(HALIFAX, Nova Scotia) — The Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) commissioned the first Arctic and offshore patrol ship (AOPS), HMCS Harry DeWolf, at a ceremony Saturday at Irving Shipbuilding. This significant occasion represents a great achievement for the Canadian shipbuilding industry and for the RCN, with the first ship of the RCN’s future fleet delivered under the National Shipbuilding Strategy officially entering service.
The proud naval traditions carried out in the ceremony included a symbolic presentation of the “keys to the ship” to the commanding officer, Cmdr. Corey Gleason, the raising of the ship’s pennant and the hoisting of the ensign and jack.
The Harry DeWolf-class Arctic and offshore patrol ships will bolster the RCN’s presence in the Arctic and its ability to operate globally. Specifically designed to patrol Canada’s northernmost regions and offshore waters, this new class of ship will be at the core of an enhanced Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) Arctic presence, effectively complementing the capabilities of its other current and future warships through critical reconnaissance and surveillance activities.
HMCS Harry DeWolf is named in honor of wartime Canadian naval hero Vice Adm. Harry DeWolf. This is the first time in its 111-year history that the RCN is naming a class after a prominent Canadian Navy figure. The remainder in the class will be named to honor other prominent Royal Canadian Navy heroes who served their country with the highest distinction.
Quick facts
• HMCS Harry DeWolf was launched in fall 2018 and was delivered to the RCN on July 31, 2020. The second AOPS, Margaret Brooke, was launched in November 2019. Construction of AOPS three, four and five is ongoing, and construction of the sixth ship is expected to begin in 2022.
• The ships of the Harry DeWolf class will be affiliated with regions of the Inuit Nunangat. The first affiliation between HMCS Harry DeWolf and the Qikiqtani region of Nunavut was formalized in May 2019. Affiliation between an HMC ship, its sailors and civilian communities is a long-standing and honored naval tradition, with relationships lasting throughout the service life of the ship.
• HMCS Harry DeWolf is scheduled to participate in the maritime portion of Operation NANOOK in August 2021, following which it will transit through the Northwest Passage and carry on to circumnavigate North America.
– Royal Canadian Navy
