId=39 |date=12 July 2018 }} Ottawa: Queen's Printer, 1965. Retrieved: 9 May 2010.</ref><ref>Milner. Marc. ''Canada's Navy: The First Century''. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1999, pp. 207–209. {{ISBN|0-8020-4281-3}}.</ref> In November 1956, HMCS ''Magnificent'' was chosen to transport men and supplies to Egypt as part of Canada's response to the [[Suez Crisis]].<ref name=":1">{{Cite book|last=Carroll |first= Michael K.|title=Pearson's Peacekeepers : Canada and the United Nations Emergency Force, 1956–67|date=2014|publisher=UBC Press|isbn=978-0-7748-1583-3|oclc=951203796 |pages=122–123}}</ref> In preparation for use as a transport, the ship's weapons were stripped, and her complement was reduced to 600 personnel.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Tracy |first= Nicholas|title=Two-Edged Sword: The Navy as an Instrument of Canadian Foreign Policy |date=2012|publisher=McGill-Queen's University Press|isbn=978-0-7735-8781-6|oclc=1162525031 |page=127}}</ref><ref name="hobbs">{{Cite book|last=Hobbs |first= David|title=British aircraft carriers : design, development & service histories|date=2014|publisher=Pen & Sword Books|isbn=978-1-4738-5351-5|oclc=1140382509 |pages=205–206}}</ref> The initial plan was to embark the [[Queen's Own Rifles of Canada]], but that order was rescinded in December.<ref name=":1" /> ''Magnificent'' waited in Halifax until the end of the month, then sailed for Egypt carrying 406 Canadian troops and their vehicles, four [[Royal Canadian Air Force]] [[de Havilland Canada DHC-3 Otter]]s, and a single [[Sikorsky H-19 Chickasaw|H04S helicopter]].<ref name=":1" /><ref>{{Cite book|last1=Macpherson |first1=Ken|title=The ships of Canada's naval forces, 1910–2002|date=2002|publisher=Vanwell Pub|last2=Barrie |first2=Ron |isbn=1-55125-072-1|edition=3rd|location=St. Catharines, Ont.|oclc=49204008 |page=237}}</ref><ref name=hobbs/> She returned to Canada in March 1957.<ref name="hobbs" /> Later in 1957, the RCN paid off HMCS ''Magnificent'' and commissioned {{HMCS|Bonaventure}}, which was better suited for jet aircraft.<ref name=":0" /> She flew the [[McDonnell F2H Banshee]] fighter jet until 1962, as well as various other anti-submarine aircraft until her decommissioning.<ref name="navaviation" /> In the 1960s, the RCN retired most of its Second World War vessels, and further developed its anti-submarine warfare capabilities by acquiring the [[Sikorsky CH-124 Sea King]], and successfully pioneered the use of large maritime helicopters on small surface vessels.

===1968–present===
{{See also|Structure of the Canadian Armed Forces in 1989#Maritime Command}}

From 1964 through 1968, under [[Prime Minister of Canada|Prime Minister]] [[Lester B. Pearson]], the RCN, Royal Canadian Air Force and [[Canadian Army]] were amalgamated to form the [[Canadian Armed Forces]]. This process was overseen by then–defence minister [[Paul Hellyer]]. The controversial merger resulted in the abolition of the RCN as a separate legal entity. All personnel, ships, and aircraft became part of Maritime Command (MARCOM), an element of the Canadian Armed Forces. The traditional naval uniform was eliminated and all naval personnel were required to wear the new Canadian Armed Forces rifle green uniform, adopted also by former Royal Canadian Air Force and Canadian Army personnel.<ref name=milner1>{{cite book |last=Milner |first=Marc |year=2010 |title=Canada's Navy: The First Century |edition=2nd |publisher=University of Toronto Press |location=Toronto |isbn=978-0-8020-9604-3 |pages=241, 243, 249–250, 261}}</ref> Ship-borne aircraft continued to be under the command of MARCOM, while shore-based patrol aircraft of the former Royal Canadian Air Force were transferred to MARCOM. In 1975 Air Command was formed and all maritime aircraft were transferred to Air Command's Maritime Air Group.<ref name=tonygerman>{{cite book |last=German |first=Tony |year=1990 |title=The Sea is at Our Gates: The History of the Canadian Navy |publisher=McClelland & Stewart Incorporated |location=Toronto |isbn=0-7710-3269-2 |pages=[https://archive.org/details/seaisatourgatesh00germ/page/303 303, 308–309] |url=https://archive.org/details/seaisatourgatesh00germ/page/303 }}</ref> The [[unification of the Canadian Forces]] in 1968 was the first time that a nation with a modern military combined its formerly separate naval, land and air elements into a single service.<ref name=milner1/>

[[File:HMCS ATHABASKAN F-282, Halifax NS, August 1990. (5499564589).jpg|thumb|left|{{HMCS|Athabaskan|DDG 282|6}} departing [[Halifax, Nova Scotia|Halifax]] for the [[Persian Gulf]] as part of the [[Coalition of the Gulf War|Coalition]] forces. Canada deployed three ships in support of [[Operation Desert Shield (Gulf War)|Operation Desert Shield]], and later Operation Desert Storm]]

HMCS ''Bonaventure'' was sold off in 1970, shortly after completing a 16-month, $11 million mid-life refit.<ref name=":0" /> The 1970s saw the addition of four {{Sclass|Iroquois|destroyer}}s, which were later updated to [[air defence]] destroyers, and in the late 1980s and 1990s the construction of twelve {{Sclass|Halifax|frigate}}s and the purchase of the {{Sclass|Victoria|submarine}}s. In 1990, Canada deployed three [[Warship|warships]] to support [[Gulf War|Operation Friction]]. Later in the decade, ships were deployed to patrol the [[Adriatic Sea]] during the [[Yugoslav Wars]] and the [[Kosovo War]]. More recently, Maritime Command provided vessels to serve as a part of [[Operation Apollo]] and to combat [[piracy off the coast of Somalia]].<ref>{{cite book |last=Milner |first=Marc |year=2010 |title=Canada's Navy: The First Century |edition=2nd |publisher=University of Toronto Press |location=Toronto |isbn=978-0-8020-9604-3 |pages=266, 287, 296–298, 307, 310, 315}}</ref>

Following the [[Official Languages Act (Canada)|''Official Languages Act'']] enshrinement in 1969, MARCOM instituted the French Language Unit, which constituted a francophone unit with the navy. The first was {{HMCS|Ottawa|DDH 229|6}}. In the 1980s and 1990s, women were also accepted into the fleet, with the submarine service the last to allow them, beginning in 2001.<ref name=milner2>{{cite book |last=Milner |first=Marc |year=2010 |title=Canada's Navy: The First Century |edition=2nd |publisher=University of Toronto Press |location=Toronto |isbn=978-0-8020-9604-3 |pages=268–269, 308–309}}</ref>

