Harry DeWolf-class offshore patrol vessel

HMCS Harry DeWolf under way in September 2021
Class overview
NameHarry DeWolf class
BuildersHalifax Shipyards
Operators
Preceded byNone
Cost
  • CA$3.5 billion (initial design and build)
  • CA$2.3 billion (for construction of six vessels);[1] CA$4.3 billion (2018 estimate);[2] CA$4.98 billion (2023 estimate for first six Navy ships) + CA$2.1 billion (2024 estimate for two Coast Guard variants)[3]
Built2016–present
In commission2021–present
Planned8 (6 for RCN and 2 for CCG)
Building4 (2 for RCN and 2 for CCG)
Completed5
Active4
General characteristics
TypeArctic/offshore patrol vessel
Displacement6,615 t (6,511 long tons)
Length103.6 m (339 ft 11 in)[4]
Beam19 m (62 ft 4 in)[4]
Draught5.7 m (18 ft 8 in)[5]
Ice classPolar Class 5
Installed power4 × MAN 6L32/44CR[5] (4 × 3.6 MW)[6]
Propulsion
Speed
  • 17 kn (31 km/h; 20 mph) (open water)[4]
  • 3 kn (5.6 km/h; 3.5 mph) in 1 m (3 ft 3 in) ice[8]
Range6,800 nmi (12,600 km; 7,800 mi) at 14 kn (26 km/h; 16 mph)
Boats & landing
craft carried
  • 2 × 8.5 m (28 ft) multi-role rescue boats by Rosborough Boats
  • 12 m (39 ft) landing craft by ABCO Industries [10][11]
Complement65 (RCN). Accommodation for 87[9]
Sensors and
processing systems		SATCOM (Link 16), Multichannel VHF/HF Radio, Anti-missile detect systems; OSI Maritime Systems, Integrated Bridge Navigational System; Kelvin Hughes SharpEye X and S-band navigation radars; BlueNaute inertial navigation system; Terma SCANTER 6002 surveillance radar system; SAGEM Damage/Machinery Control Systems
Armament
Aircraft carried
Aviation facilities

Harry DeWolf-class offshore patrol vessels are warships of the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) built within the Government of Canada 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.[12][13][14][15][16][17][18]

The vessels are modelled on the Norwegian Coast Guard NoCGV Svalbard and as of 2007 were projected to cost CA$3.5 billion to construct with a total project procurement budgeted to cost $4.3 billion in order to cover maintenance over the 25-year lifespan of the vessels.[19][20] In 2018 it was reported that the cost of the first six ships had increased by $810 million over previous projections.[2] In 2023 it was reported that the cost for the first six ships had increased by a further $780 million and that of the two envisaged vessels for the Coast Guard by an additional $100 million.[21]

The lead ship of the class was announced as Harry DeWolf in September 2014, and four additional ships were named in 2015. Construction of the ships Harry DeWolf and Margaret Brooke started at the Halifax Shipyards in September 2015 and September 2016, respectively. Harry DeWolf and Margaret Brooke were originally planned to be delivered in 2019 and 2020 respectively.[22] Harry DeWolf was officially launched on 15 September 2018.[23] Margaret Brooke was launched on 10 November 2019.[24] Max Bernays began construction in December 2017 and William Hall was also planned to begin in 2017, although construction was delayed to early 2019. Max Bernays was launched in October 2021, and was followed by William Hall in 2022.[25][22] Frédérick Rolette was scheduled to begin construction in 2019, with construction on Robert Hampton Gray expected to begin in 2021. They were originally planned to be completed by 2022 and 2023, respectively.[22][26][27][28] However, in 2020 it was confirmed that ships five and six (Frédérick Rolette and Robert Hampton Gray) would not begin construction until 2021 and 2022 respectively.[29]

On 22 May 2019, an official announcement was made to begin the process of building two vessels for the Canadian Coast Guard, bringing the total number of ships in the class to eight.[30]

