Royal Canadian Navy takes delivery of final Harry DeWolf-class patrol ship
The Royal Canadian Navy has taken delivery of its sixth and final Harry DeWolf-class Arctic and offshore patrol ship (AOPS).
Following the delivery ceremony, the future HMCS Robert Hampton Gray departed Irving Shipbuilding’s pier to move to HMC Dockyard.
The AOPS measures 103.6 by 19 metres and displaces 6,615 tonnes. Accommodation is available for 65 crewmembers and 20 additional personnel while a diesel-electric propulsion system will allow the ship to achieve a top speed of 17 knots in open water.
At a cruising speed of 14 knots, the vessel will be able to sail up to 6,800 nautical miles, allowing it to conduct extended patrols in the higher latitudes within its intended area of operations.
The ship's armament consists of one 25mm autocannon and two 12.7mm machine guns. The vessel also features a flight deck and hangar for accommodating either a CH-148 Cyclone 13-tonne utility helicopter or a CH-149 Cormorant 14-tonne search and rescue helicopter.
The navy's sixth AOPS honours Lieutenant Robert Hampton Gray, a Royal Canadian Navy fighter pilot who was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross for his actions against Japanese forces in the closing days of World War II.
All six Harry DeWolf-class ships were built by Irving Shipbuilding at its Halifax Shipyard facilities in Nova Scotia. Irving is also building a variant of the AOPS for the Canadian Coast Guard.