Some of the changes that had taken place during the unification of the forces began to be undone. In 1985, MARCOM received new black uniforms, differentiating them from the land-based forces.<ref name=tonygerman/> By 1990, the three senior naval officers of MARCOM had recreated the Naval Board.<ref name=milner2/> On 16 August 2011, the [[Government of Canada#Executive|government]] restored the historic names of the Canadian Forces' three environmental commands: Maritime Command became the "Royal Canadian Navy", Air Command the "Royal Canadian Air Force," and Land Force Command the "Canadian Army."<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2011/08/15/navy_air_force_to_get_back_old_royal_names.html |title=Navy, air force to get back old 'royal' names |last=Woods |first=Allan |work=Toronto Star |date=15 August 2011 |access-date=6 May 2018}}</ref>

As of August 2015, with the loss of area air defence and (temporarily) resupply capabilities, the RCN was then classified as a Rank 5 navy (offshore regional coastal defence) on the [[Todd-Lindberg navy classification system]] of naval strength, dropping from Rank 3 (multiregional power projection) in 2005.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Gilmore|first1=Scott|title=The Sinking of the Canadian Navy|url=http://www.macleans.ca/news/canada/the-sinking-of-the-canadian-navy/|website=Maclean's|date=4 August 2015 |access-date=16 August 2015}}</ref> Vice-Admiral [[Angus Topshee]], the [[commander of the Royal Canadian Navy|commander of the RCN]], indicated in 2023, the "effective strength" of the regular force was considerably lower with numerous naval trades having shortages in trained strength of more than 20 percent.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Saballa |first=Joe |date=20 November 2023 |title=Canadian Navy Readiness in 'Critical State': Commander |url=https://thedefensepost.com/2023/11/30/canadian-navy-readiness-critical/ |access-date=6 July 2025 |website=The Defense Post}}</ref> In late 2025, Vice-Admiral Topshee stated that the Navy's personnel problem had not been solved and remained dire,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Duggan |first=Kyle |date=21 September 2025 |title=Navy still struggling to fill recruitment gaps throughout the service: vice-admiral |url=https://www.durhamradionews.com/archives/202433 |access-date=22 September 2025 |website=Durham Radio News}}</ref> while the [[Auditor General of Canada]] reported deeper systemic problems with Canadian military recruitment.<ref>{{Cite web |date=October 2025 |title=Recruiting for Canada's Military |url=https://www.oag-bvg.gc.ca/internet/English/parl_oag_202510_07_e_44723.html |access-date=22 October 2025 |website=Auditor General of Canada}}</ref>

==Structure==
The RCN is headquartered at [[National Defence Headquarters (Canada)|National Defence Headquarters]] (NDHQ) in [[Ottawa]], Ontario. Since 1968, the RCN has been an environmental command of the [[Canadian Armed Forces]] and since 2012 it has been charged with maintaining and generating forces for the [[Canadian Joint Operations Command]].

=== Naval Staff Headquarters ===
{{Main|National Defence Headquarters (Canada)}}

The RCN is directed through Naval Staff HQ by the Commander of the RCN, as the Chief of Naval Staff, whose mission is to lead the strategic development and generation of combat capable multi-purpose maritime forces and to provide advice in support of maritime operations.

=== Maritime Forces Atlantic ===
{{Main|Maritime Forces Atlantic}}

[[File:426 - Halifax NS.JPG|thumb|[[CFB Halifax]] is the headquarters for RCN units from [[Maritime Forces Atlantic]].]]
The RCN's Atlantic Fleet, known as Canadian Fleet Atlantic is co-located with [[Maritime Forces Atlantic]] (MARLANT), with headquarters at [[CFB Halifax]] in [[Halifax, Nova Scotia]]. It is supported by [[CFS St. John's]] in [[Newfoundland and Labrador|Newfoundland]]. Attached to MARLANT and CFB Halifax is the Royal Canadian Air Force's [[12 Wing Shearwater]], based at [[CFB Shearwater|Shearwater Heliport]], which provides shipborne air support for the Atlantic Fleet. The RCAF's [[14 Wing Greenwood]] provides fixed-wing air support for MARLANT through [[404 Maritime Patrol and Training Squadron]] and [[405 Maritime Patrol Squadron]]. Other Atlantic Fleet facilities are [[CFB Halifax#CFAD Bedford|CFAD Bedford]], an ammunition depot, and two radio stations, [[Naval Radio Section Newport Corner|Naval Radio Section (NRS) Newport Corner]] and [[CFS Mill Cove|NRS Mill Cove]].<ref group="a" name="MARLANT">{{citation|url=http://www.navy.forces.gc.ca/marlant/3/3-e_eng.asp|title=Maritime Forces Atlantic|publisher=Royal Canadian Navy|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110613052223/http://www.navy.forces.gc.ca/marlant/3/3-e_eng.asp|archive-date=13 June 2011|access-date=26 March 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref>

The Atlantic Fleet, with 18 warships and a number of auxiliary vessels, is responsible for Canada's [[exclusive economic zone]] on the East Coast, as well as Canada's area of responsibility in the [[Atlantic Ocean]] and the eastern [[Arctic Ocean]].

===Maritime Forces Pacific===
{{Main|Maritime Forces Pacific}}

[[File:Cfb-esquimalt-aerial.id.jpg|thumb|[[CFB Esquimalt]] is the headquarters for RCN units from [[Maritime Forces Pacific]].]]

The RCN's Pacific Fleet, known as Canadian Fleet Pacific is co-located with [[Maritime Forces Pacific]] (MARPAC), with headquarters at [[CFB Esquimalt]] in [[British Columbia]], in the [[Greater Victoria]] region. MARPAC consists of over 4,000 naval personnel and 2,000 civilian personnel.<ref group="a" name="radmpac">{{citation|url=http://www.marine.forces.gc.ca/marpac/0/0-w_eng.asp?category=1|title=Rear-Admiral Nigel S. Greenwood|publisher=Royal Canadian Navy|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110930225108/http://www.marine.forces.gc.ca/marpac/0/0-w_eng.asp?category=1|archive-date=30 September 2011|access-date=18 August 2011|url-status=live}}</ref>

Comprising 15 warships and several auxiliary vessels homeported in Esquimalt, the Pacific Fleet is responsible for Canada's exclusive economic zone on the West Coast and Canada's area of responsibility in the [[Pacific Ocean]] and the western Arctic Ocean. Fleet Maintenance Facility Cape Breton provides repair and maintenance services to the Pacific Fleet. The Royal Canadian Air Force's [[443 Maritime Helicopter Squadron]], based at [[Victoria International Airport|Patricia Bay Heliport]] but under the control of 12 Wing Shearwater, provides shipborne helicopter support for the Pacific Fleet, while [[19 Wing Comox]] provides fixed-wing maritime air support for MARPAC through [[407 Long Range Patrol Squadron]]. Other Pacific Fleet facilities are CFAD Rocky Point, an ammunition depot, and [[Naval Radio Section Aldergrove]].

