The Royal Canadian Navy has received the fifth Harry DeWolf-class Arctic and Offshore Patrol Ship (AOPS) from Irving Shipbuilding as part of a program signed in 2015.
The ceremony completed the signing of associated documents to formally hand over the system to the service.
After the event, the HMCS Frédérick Rolette (AOPS 434) moved from Irving’s Nova Scotia facility to the navy’s HMC Dockyard in Halifax for further evaluation prior to its commissioning.
HMCS Frédérick Rolette is named after a Provincial Marine of Upper Canada lieutenant who served during the North American War in 1812.
The officer received a fifty-guinea sword of honor due to his valor upon returning to Québec City.
“Through the National Shipbuilding Strategy, our government is committed to providing members of the Royal Canadian Navy with the equipment they need to accomplish the difficult tasks we ask of them every day, while creating skilled jobs in our shipbuilding and marine industries across the country,” Canadian Public Services and Procurement Minister Jean-Yves Duclos stated.
“Today’s delivery of the future HMCS Frédérick Rolette, the fifth Arctic and Offshore Patrol Ship, is an important step toward ensuring the Royal Canadian Navy’s future operational readiness.”
Canada’s Harry DeWolf Fleet
Ottawa’s 4.98 billion Canadian dollars ($3.6 billion) Harry DeWolf AOPS initiative is expected to boost the armed forces’ surveillance capabilities across the nation’s waters as well as the Arctic region.
Each of the program’s vessels is designed to sail in remote areas without escorts. In addition to domestic missions, the fleet can support international security efforts focusing on anti-smuggling, anti-piracy, and humanitarian assistance.
The Royal Canadian Navy commissioned the fourth DeWolf-class ship in May 2024.
Work for the sixth and final hull, the HMCS Robert Hampton, began in August 2022. It is expected to arrive by 2026.
“The delivery of our fifth Arctic and Offshore Patrol Vessel, the future HMCS Frédérick Rolette, brings the Royal Canadian Navy one step closer to completing Canada’s AOPV fleet,” Royal Canadian Navy Commander Vice-Admiral Angus Topshee remarked.
“These ships bring an incredible capability to the RCN, allowing us to patrol and protect Canada’s North. I would like to recognize the important work of our shipbuilders at Irving Shipbuilding, and all Canadian Shipyards who continue to build and deliver modern and capable ships to our sailors.”
The AOPS Design
Canada’s DeWolf ship has a length of 103.6 meters (339.8 feet) and a beam of 19 meters (62.3 feet).
The platform can carry about 70 personnel, a small utility helicopter, snowmobiles, pickup trucks, and an unmanned aerial system.
The vessel is powered by diesel-electric engines for a top speed of 17 knots (31.4 kilometers/19.5 miles per hour) and a range of 6,800 nautical miles (12,594 kilometers/7,825 miles).
It is equipped with satellite communication systems, anti-missile detection, damage and machinery control systems, 25-millimeter shipboard naval guns, and additional heavy-caliber machine guns.