First Arctic Patrol ship to be floated off

Halifax Shipyard has successfully transitioned the future HMCS Harry DeWolf onto a submersible barge for the vessel's planned launch on Saturday morning, 15 September 2018.

The 103 metre, 6,615 tonne Arctic and Offshore Patrol ship is the largest ship built for the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) in Canada in the last 50 years. It is the first of five Arctic Patrol vessels contracted to be built by Irving Shipbuilding under the Arctic and Offshore Patrol Ship (AOPS) project (with an option for a sixth vessel). The RCN's official class designation will be Arctic and Offshore Patrol Vessel (AOPV).

According to the RCN, each ship will be capable of armed sea-borne surveillance of Canada's waters, including the Arctic. These ships will provide situational awareness of activities in these waters; and respond to sovereignty missions as required by the Government of Canada.

Weather permitting, the barge carrying the vessel is scheduled to be towed from Halifax Shipyard’s Pier 6 at 0500 to a launch site in Bedford Basin, located off the shore of Rockingham. Once moored at the launch site, the barge will be submerged in a controlled manner over many hours until the future HMCS Harry DeWolf can float off.

Following the launch, the future HMCS Harry DeWolf will be towed to Halifax Shipyard where shipbuilders will continue working to prepare it for sea trials in 2019. The ship is scheduled to be delivered to the Royal Canadian Navy in summer 2019.

In addition to the Arctic and Offshore Patrol Ships (AOPS), Irving Shipbuilding, headquartered in Halifax, Nova Scotia, is also working with the Royal Canadian Navy on the next class of Canadian Surface Combatant (CSC) vessels under the National Shipbuilding Strategy (NSS).