=== Canadian Forces Naval Reserve ===
{{Main|Canadian Forces Naval Reserve}}

The [[Canadian Forces Naval Reserve]] is the [[Primary Reserve]] component of the RCN. The primary mission of the NAVRES is to force generate sailors and teams for CAF operations, including: domestic safety operations as well as security and defence missions, while at the same time supporting the Navy's efforts in connecting with Canadians through the maintenance of a broad national presence.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.navy-marine.forces.gc.ca/en/about/structure-navres-mission-vision.page|title=NAVRES Vision / Mission {{!}} Naval Reserve {{!}} Royal Canadian Navy|last=Government of Canada|first=National Defence|date=16 July 2013|website=www.navy-marine.forces.gc.ca|access-date=11 November 2019}}</ref>

==Fleet==
{{Main|Fleet of the Royal Canadian Navy}}

===Warships===
[[File:HMCS St. John's (FFH 340) off Charleston, South Carolina (USA), on 23 August 2010.jpg|thumb|right|{{HMCS|St. John's}}, one of 12 {{sclass|Halifax|frigate|0}} multi-role [[frigate]]s in service with RCN]]

The RCN operates twelve frigates, four patrol submarines, five Arctic and offshore patrol ships, twelve coastal-defence vessels and eight unarmed patrol/training vessels.<ref>{{Cite web|publisher=Government of Canada |date=3 May 2021|title=Royal Canadian Navy fleet and specialized units|url=http://www.navy-marine.forces.gc.ca/en/fleet-units/fleet-units-index.page|access-date=26 June 2021 }}</ref> The surface ships, which carry the designation [[His Majesty's Canadian Ship]] (HMCS), consist of twelve ''Halifax''-class multi-role patrol frigates, Four {{sclass|Kingston|coastal defence vessel|0}} coastal defence vessels and five offshore patrol vessels of the {{sclass|Harry DeWolf|offshore patrol vessel|4}}. In addition to the surface vessels, the RCN operates four [[Upholder/Victoria-class submarine|''Victoria''-class]] submarines that were acquired from the Royal Navy in 1998. These warships carry the designation His Majesty's Canadian Submarine. The RCN also maintains and operates {{HMCS|Oriole}}, a historic sailing ship launched in 1921 which was commissioned in 1952 as a sail-training ship. Thus, ''Oriole'' is the oldest commissioned ship in the RCN. The RCN's ceremonial flagship is {{HMCS|Haida}}, a {{sclass2|Tribal|destroyer|1||1936}} which served from 1943 until 1963.<ref>{{Cite web|date=8 January 2018|title=HMCS Haida|url=https://www.canada.ca/en/navy/services/history/ships-histories/haida.html|access-date=26 June 2021|publisher=Government of Canada }}</ref>

On 19 September 2014, the RCN announced the decommissioning of its two ''Protecteur''-class resupply ships, along with two ''Iroquois''-class destroyers. The Naval Tactical Operations Group (NTOG; {{langx|fr|Groupe des opérations tactiques maritimes, GOTM}}), established in 2015, has units based on warships to provide enhanced naval boarding capability.<ref>{{cite web|title=Maritime Tactical Operations Group Information Briefing|url=http://navalassoc.ca/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/MTOG_Information_Brief_ver02Mar16_Final_Video_Distr.pdf|website=Naval Association of Canada|publisher=Royal Canadian Navy|access-date=24 March 2017|date=March 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Prêts pour la tempête |trans-title=Ready for the storm |language=fr|url=http://www.navy-marine.forces.gc.ca/fr/nouvelles-operations/nouvelles-operations-voir.page?doc=prets-pour-la-tempete/iq3da0ja|website=Royal Canadian Navy|access-date=24 March 2017|date=18 July 2016 }}</ref>

===Auxiliary vessels===
The RCN operates auxiliary vessels to support the Canadian Forces. These vessels are not warships and do not carry the HMCS designation. Among the auxiliary ships operated by the navy are eight {{sclass|Orca|patrol vessel|0}} patrol class training tenders, {{ship|CFAV|Firebrand|YTR 562|6}} and five {{sclass2|Glen|tug|0||1975}} harbour tugs.<ref>{{Cite web |date=4 October 2022 |title=Training and auxiliary |publisher=Government of Canada |url=https://www.canada.ca/en/navy/corporate/fleet-units/training-auxiliary-fleet.html |access-date=5 June 2024}}</ref> {{ship|MV|Asterix}} is an interim replenishing vessel serving in the RCN with a mixed naval and civilian crew since January 2018 replacing contracted [[replenishment oiler]]s until replacements can be commissioned. The [[Naval Large Tugboat]] project is intended to secure four new tugs to replace the Glen class and ''Firebrand'' with vessels with combined tug and firefighting capabilities, and is being conducted with shipbuilder Ocean Industries Inc, with project completion expected in 2024.<ref>{{Cite web |date=7 May 2019 |title=Naval large tugs |publisher=Government of Canada |url=https://www.tpsgc-pwgsc.gc.ca/app-acq/amd-dp/mer-sea/sncn-nss/naval-largegros-eng.html |access-date=5 June 2024}}</ref>

===Aircraft===
{{Main|List of aircraft of the Royal Canadian Navy}}

[[File:Lockheed CP-140 Aurora, Canada - Air Force JP7645830.jpg|thumb|A Royal Canadian Air Force [[Lockheed CP-140 Aurora|CP-140 Aurora]]. The aircraft is used by the [[RCAF]] as a [[maritime patrol aircraft]].]]
[[File:Canadian CH-148 Departs Flight Deck During Keen Sword 21 (cropped).jpg|thumb|A [[CH-148 Cyclone]] departs the flight deck during cross-deck landing training aboard {{USS|Shiloh|CG-67|6}} during Keen Sword 21]]

Since 1975, all aircraft supporting the RCN are operated by the Royal Canadian Air Force through [[1 Canadian Air Division]], though this will change upon delivery of an Unmanned Aircraft System expected in 2024 or 2025.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Government of Canada |first=National Defence |date=30 May 2018 |title=Royal Canadian Navy Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition and Reconnaissance Unmanned Aircraft System - Defence Capabilities Blueprint |url=https://apps.forces.gc.ca/en/defence-capabilities-blueprint/project-details.asp?id=1297 |access-date=5 June 2024 |website=apps.forces.gc.ca}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=15 February 2021 |title=Royal Canadian Naval Air Branch (1945 – 1968) - Canada's Aviation Hall of Fame |url=https://cahf.ca/royal-canadian-naval-air-branch-1945-1968/ |access-date=5 June 2024 |language=en-CA}}</ref> [[CP-140 Aurora]] and [[CP-140A Arcturus]] anti-submarine, ship surveillance and maritime patrol aircraft have been operated by squadrons under 14 Wing at [[CFB Greenwood]] and 19 Wing at [[CFB Comox]]. The [[CH-148 Cyclone]] entered operational service with the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) in 2018 and conducts anti-submarine warfare (ASW), surveillance, and search and rescue missions from Royal Canadian Navy frigates. In addition, 18 CP-140 Aurora fixed-wing aircraft for land-based anti-submarine warfare and area surveillance (of which 14 are being modernized and retained for active operations), for land-based maritime surveillance. The RCN has some ships assigned with a [[Unmanned aerial vehicle|UAV]]:

