Canada's Irving Shipbuilding has laid the keel of the future CCGS Sermilik Glacier, the second of two Arctic and offshore patrol ships (AOPS) ordered by the Canadian Coast Guard.
As her designation implies, the ship is designed to be capable of patrols in Arctic and offshore waters within Canada's exclusive economic zone. The hull is therefore being built in compliance with IACS Polar Class 5, giving the ship limited icebreaking capability.
Six AOPS were also built by Irving Shipbuilding for the Royal Canadian Navy, where they are alternatively known as the Harry DeWolf-class.
The Canadian Coast Guard’s AOPS variants will be tasked with a wide range of missions. Both ships will operate as the Canadian Coast Guard’s primary platform with increased capabilities to support fisheries enforcement on Canada’s east coast and to support search and rescue and icebreaking operations while strengthening Canada’s presence in the Arctic.
Like their navy counterparts, the coast guard's AOPS will each have a length of 103 metres, a beam of 19 metres, a displacement of 6,600 tonnes, and a speed of 17 knots.