List of current ships of the Royal Canadian Navy

File:Naval ensign of Canada.svg

Canadian Naval Ensign 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. It comprises the Pacific Fleet at Canadian Forces Base (CFB) Esquimalt, and the Atlantic Fleet at CFB Halifax. Officially, 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. Officially, 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. 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.

The "effective strength" of the RCN is somewhat lower than official numbers would suggest due to serious personnel shortages. In late 2023, the commander of the RCN, Vice-Admiral Angus Topshee, reported that only 6,226 naval personnel could be considered part of the "effective strength" of the RCN, making numerous ships in the RCN inactive due to both crew shortages and broader operational readiness issues. In late 2025, Vice-Admiral Topshee stated that the Navy's personnel problem had not been solved and remained dire, while the Auditor General of Canada reported deeper systemic problems with Canadian military recruitment. In early 2024 it was reported that 54 percent of the navy's frigates, submarines, arctic and offshore patrol ships, and maritime coastal defence vessels were considered "unserviceable".

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). 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).

Submarines

File:HMCS Corner Brook.jpg

HMCS Corner Brook entering St. John's harbour, Newfoundland

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 s. 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.

Class	Boat	Pennant	Armament	Displacement	Propulsion	Service
						Builder	Laid down	Commissioned	Fleet
		SSK 876	6 × 533 mm torpedo tubes 18 × Mark 48 torpedoes	2,220 t surfaced 2,439 t submerged	Diesel-electric () 2 Paxman Valenta 16 RPA diesel generators, 2 GEC, motor-generators	Cammell Laird	12 August 1987	December 2000	Pacific
		SSK 877					13 March 1990	October 2003	Atlantic
		SSK 878					10 January 1989	March 2003	Pacific
		SSK 879		2,296 t surfaced 2,540 t submerged		Vickers Shipbuilding and Engineering	February 1983	September 2015	Pacific

Frigates

File:HMCS Fredericton.jpg

HMCS Fredericton, a Halifax-class frigate

The s 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 underwent 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.

Class	Ship	Pennant	Armament	Displacement	Propulsion	Service
						Builder	Laid down	Commissioned	Fleet
		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-148 Cyclone	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
		FFH 331				Saint John Shipbuilding	19 May 1988	23 August 1993	Pacific
		FFH 332				Davie Shipbuilding	16 December 1988	14 July 1994	Atlantic
		FFH 333				Saint John Shipbuilding	22 April 1989	29 July 1993	Atlantic
		FFH 334				Davie Shipbuilding	6 October 1989	29 December 1993	Pacific
		FFH 335				Davie Shipbuilding	15 June 1991	12 May 1995	Pacific
		FFH 336				Saint John Shipbuilding	8 February 1991	21 July 1994	Atlantic
		FFH 337				Saint John Shipbuilding	25 April 1992	10 September 1994	Atlantic
		FFH 338				Saint John Shipbuilding	20 March 1993	23 June 1995	Pacific
		FFH 339				Saint John Shipbuilding	18 December 1993	9 September 1995	Atlantic
		FFH 340				Saint John Shipbuilding	24 August 1994	16 June 1996	Atlantic
		FFH 341				Saint John Shipbuilding	29 April 1995	28 September 1996	Pacific

Offshore patrol ships

File:HMCS Harry Dewolf under construction May 2018.jpg

HMCS Harry DeWolf under construction, May 2018

The s 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 , 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 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.

Class	Ship	Pennant	Armament	Displacement	Propulsion	Service
						Builder	Laid down	Commissioned	Fleet
		AOPV 430	1 × BAE Mk 38 25 mm (0.98 in) gun 2 × M2 Browning machine gun	6615 t	Diesel-electric 2 shafts 2 × 4.5 MW (6,000 hp)	Irving Shipbuilding	11 March 2016	26 June 2021	Atlantic
		AOPV 431					29 May 2017	28 October 2022	Atlantic
		AOPV 432					5 December 2018	3 May 2024	Pacific
		AOPV 433					17 February 2021	16 May 2024	Atlantic
		AOPV 434					29 June 2022	13 June 2025	Atlantic

Maritime coastal defence vessels

File:HMCS Nanaimo and Saskatoon.jpg

HMCS Nanaimo and HMCS Saskatoon, two Kingston-class maritime coastal defence vessels

The s 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.