* [[Saab Skeldar|CU-176 Gargoyle UAV]]: ''Harry DeWolf''–class AOPV
* [[AeroVironment RQ-20 Puma]]: ''Kingston''-class MCDV
* [[Schiebel Camcopter S-100]]: ''Halifax''-class frigate (from 2027)

===Future procurement===
The following major projects have been announced by the Government of Canada to modernize the Royal Canadian Navy:

* The {{Sclass|Protecteur|auxiliary vessel|2}}, begun as the Joint Support Ship Project, is to replace the previous {{sclass|Protecteur|replenishment oiler|0}} replenishment vessels, providing support to naval task forces, a limited sealift capability and limited theatre command and control.<ref group="a" name="backgrounder-JSSP">{{cite web|url=http://www.forces.gc.ca/site/news-nouvelles/news-nouvelles-eng.asp?cat=03&id=3464|title=Canada Begins Joint Support Ships Procurement for the Canadian Forces|publisher=National Defence and the Canadian Forces|date=14 July 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110831043920/http://www.forces.gc.ca/site/news-nouvelles/news-nouvelles-eng.asp?cat=03|archive-date=31 August 2011|access-date=17 August 2011|url-status=live}}</ref> On its inception in the early 2000s, the project aimed to build two to three vessels with substantially more sealift capacity, although with a change in government in 2006 the capabilities and numbers of ships were scaled back. The RCN eventually decided to base the JSS design on the {{sclass|Berlin|replenishment ship|0}} replenishment vessels. As part of the [[National Shipbuilding Procurement Strategy]] (NSPS), the ships will be built by Seaspan Marine Corporation at the Vancouver Shipyards facility in North Vancouver, British Columbia. These ''Berlin''-class ships will displace approximately {{convert|22250|t|LT}} in Canadian service.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.defensenews.com/article/20130611/DEFREG02/306110021 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130615051806/http://www.defensenews.com/article/20130611/DEFREG02/306110021 |url-status=dead |archive-date=15 June 2013 |title=Canada Taps German Design for Navy's Support Ships |website=DefenseNews |date=11 June 2013 |access-date=26 September 2014}}</ref> Construction on the first ship began in November 2019, and a contract for full-rate production was awarded to Seaspan in June 2020.<ref>{{Cite web|date=13 March 2013|title=Joint support ship |publisher=Government of Canada|url=https://www.canada.ca/en/department-national-defence/services/procurement/joint-support-ship.html|access-date=25 September 2020 }}</ref> They were initially to be named for battles of the [[War of 1812]], with HMCS ''Queenston'' as the lead ship, followed by HMCS ''Châteauguay'',<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.navy-marine.forces.gc.ca/en/news-operations/news-view.page?doc=names-chosen-for-the-royal-canadian-navy-s-new-joint-support-ships/hnbfat21 |title=Names chosen for the Royal Canadian Navy's new Joint Support Ships |work=Royal Canadian Navy |publisher=Government of Canada |date=25 October 2013 |access-date=26 September 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.navyrecognition.com/index.php/news/defence-news/year-2013-news/november-2013-navy-naval-forces-maritime-industry-technology-security-global-news/1390--names-chosen-for-the-royal-canadian-navys-new-joint-support-ships.html |title=Names chosen for the Royal Canadian Navy's new Joint Support Ships |website=navyrecognition.com |date=30 November 2013 |access-date=26 September 2014}}</ref> but the vessels were renamed ''Protecteur'' and ''Preserver'' respectively in September 2017.<ref name=pugliese91217>{{cite news |url=https://ottawacitizen.com/news/national/defence-watch/war-of-1812-names-for-joint-support-ships-are-history-protecteur-and-preserver-are-the-new-names |title= War of 1812 names for Joint Support Ships are history – Protecteur and Preserver are the new names |last=Pugliese |first=David |newspaper=Ottawa Citizen |date=12 September 2017 |access-date=12 September 2017}}</ref> The first ship was launched in December 2024.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Canada |first=Public Services and Procurement |date=7 January 2025 |title=Joint support ships |url=https://www.canada.ca/en/public-services-procurement/services/acquisitions/defence-marine/national-shipbuilding-strategy/projects/large-vessels/joint-support-ships.html |access-date=25 August 2025 |website=www.canada.ca}}</ref>

[[File:HMCS Harry Dewolf under construction May 2018.jpg|thumb|Construction of {{HMCS|Harry DeWolf}} at [[Halifax Shipyard]] in May 2018]]

