Canada commissions first Harry DeWolf Arctic and Offshore Patrol Ship

The Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) commissioned its first Arctic and Offshore Patrol Ship (AOPS), HMCS Harry DeWolf (430), during a ceremony held at the Canadian Forces base in Halifax, Nova Scotia on 26 June.

Harry DeWolf was delivered to the RCN in July 2020 and the vessel subsequently underwent intensive readiness training, including cold weather and ice trials in the Arctic region. The ship will depart on its first operational mission in August to participate in Operation ‘NANOOK', followed by a circumnavigation of North America before returning to Halifax in December.

The commissioning ceremony marked a significant milestone in the RCN's journey to build an effective future naval fleet. Harry DeWolf is the first large vessel built for the navy under the National Shipbuilding Strategy (NSS). The AOPS programme was first announced in 2007, and Irving shipbuilding was selected as the prime contractor in 2011. An initial contract for five units was signed in 2015, and an additional vessel was ordered in 2018. In 2019 the Canadian government announced the requirement for two more modified AOPS for the Canadian Coast Guard service.

The programme has faced several cost overruns and delays, the latest being caused by the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. Technical glitches in the design of the first of class further delayed the programme, although the experience gained has subsequently helped to reduce the construction time and cost of the follow-on units.

Harry DeWolf started construction in September 2015 and was launched in 2018. Work on the second and third ships, Margaret Brooke (431) and Max Bernays (432), commenced in 2016 and 2017, respectively. Margaret Brooke