Class	Ship	Pennant	Armament	Displacement	Propulsion	Service
						Builder	Laid down	Commissioned	Fleet
		MM 702	2 × M2 machine guns	970 t	2 × Jeumont DC electric motors 4 × 600 V AC Wärtsilä SACM V12 diesel alternators	Halifax Shipyards	11 August 1995	10 May 1997	Atlantic
		MM 703					8 December 1995	21 June 1997	Atlantic
		MM 706					7 November 1996	18 April 1998	Atlantic
		MM 708					31 May 1997	12 July 1998	Atlantic

Patrol and training vessels

File:Orca PCT 59 Wolf.jpg

Wolf

s 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.

Class	Ship	Pennant	Armament	Displacement	Propulsion	Service
						Builder	Accepted	Fleet
	Orca	PCT 55	Unarmed (fitted for but not with M2 machine gun)	210 t	2 × Caterpillar 3516B diesel engines, Template:Cvt 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

Support and auxiliary vessels

File:MV Asterix arrives at Pearl Harbor in June 2018.jpg

MV Asterix arrives at Pearl Harbor, June 2018

Sail training ships

File:HMCS Oriole.jpg

HMCS Oriole is the oldest commissioned ship in the navy.

• (KC 480)
• HMSTV Goldcrest (KC 2355)
• HMSTV Tuna (KC 2372)
• HMSTV Osprey (CAN 4510)
• HMSTV Eagle (CAN 4511)

Torpedo and sound ranging vessels

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

Yard diving tenders

• Unnamed (YDT 11)
• CFAV Granby (YDT 12)
• CFAV Tonnerre (YDT 21)
• CFAV Sechelt (YDT 610)
• CFAV Sooke (YDT 612)

Fireboat

• (YTR 562)

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

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. Six Harry DeWolf-class patrol vessels have recently been delivered under the Arctic Patrol Ship Project (AOPS).

Submarines

The Canadian government plans to replace the Victoria-class submarines starting in the mid-2030s at the latest. In July 2024, Canada launched the process to acquire up to 12 conventional attack submarines.

Potential suppliers:

• Germany and Norway offered to Canada a collaboration on the Arctic defence and the Type 212CD submarine. Canada signed a letter of intent to establish a maritime partnership, but it does not commit Canada to the purchase of the Type 212CD.
• South Korea approached Canada to supply its KSS-III submarine to Canada.
• Sweden with Saab expressed interest in participating to a potential competition.

In August 2025 the Canadian government shortlisted the German/Norwegian Type 212CD and the South Korean KSS-III.

Destroyers

Canada will acquire up to 15 new warships via the program. The program entered the test module construction phase in 2024, when the first three ships were ordered. In June 2025, the River-class entered full-rate production. The RCN has upgraded all current frigates with advanced systems and life extension maintenance to maximize operational capability into the 2030s.

Corvettes

The Kingston-class vessels will be retired beginning in late 2025. The RCN's early planning for a replacement was a similar patrol vessel which would alleviate some of the Kingston class limitations in areas such as speed, seakeeping and armament. As of 2025, the RCN plans to build corvettes under a project called the Continental Defence Corvette. These proposed ships will be larger than the Kingston class, have upgraded armament and an ice-strengthened hull to allow operations near ice edge in the Arctic.

Auxiliary fleet

Supply ship

EGV Berlin

The new Protecteur class of ships will be based on the German

Two new s are under construction, intended to complement Asterix.

Glossary

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

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