* The ''Harry DeWolf'' class, previously referred to as the Arctic Patrol Ship Project (AOPS), announced in 2007, is a program to build six [[Polar Class 5]] Arctic patrol ships capable of operating in ice and to establish the [[Nanisivik Naval Facility]], a deep water port in [[Arctic Bay]], [[Baffin Island]], [[Nunavut]] that would support RCN operations in the [[Northwest Passage]] and adjacent waters.<ref group="a" name="backgrounder-APSP">{{cite web |url=http://www.forces.gc.ca/site/pri/2/pro-pro/artic-eng.asp|title=Arctic/Offshore Patrol Ships|publisher=National Defence and the Canadian Forces|date=5 August 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111111012309/http://www.forces.gc.ca/site/pri/2/pro-pro/artic-eng.asp|archive-date=11 November 2011|access-date=17 August 2011|url-status=live}}</ref> The lead ship began construction at the Irving Shipyard in Halifax in September 2015. The projected service entry for the lead ship of the class was to be in 2018 (though that date later slipped by three years). In September 2014, Prime Minister [[Stephen Harper]] announced that the name of the first ship in the class would be {{HMCS|Harry DeWolf}}, named in honour of wartime Canadian naval hero [[Harry DeWolf]] and that the class would be named the ''Harry DeWolf'' class.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.pm.gc.ca/eng/news/2014/09/18/pm-announces-name-first-royal-canadian-navys-arcticoffshore-patrol-ships |title=PM announces the name of the first of the Royal Canadian Navy's Arctic/Offshore Patrol Ships |publisher=Prime Minister of Canada |date=18 September 2014 |access-date=22 September 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140922072946/http://www.pm.gc.ca/eng/news/2014/09/18/pm-announces-name-first-royal-canadian-navys-arcticoffshore-patrol-ships |archive-date=22 September 2014 |url-status=dead}}</ref> The RCN accepted ''Harry DeWolf'' in July 2020, and formally commissioned her in June 2021, following post-acceptance sea trials.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://globalnews.ca/news/7983658/hmcs-harry-dewolf-canadian-navy-ceremony/ |title=HMCS Harry DeWolf welcomed into Royal Canadian Navy fleet |last=Cooke |first=Alex |work=Global News |date=26 June 2021 |access-date=28 August 2021 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Sevunts|first=Leon|date=31 July 2020|title=Canadian navy receives its first new Arctic and offshore patrol ship|url=https://www.rcinet.ca/en/2020/07/31/canadian-navy-receives-its-first-new-arctic-and-offshore-patrol-ship/|access-date=25 September 2020|website=Radio Canada International}}</ref> The sixth and final ship of the class was launched in December 2024.{{cn|date=January 2025}}
* The RCN is procuring up to 15 vessels under the [[Single Class Surface Combatant Project|Canadian Surface Combatant]] project to replace both the 12 ''Halifax''-class frigates and the now decommissioned four ''Iroquois''-class destroyers. In October 2018, a consortium led by [[BAE Systems]] and Lockheed Martin Canada was selected as the preferred design for the Canadian Surface Combatant project, with a variant of BAE's [[Type 26 frigate]] (already ordered by both the [[Royal Navy]] and [[Royal Australian Navy]]) chosen as the platform.<ref>{{cite news|title=Lockheed Martin selected as preferred designer for Canada's next generation of warships |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/frigate-designer-canada-defence-1.4869268|access-date=19 October 2018|work=CBC News |last=Brewster |first=Murray }}</ref> In June 2024 construction on the new ships commenced, with test module construction. Full-rate production began in April 2025.{{update after|2025}} The ships will be known as River-class destroyers.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Staff |first=Naval News |date=28 June 2024 |title=Canada Starts Construction on CSC / River-class Destroyers |url=https://www.navalnews.com/naval-news/2024/06/canada-starts-construction-on-csc-river-class-destroyers/ |access-date=29 June 2024 |website=Naval News |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Canada |first=Public Services and Procurement |date=20 November 2024 |title=River-class destroyer (Canadian surface combatant) |url=https://www.canada.ca/en/public-services-procurement/services/acquisitions/defence-marine/national-shipbuilding-strategy/projects/large-vessels/river-class-destroyer.html |access-date=25 August 2025 |website=www.canada.ca}}</ref>
* The Maritime Helicopter Project is an RCAF procurement project that is replacing the [[CH-124 Sea King]]s with 28 [[CH-148 Cyclone]] shipborne anti-submarine warfare helicopters to operate from RCN warships.<ref group="a" name="cyclone">{{citation|url=http://www.forces.gc.ca/site/news-nouvelles/news-nouvelles-eng.asp?id=3486|title=Maritime Helicopter Project|publisher=National Defence and the Canadian Forces|date=26 July 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111112132052/http://www.forces.gc.ca/site/news-nouvelles/news-nouvelles-eng.asp?id=3486|archive-date=12 November 2011|access-date=17 August 2011|url-status=live}}</ref> This project was delayed by several years for a variety of developmental challenges. However, deliveries of the Block 1 airframe began in June 2015. In June 2018, Canada began taking possession of Cyclones in the Block 2 configuration. The initial operating capability for the Cyclone was declared in mid-2018.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Canadian CH-148 Cyclone helicopter crashes in Ionian Sea|url=https://www.skiesmag.com/news/military-helicopter-crashes-in-ionian-sea/|access-date=25 September 2020|website=Skies Magazine}}</ref> As of February 2024, 27 of 28 helicopters had been delivered. The last helicopter is expected to be delivered by fall 2025.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.canada.ca/en/department-national-defence/services/procurement/ch-148-cyclone.html |title=CH-148 Cyclone procurement project |date=13 March 2013 |publisher=Government of Canada |access-date=28 August 2021}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Canada |first=Public Services and Procurement |date=12 September 2024 |title=Maritime helicopter project |url=https://www.canada.ca/en/public-services-procurement/services/acquisitions/defence-marine/air/maritime-helicopter-project.html |access-date=25 August 2025 |website=www.canada.ca}}</ref>
* In May 2019, it was announced that [[Saab Skeldar|Saab Skeldar V-200]] UAVs would be acquired for the RCN and Canadian special forces. The light UAVs will be capable of operating from both the ''Halifax''-class frigates and ''Harry DeWolf''-class patrol ships.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.unmannedsystemstechnology.com/2019/05/canadian-armed-forces-select-ums-skeldar-v-200-uas/ |title=Canadian Armed Forces Select UMS SKELDAR V-200 UAS |work=unmannedsystemstechnology.com |date=8 May 2019 |access-date=23 February 2020}}</ref> In addition, in 2024 the Teal 2 small quadcopter for light [[Intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition, and reconnaissance|ISR]] tasks was acquired, while the RCN [[Intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition, and reconnaissance|ISTAR]] project will introduce the [[Schiebel Camcopter S-100]] to ''Halifax''-class frigates in 2027–2028.<ref>{{Cite web |last=National Defence |date=5 August 2025 |title=Royal Canadian Navy to Enhance Maritime Operations with New Uncrewed Aircraft Systems |url=https://www.canada.ca/en/department-national-defence/news/2025/08/royal-canadian-navy-to-enhance-maritime-operations-with-new-uncrewed-aircraft-systems.html |access-date=24 August 2025 |website=www.canada.ca}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |date=August 2025 |title=RCN-ISTAR Contract Award |url=https://secure.viewer.zmags.com/publication/71501063#/71501063/123 |journal=Canadian Defence Review |volume=31 |issue=4 |pages=123 |via=Zmags.com}}</ref>
* In December 2022, [[Kraken Robotics|Kraken Robotics Inc.]] was awarded a prime contract to provide remote minehunting and disposal systems (RMDS) for the Department of National Defence. The acquisition portion of the contract is likely to be signed in January 2023 and run over 24 months.{{update after|2023|01}} Two classes of autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) will be delivered to the RCN: lightweight AUVs and operator-portable AUVs, both equipped with AquaPix synthetic aperture sonar. The RMDS also includes a number of combat-variant and training-variant mine disposal systems (MDS), a transportable command centre (TCC) and a computer-based trainer (CBT). The capability is intended to be modular, portable, and operable from various platforms or from shore locations.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.navalnews.com/naval-news/2022/12/kraken-wins-royal-canadian-navy-contract-for-minehunting-program/ |title=Kraken Wins Royal Canadian Navy Contract For Minehunting Program |work=Naval News |date=7 December 2022 |access-date=8 December 2022}}</ref>
* The [[Canadian Patrol Submarine|Canadian Patrol Submarine Project]] (CPSP) was announced on 10 July 2024. Under the project up to 12 submarines are to be acquired for the RCN.<ref>{{Cite web |last=National Defence |date=7 July 2024 |title=Canada launching process to acquire up to 12 conventionally-powered submarines |url=https://www.canada.ca/en/department-national-defence/news/2024/07/canada-launching-process-to-acquire-up-to-12-conventionally-powered-submarines.html |access-date=7 July 2024 |website=Government of Canada}}</ref> The new submarines will have to be capable of operating for over {{convert|7000|nmi}} and for a minimum of 21 days of continuous dived operation.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Pugliese |first=David |date=23 September 2024 |title=First submarine in new Canadian fleet won't be operational until 2037, navy confirms |url=https://ottawacitizen.com/news/national/defence-watch/first-submarine-in-new-canadian-fleet-wont-be-operational-until-2037-navy-confirms |access-date=23 September 2024 |website=Ottawa Citizen}}</ref> Moreover, the subs need to operate drones, underwater crewed systems, and communication systems compatible with ones operated by the US military.  Additionally, the subs must be capable of no less than 60 days of self-sustained operations. The first submarine is not expected to be operational until 2037.{{update after|2037}}