  1. ^ "Harper Government Awards Shipbuilding Contract That Supports Jobs Across Canada" (Press release). Government of Canada. 23 January 2015. Archived from the original on 3 August 2015. Retrieved 9 September 2015.
  2. ^ a b Gunn, Andrea (6 November 2018). "Sixth Arctic and offshore patrol ship about readiness, not fairness, experts say". The Chronicle Herald. Archived from the original on 14 November 2019. Retrieved 28 February 2021.
  3. ^ Pugliese, David (17 January 2024). "Cost of Canadian Coast Guard patrol ships jumps by $500 million in less than a year, MPs told". Ottawa Citizen. Retrieved 20 January 2024.
  4. ^ a b c Pugliese, David (16 January 2015). "Arctic Offshore Patrol Ships to be constructed in three "mega blocks"". Defence Watch. Ottawa Citizen. Archived from the original on 30 January 2015. Retrieved 17 January 2015.
  5. ^ a b "Harry DeWolf (4702503)". Sea-web. S&P Global. Retrieved 22 October 2022.
  6. ^ a b "Arctic/Offshore Patrol Ships". Royal Canadian Navy. January 2015. Archived from the original on 31 October 2015. Retrieved 9 September 2015.
  7. ^ "Harry DeWolf class fact sheet". www.canada.ca. 21 March 2023. Retrieved 16 June 2024.
  8. ^ "Royal Canadian Navy's OPV HMCS Max Bernays starts sea trials". Navy Recognition. 26 July 2022. Retrieved 23 October 2022.
  9. ^ "Largest Active Combat Ship Built in Canada - HMCS Harry Dewolf - Commissioned Today" (Press release). Irving Shipbuilding. 26 June 2021.
  10. ^ "Irving Shipbuilding Selects Rosborough Boats to supply Multi-Role Rescue Boats for AOPS vessels". Irving Shipbuilding. 13 March 2017. Retrieved 17 May 2022.
  11. ^ "ABCO Industries to Build 12m Landing Craft for Royal Canadian Navy". Baird Maritime. 17 October 2018. Archived from the original on 11 October 2019. Retrieved 11 August 2020.
  12. ^ "Dep't of National Defence / Canadian Forces News Release Armed Naval Icebreakers – the Arctic/Offshore Patrol Ships". Canadian American Strategic Review. 10 July 2007. Archived from the original on 24 August 2008. Retrieved 17 January 2015.
  13. ^ "Background — AOPS Arctic Offshore Patrol Ship Icebreaker". Canadian American Strategic Review. April 2009. Archived from the original on 12 April 2009. Retrieved 17 January 2015.
  14. ^ "Defining and Managing the Canadian Forces Arctic Offshore Patrol Ship Project". Canadian American Strategic Review. June 2008. Archived from the original on 24 August 2008. Retrieved 17 January 2015.
  15. ^ "Arctic Offshore Patrol Ship — Proposed Ship Capabilities & Technical Statement of Operational Requirement Features". Canadian American Strategic Review. Archived from the original on 24 August 2008. Retrieved 17 January 2015.
  16. ^ "Background – Armed Naval Icebreaker / Arctic Offshore Patrol Ship". Canadian American Strategic Review. Archived from the original on 24 August 2008. Retrieved 17 January 2015.
  17. ^ Daly, Stephen (June 2010). "A Pregnant Pause? The National Shipbuilding Procurement Strategy Presents an Opportunity to Shift Priorities to Sovereignty Assertion: A Modest Proposal". Canadian American Strategic Review. Archived from the original on 1 April 2011. Retrieved 17 January 2015. Limited as an icebreaker, critics have disparaged AOPS as 'slush breakers' of limited utility. As offshore patrol vessels (OPVs), AOPS are burdened with the vast weight of icebreaking hulls unnecessary for that role. Carrying that extra bulk around in temperate seas mean that AOPS will be relatively slow while fuel costs and similar operating expenses are very high.
  18. ^ "Arctic patrol ship could have double acting hullform". Warship Technology. March 2009. Archived from the original on 9 October 2012.
  19. ^ Travers, James (10 July 2007). "Arctic issues make for good politics". Toronto Star. Archived from the original on 4 February 2013. Retrieved 17 January 2015.
  20. ^ Cite error: The named reference 250milMystery was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  21. ^ Pugliese, David (5 January 2023). "Cost of new Arctic patrol ships jumps by $780 million". Ottawa Citizen. Retrieved 5 January 2023.
  22. ^ a b c "Arctic and offshore patrol ships". Government of Canada. 13 March 2013. Archived from the original on 3 May 2019. Retrieved 22 May 2019.
  23. ^ "Halifax Shipyard launches Canada's lead Arctic and Offshore Patrol Vessel". Irving Halifax Shipyard. Archived from the original on 16 September 2018. Retrieved 17 September 2018.
  24. ^ "Halifax Shipyard launches second AOPS ship for Canadian Navy". naval-technology.com. 12 November 2019. Archived from the original on 23 September 2020. Retrieved 11 August 2020.
  25. ^ "Irving Shipbuilding launches future HMCS Max Bernays Arctic and Offshore Patrol Ship for Canadian Navy". Archived from the original on 24 October 2021. Retrieved 24 October 2021.
  26. ^ "New ships for navy, coast guard". CBC News. 13 November 2013. Archived from the original on 8 January 2015. Retrieved 17 January 2015.
  27. ^ "First new Arctic offshore patrol ship to be named HMCS Harry DeWolf". CBC News. 19 September 2014. Archived from the original on 1 December 2014. Retrieved 17 January 2015.
  28. ^ Doucette, Keith (19 December 2017). "Construction begins on 3rd Arctic patrol vessel at Halifax Shipyard". CBC News. The Canadian Press. Archived from the original on 28 December 2017. Retrieved 31 January 2018.
  29. ^ "Canada receives first new Arctic and Offshore Patrol Ship". Mirage News. 1 August 2020. Archived from the original on 6 November 2021. Retrieved 11 August 2020.
  30. ^ "Coast Guard to get two new Arctic patrol ships". Nunatsiaq News. 22 May 2019. Archived from the original on 13 August 2020. Retrieved 11 August 2020.