Royal Canadian Navy Fleet Inventory 🇨🇦

The Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) is the naval arm of the Canadian Armed Forces and is tasked with defending Canada's maritime interests at home and abroad. Given Canada's extensive coastline—the longest in the world—and significant maritime resources, the RCN plays a crucial role in national defense, as well as in international missions, including NATO operations and other coalition endeavors.

The backbone of the RCN's surface fleet comprises multi-role frigates of the Halifax-class. These vessels are versatile, capable of anti-submarine, anti-air, and anti-surface warfare. They've undergone modernization to extend their service lives and to upgrade various systems, including combat, communications, and radar capabilities. In addition to the Halifax-class, the RCN operates Kingston-class maritime coastal defense vessels that are primarily tasked with coastal surveillance, mine countermeasures, and fisheries patrols.

Canada is investing in the future of its navy through the National Shipbuilding Strategy, which aims to replace and modernize the current fleet. One of the most significant aspects of this strategy is the Canadian Surface Combatant project, which plans to build 15 new advanced frigates based on the British Type 26 design. These vessels are expected to replace the Halifax-class frigates and will provide the RCN with state-of-the-art capabilities.

Submarines remain a small but vital component of the Canadian Navy. Canada operates four Victoria-class diesel-electric submarines, acquired from the United Kingdom. Although these boats have faced various technical challenges and limitations, they serve as important tools for underwater reconnaissance and surveillance, particularly in the Arctic region, a focus of Canadian strategic interest.

The RCN is also working to bolster its maritime aviation capabilities. Maritime helicopters like the CH-148 Cyclone have replaced the older CH-124 Sea Kings and are deployed on board Halifax-class frigates to perform anti-submarine warfare, search and rescue, and utility roles.

Key facts

Official Name Royal Canadian Navy
Country🇨🇦 Canada
World rank#26
Ships in service66 (as of 2024)
Total ships67
Naval ensign

Ensign of Canada navy

Number of active ships by category

Ship category Active
Other ships 18
Frigates 12
Coastal boats 12
Support ships 11
Patrol boats 10
Submarines 4

Detailed inventory of Canadian Navy

Coastal boats

Type Class Ship Name Hull Number Status Year
Coastal defence vessel Kingston HMCS Kingston MM 700 Active 1996
Kingston HMCS Glace Bay MM 701 Active 1996
Kingston HMCS Nanaimo MM 702 Active 1997
Kingston HMCS Edmonton MM 703 Active 1997
Kingston HMCS Shawinigan MM 704 Active 1997
Kingston HMCS Whitehorse MM 705 Active 1998
Kingston HMCS Yellowknife MM 706 Active 1998
Kingston HMCS Goose Bay MM 707 Active 1998
Kingston HMCS Moncton MM 708 Active 1998
Kingston HMCS Saskatoon MM 709 Active 1998
Kingston HMCS Brandon MM 710 Active 1999
Kingston HMCS Summerside MM 711 Active 1999

Frigates

Type Class Ship Name Hull Number Status Year
Multi-role frigate Halifax HMCS Halifax FFH 330 Active 1992
Halifax HMCS Vancouver FFH 331 Active 1993
Halifax HMCS Ville de Québec FFH 332 Active 1994
Halifax HMCS Toronto FFH 333 Active 1993
Halifax HMCS Regina FFH 334 Active 1993
Halifax HMCS Calgary FFH 335 Active 1995
Halifax HMCS Montréal FFH 336 Active 1994
Halifax HMCS Fredericton FFH 337 Active 1994
Halifax HMCS Winnipeg FFH 338 Active 1995
Halifax HMCS Charlottetown FFH 339 Active 1995
Halifax HMCS St. John's FFH 340 Active 1996
Halifax HMCS Ottawa FFH 341 Active 1996

Other ships

Type Class Ship Name Hull Number Status Year
Fireboat - CFAV Firebrand YTR 562 Active -
Interim auxiliary replenishment vessel - MV Asterix Active -
Sail training ship - HMCS Oriole KC 480 Active -
- HMSTV Goldcrest KC 2355 Active -
- HMSTV Tuna KC 2372 Active -
Torpedo and sound ranging vessel - CFAV Sikanni YTP 611 Active -
- CFAV Stikine YTP 613 Active -
Yard auxiliary general - CFAV Pelican YAG 4 Active -
- CFAV Gemini YAG 650 Active -
- CFAV Pegasus YAG 651 Active -
- CFAV Albatross YAG 661 Active -
- CFAV Black Duck YAG 660 Active -
Yard diving tender - Unnamed YDT 11 Active -
- CFAV Granby YDT 12 Active -
- CFAV Tonnerre YDT 21 Active -
- CFAV Sechelt YDT 610 Active -
- CFAV Sooke YDT 612 Active -
Fireboat - CFAV Firebird YTR 561 Retired -

Patrol boats

Type Class Ship Name Hull Number Status Year
Ooffshore patrol vessel Harry DeWolf HMCS Harry DeWolf AOPV 430 Active 2021
Harry DeWolf HMCS Margaret Brooke AOPV 431 Active 2022
Patrol vessel Orca Orca PCT 55 Active -
Orca Raven PCT 56 Active -
Orca Caribou PCT 57 Active -
Orca Renard PCT 58 Active -
Orca Wolf PCT 59 Active -
Orca Grizzly PCT 60 Active -
Orca Cougar PCT 61 Active -
Orca Moose PCT 62 Active -

Submarines

Type Class Ship Name Hull Number Status Year
Diesel-electric attack submarine Upholder/Victoria HMCS Victoria SSK 876 Active 2000
Upholder/Victoria HMCS Windsor SSK 877 Active 2003
Upholder/Victoria HMCS Corner Brook SSK 878 Active 2003
Upholder/Victoria HMCS Chicoutimi SSK 879 Active 2015

Support ships

Type Class Ship Name Hull Number Status Year
Tugboat - CFAV Glendyne YTB 640 Active -
- CFAV Glendale YTB 641 Active -
- CFAV Glenevis YTB 642 Active -
- CFAV Glenbrook YTB 643 Active -
- CFAV Glenside YTB 644 Active -
- CFAV Tillicum YTM 555 Active -
- CFAV Lawrenceville YTL 590 Active -
- CFAV Parksville YTL 591 Active -
- CFAV Listerville YTL 592 Active -
- CFAV Merrickville YTL 593 Active -
- CFAV Marysville YTL 594 Active -