==Personnel==
{{See also|Canadian Forces ranks and insignia|Uniforms of the Royal Canadian_Navy}}

===Commander-in-Chief===
{| style="border:1px solid #8888aa; background:#f7f8ff; padding:5px; font-size:95%; margin:0 12px 12px 0;"
|- style="background:#ccc;"
! colspan="2" |[[Commander-in-Chief of the Canadian Forces|Commander-in-Chief]]
|- align=center
| [[File:Royal Canadian Navy sleeves (Commander-in-Chief of the Canadian Armed Forces).svg|frameless|153x153px]]
|[[File:Royal Canadian Navy (Commander-in-Chief of the Canadian Armed Forces).svg|center|frameless|153x153px]]
|}

===Commissioned officers===
[[File:Canadian Officer's commission for a male naval officer.jpg|thumb|A naval officer's [[Commission (document)|commission]] with the Canadian Armed Forces]]

Commissioned officers of the Canadian Armed Forces have ranks ranging from the NATO standard ranks of OF-1 to OF-9. The only OF-9 position in the Canadian Forces is the [[Chief of the Defence Staff (Canada)|Chief of the Defence Staff]], who can be from any of the service elements. The highest position occupied in the current RCN structure is OF-8, a vice-admiral who is the [[Commander of the Royal Canadian Navy]] and Chief of the Naval Staff. OF-6 (commodore) to OF-9 (admiral) are referred to as [[flag officer]]s, OF-3 (lieutenant-commander) to OF-5 (captain (N)) are referred to as [[Military rank#Field or senior officers|senior officers]], while OF-2 (lieutenant (N)) and OF-1 (sub-lieutenant) are referred to as [[junior officer]]s. Naval cadets are referred to as [[subordinate officer]]s.<ref group="a" name="ranks">{{citation|url=http://www.forces.gc.ca/site/acf-apfc/insig/navy-marine-eng.asp|title=Royal Canadian Navy Rank and Appointment Insignia|publisher=Royal Canadian Navy|date=16 August 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110728093240/http://www.forces.gc.ca/site/acf-apfc/Insig/navy-marine-eng.asp|archive-date=28 July 2011|access-date=16 March 2009|url-status=dead}}</ref> All except subordinate officers of the Canadian Forces receive a [[Commission (document)|commission]] from the [[Monarchy of Canada|King of Canada]] as [[Commander-in-Chief of the Canadian Armed Forces]]. The commissioning scroll issued in recognition of the commission is signed by the [[Governor General of Canada]] as the King of Canada's representative and countersigned by the serving Minister of National Defence. Subordinate officers are promoted to [[Lieutenant (Canada)|acting sub-lieutenant]] upon receiving their commissions.

Naval officers are trained at the [[Royal Military College of Canada]] in [[CFB Kingston|Kingston]], Ontario, the [[Royal Military College Saint-Jean]] in [[Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu|Saint-Jean]], Quebec, Naval Officer Training Centre (NOTC) Venture and Naval Fleet School (Pacific) in [[Esquimalt]], British Columbia, and Naval Fleet School (Atlantic) in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Some specialized candidates may be commissioned without attending the Royal Military College; the plan is known as Direct-Entry Officer (DEO) Plan. Senior NCOs may also be offered commissions on the basis that their training and experience give them a comparable basis of knowledge; this is referred to as the Commission-from-the-Ranks (CFR) Plan. NCOs who are offered such promotions are typically [[petty officer 1st class]] or higher, with 20 or more years of service.

The RCN rank structure is shown below for officers

{| style="border:1px solid #8888aa; background:#f7f8ff; padding:5px; font-size:95%; margin:0 12px 12px 0;"
{{Ranks and Insignia of NATO Navies/OF/Blank}}
{{Ranks and Insignia of NATO Navies/OF/Canada}}
|}

===Non-commissioned members===
Non-commissioned members of the RCN have pay grades ranging from OR-1 to OR-9. OR-9 (chief petty officer 1st class), OR-8 (chief petty officers 2nd class) and OR-7 (petty officer 1st class) are known as [[petty officer]]s, and OR-6 (petty officer 2nd class, referred to as senior non-commissioned officer) form the senior cadre of the [[non-commissioned member]]s of the military. OR-5 (master sailor) and OR-4 (sailor first class) are referred to as junior non-commissioned officers, while OR-3 (sailor second class) and OR-2 (sailor third class) are referred to as junior ranks.

All [[Regular Force]] non-commissioned members of the Canadian Forces undergo [[Basic Military Qualification|basic training]] at the [[Canadian Forces Leadership and Recruit School]] in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu. Recruits then attend occupation-specific training at various locations across Canada.

In August 2020, the term "seaman" was replaced with the gender-neutral term "sailor".<ref>{{cite web |url=https://vancouverisland.ctvnews.ca/royal-canadian-navy-to-replace-term-seaman-with-gender-neutral-sailor-1.5081892 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200827185756/https://vancouverisland.ctvnews.ca/royal-canadian-navy-to-replace-term-seaman-with-gender-neutral-sailor-1.5081892 |url-status=dead |archive-date=27 August 2020 |title=Royal Canadian Navy to replace term 'seaman' with gender-neutral 'sailor' |last=Coyne |first=Todd |work=CTV News |date=27 August 2020 |access-date=28 August 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.kamloopsthisweek.com/from-seaman-to-sailor-the-royal-canadian-navy-adopts-gender-neutral-titles-1.24193502 |title=From 'seaman' to 'sailor': the Royal Canadian Navy adopts gender-neutral titles |work=Kamloops This Week |agency=The Canadian Press |date=27 August 2020 |access-date=28 August 2020 |archive-date=27 October 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201027084857/https://www.kamloopsthisweek.com/from-seaman-to-sailor-the-royal-canadian-navy-adopts-gender-neutral-titles-1.24193502 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/royal-canadian-navy-seaman-sailor-1.5702842 |title=From 'seaman' to 'sailor': Royal Canadian Navy adopts gender-neutral titles |work=CBC News |date=27 August 2020 |access-date=28 August 2020}}</ref>

{| style="border:1px solid #8888aa; background:#f7f8ff; padding:5px; font-size:95%; margin:0 12px 12px 0;"
{{Ranks and Insignia of NATO Navies/OR/Blank}}
{{Ranks and Insignia of NATO Navies/OR/Canada}}
|}

==Traditions==
===Colours===
[[Image:Queen's Colours RCN.jpg|thumb|left|140px|The colour used since 1979, showing the cypher of Elizabeth II]]

The RCN was granted the right to use the King's Colour in 1925 by [[George V|King George V]]. The Queen's or King's Colour (also referred to as the ''sovereign's colour'') for the Navy has been consecrated and presented four times: in 1939 by [[King George VI]] in Esquimalt, in 1959 by [[Queen Elizabeth II]] in [[City of Halifax|Halifax]], in 1979 by [[Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother]] in Halifax and in 2009 by the Governor General and Commander-in-Chief [[Michaëlle Jean]] in Halifax.<ref name="flag">{{cite web|url=http://flagspot.net/flags/ca%5Eqclrs.html|title=Queen's Colours (Canada) |publisher=Flagspot|access-date=4 March 2011}}</ref> The colour used by the RCN between 1927 and 1936 was never actually presented but went straight into service in both the Atlantic and Pacific commands.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Customs and traditions of the Canadian Navy|last=Arbuckle |first=J. Graeme|date=1984|publisher=Nimbus|isbn=0920852386|location=Halifax, Nova Scotia|pages=75|oclc=12692734}}</ref> Two identical colours were presented, one for the Atlantic fleet and one for the Pacific fleet, in 1926, 1939 and 1959, but only one colour was presented in 1979 and 2009. This colour is maintained in RCN Headquarters in Ottawa and dispatched to ceremonies whenever it is needed. The current colours consist of a ceremonial [[Heraldic flag|standard]] with the Maple Leaf flag in the top left [[Flag terminology|canton]], Elizabeth II's personal Commonwealth [[Royal cypher|cypher]] (a capital ''E'' on a blue background, surrounded by a circlet of gold roses and laurels, surmounted by a crown) and an anchor and naval crown (from the [[Canadian Naval Ensign]]) on the lower right fly. These elements are found in the 1979 and 2009 colours. The colours from 1926, 1939 and 1959 consist of a [[White Ensign]] with the Queen's or King's cypher, surrounded by the Garter and ensigned with the Crown, in the middle.<ref name="flag" /> With the Queen's death there will be eventually a new Colour when a subsequent monarch chooses to bestow one, but there is no regulation that causes the monarch's Colour to automatically change upon their death.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Defence |first=National |date=12 October 2018 |title=Heritage Structure {{!}} Chapter 5 – Colours |url=https://www.canada.ca/en/services/defence/caf/military-identity-system/heritage-manual/chapter-5.html |access-date=5 June 2024 |website=www.canada.ca}}</ref>

The RCN's retired colours are laid up at [[Beechwood Cemetery (Ottawa, Ontario)|Beechwood Cemetery]] in Ottawa.<ref name="flag" />

===Badge===
{{multiple image
| align = right
| direction = horizontal
| image1 = Badge_of_the_Royal_Canadian_Navy_1945.jpg
| caption1 = 1944–1952
| width1 = 95
| image2 = MARCOM Emblem.svg
| width2 = 80
| caption2 = 1968–2016
| image3 = RCN Emblem.svg
| width3 = 80
| caption3 = 2016–present
| footer = Past versions of the badge used by the RCN, with the years they were in use listed above
}}

The first badge of the Royal Canadian Navy was approved on 31 March 1944. The original design included nine maple leaves, representing the then nine provinces of Canada, and a [[Tudor Crown (heraldry)|Tudor Crown]]. After Newfoundland joined Canada in 1949, an updated design was approved on 17 July 1952, which had ten maple leaves. On 26 March 1956, [[St. Edward's Crown]] replaced the Tudor Crown.<ref>Arbuckle, J. Graeme. ''Badges of the Canadian Navy''. Halifax: Nimbus Publishing, 1987, p. 1.</ref> This badge remained in use until the [[unification of the Canadian Armed Forces]] on 1 February 1968.

When the Royal Canadian Navy became the Canadian Forces Maritime Command in 1968, the branch received a new badge. This badge included a flying eagle along with the anchor, representing the air arm of the navy. It also included a motto, 'Ready Aye Ready'.<ref>Arbuckle, p. 191.</ref> Following the reinstatement of the Royal Canadian Navy name in 2011, a new badge was approved in 2016.

The current [[Heraldic badge|badge]] of the Royal Canadian Navy consists of:<ref name=Badge>{{cite web |url=https://www.gg.ca/en/heraldry/public-register/project/2784 |title=Approval of a Badge |work=Public Register of Arms, Flags and Badges of Canada |publisher=Official website of the Governor General |accessdate=8 November 2021}}</ref>

* [[St. Edward's Crown]]
* A [[fouled anchor]], within a circlet
* A [[Compartment (heraldry)|compartment]] of maple leaves
* Motto: {{lang|la|Parati vero parati}} ([[Latin]] for "Ready aye ready")

===Heritage===
The history of RCN is preserved and presented at the [[Naval Museum of Halifax]] in Halifax, the [[Canadian War Museum]], the [[The Military Museums|Naval Museum of Alberta]], the [[Naval Museum of Manitoba]], the naval museums at Naval Reserve Headquarters in Quebec City and at CFB Esquimalt as well as the [[Maritime Museum of British Columbia]]. Several RCN ships and submarines have been preserved including the destroyer HMCS ''Haida'', the hydrofoil {{HMCS|Bras d'Or}} and the submarines {{HMCS|Ojibwa|S72|2}} and {{HMCS|Onondaga|S73|2}}. The corvette {{HMCS|Sackville}} is Canada's Naval Memorial. The [[Royal Canadian Navy Monument]] is on the banks of the [[Ottawa River]] in Ottawa. A monument at [[Point Pleasant Park]] in Halifax commemorates members of RCN who have died in peacetime and there are valour memorials in Halifax, Quebec City and Esquimalt.

==Memorials==
{{Further|Canadian war memorials}}

* ''Royal Canadian Naval Association Naval Memorial'' (1995) by [[André Gauthier (sculptor)|André Gauthier]] was erected on the shore of [[Lake Ontario]] in [[Spencer Smith Park]] in [[Burlington, Ontario]]. The {{convert|6|ft|4|in|m|abbr=on}} high-cast bronze statue depicts a Second World War Canadian sailor in the position of attention saluting his lost shipmates. The model for the statue was a local Sea Cadet wearing Mike Vencel's naval service uniform.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.burloaknavalveterans.com/services |title=Royal Canadian Naval Association Naval Memorial |access-date=5 March 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130322055728/http://www.burloaknavalveterans.com/services |archive-date=22 March 2013 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Engraved on the black granite base are the names of RCN and [[Canadian Merchant Navy]] ships sunk during the Second World War.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://burlingtonpublicart.com/view-complete-inventory/|title=Public Art Inventory|date=25 May 2010}}</ref>
* A commemorative plaque in SS Point Pleasant Park, Halifax, Nova Scotia unveiled in 1967: "When the United Kingdom declared war on Germany in 1914, Canada and Newfoundland's participation was virtually unquestioned. With the onset of the Second World War in 1939 Canadians and Newfoundlanders once more rushed to enlist and were a major factor in the Allied victories in both conflicts. During two world wars, the main duty of the RCN was to escort convoys in the Atlantic and guard merchant vessels against the threat of attack by German submarines. In the Second World War, it also escorted ships in the Mediterranean and to Russia and supported the Allied landings in Sicilian, Italian and Normandy campaigns as well as in the Pacific. The Canadian Merchant Navy's duties included the transportation of troops and supplies to the Allied armies and food for the United Kingdom, extremely dangerous work which resulted in considerable losses."
* At the [[Maritime Museum of the Atlantic]] in [[Halifax Regional Municipality|Halifax, Nova Scotia]]. "In memory of 2200 known Canadian Merchant Seamen and 91 Canadian vessels lost by enemy action and those who served in the cause of freedom – World War I 1914–1918; World War II 1939–1945; Korean Conflict 1950–1953".

<gallery>
File:Halifax memorial.jpg|The Halifax Memorial in [[Halifax, Nova Scotia]]. Dedicated to Canadian servicemen and women who died at sea during both World Wars.
File:Montréal - Tour de l'Horloge 20170809-01.jpg|The [[Montreal Clock Tower]] in [[Montreal]], Quebec. Dedicated to Canadian sailors who died during the First World War.
File:WWII Navy Memorial in Spencer Smith Park in Burlington, Ontario.jpg|The Royal Canadian Naval Association Naval Memorial in [[Burlington, Ontario]]. Commemorates members of the RCN and [[Canadian Merchant Navy]] that served in the Second World War.
File:Royal Canadian Navy Monument sail.jpg|The [[Royal Canadian Navy Monument]] in [[Ottawa]], Ontario. Commemorates those who served, or are serving in the RCN.
</gallery>

== Designation as a terrorist organization ==
In December 2025, Iranian foreign ministry declared it designated the Royal Canadian Navy as a “[[List of designated terrorist groups|terrorist organization]]”. According to reports this was done in response to the Government of Canada’s earlier decision to list Iran’s [[Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps]] (IRGC) as a terrorist entity. The Iranian statement cited its 2019 law on reciprocal action and characterized Canada’s designation of the IRGC as contrary to international law, while asserting that the Royal Canadian Navy fell under the scope of that legislation.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-12-30 |title=Iran designates Royal Canadian navy a terrorist organization |url=https://english.alarabiya.net/News/middle-east/2025/12/30/iran-designates-royal-canadian-navy-a-terrorist-organization |access-date=2025-12-30 |website=Al Arabiya English |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Presse |first=AFP-Agence France |title=Iran Designates Royal Canadian Navy A Terrorist Organisation |url=https://www.barrons.com/news/iran-designates-royal-canadian-navy-a-terrorist-organisation-82f3c13d |access-date=2025-12-30 |website=barrons |language=en-us}}</ref>

==See also==
{{Portal|Canada}}
* [[Canadian Coast Guard]]
* [[Hull classification symbol (Canada)]]
* [[List of current ships of the Royal Canadian Navy]]
* [[List of ships of the Royal Canadian Navy]]
* [[The North Atlantic Squadron (song)]]

==Notes==
* The Department of National Defence and the Canadian Forces
{{Reflist|group="a"|30em}} <!-- Citations from DND sources -->

==References==
{{Reflist}} <!-- All other citations -->

==Further reading==
{{Main|Bibliography of Canadian military history}}

* Armstrong, John Griffith. ''The Halifax Explosion and the Royal Canadian Navy: Inquiry and Intrigue'' (Vol. 1. UBC Press, 2002)
* Auchterlonie, Lieutenant Commander JR Bob.  [http://www.cfc.forces.gc.ca/259/290/302/286/auchterlonie.pdf ''Meeting the Challenge: The Canadian Navy in the New Strategic Environment'']. (Toronto: Canadian Forces College Command and Staff Course Masters Thesis Paper, 2004).
* Douglas, W. A. B. and Michael Whitby. ''A Blue Water Navy: The Official Operational History of the Royal Canadian Navy in the Second World War, 1943–1945''.
* German, Tony. ''The Sea Is at Our Gates: The History of the Canadian Navy'' (McClelland & Stewart, 1990).
* Gimblett, Richard H., and Michael L. Hadley, eds. ''Citizen Sailors: Chronicles of Canada's Naval Reserve, 1910–2010'' (Dundurn, 2010).
* {{Cite book |last=Hadley |first=Michael L. |year=1996 |title=A Nation's Navy: In Quest of Canadian Naval Identity |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=pDFFeppU93MC |publisher=McGill-Queen's University Press |isbn=0-7735-1506-2}}
* Huebert, Rob. "Submarines, Oil Tankers, and Icebreakers: Trying to Understand Canadian Arctic Sovereignty and Security". ''International Journal'' 66 (2010): 809.
* {{Cite book |last=Milner |first=Marc |year=2010 |title=Canada's Navy: The First Century |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=afOEdO8mh1gC |publisher=Univ. of Toronto Press |isbn=978-0802096043}}
* Milner, Marc. ''North Atlantic Run: The Royal Canadian Navy and the Battle for the Convoys'' (University of Toronto Press, 1985).
* Morton, Desmond. ''A Military History of Canada'' (Random House, 2007).
* Parker, Mike. ''Running the Gauntlet: An Oral History of Canadian Merchant Seamen in World War II'' (Nimbus, 1994).
* Pritchard, James. ''A Bridge of Ships: Canadian Shipbuilding During the Second World War'' (McGill-Queen's Press-MQUP, 2011).
* Rawling, William (April 1999). "The Challenge of Modernization: The Royal Canadian Navy and Antisubmarine Weapons, 1944–1945". ''Journal of Military History'' '''63''':2: 355–378. {{doi|10.2307/120648}}. {{JSTOR|120648}}.
* Schull, Joseph. ''Lointoins navires: compte rendu official des operations de la Marine canadienne au cours de la seconde Grande Guerre''. Ottawa, Ont.: E. Cloutier, 1953. N.B.: "Publié d'ordre du ministre de la Défense nationale."
* Tracy, Nicholas. ''A Two-Edged Sword: The Navy as an Instrument of Canadian Foreign Policy'' (McGill-Queen's Press-MQUP, 2012).

== External links ==
{{Commons category}}
* {{Official website}}
* [https://rcnhistory.org/ RCN photographs] taken by sailors in action.

{{Royal Canadian Navy}}
{{Canadian Armed Forces}}
{{Evolution of the Military of Canada}}
{{Allied Maritime Command}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:1910 establishments in Canada]]
[[Category:Military units and formations established in 1910]]
[[Category:Military units and formations of Canada in World War II]]
[[Category:Naval history of Canada|Canadian Forces Maritime Command]]
[[Category:Royal Canadian Navy| ]]
[[Category:Organisations designated as terrorist by Iran]]