The Royal Canadian Navy has commissioned its fourth Harry DeWolf-class Arctic and offshore patrol vessel, the HMCS William Hall (AOPV 433), in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
The Hall was built under Ottawa’s National Shipbuilding Procurement Strategy to amplify the country’s naval forces against evolving threats in North America.
It was named after the first African Canadian to receive the Victoria Cross for valor during the Siege of Lucknow in the 1850s.
The ceremony followed the vessel’s delivery in August 2023 and its official launch in November 2022.
“As we outlined in Our North, Strong and Free, protecting Canadian sovereignty is job number one for the Canadian Armed Forces – and these patrol vessels are an important capability that allows our Navy to fulfil this mission,” a statement from the Canadian Ministry of Defence said.
“As the security challenges facing Canada evolve rapidly, we are steadfastly committed to investing in the defence of our Arctic and North.”
“Our fourth Arctic and Offshore Patrol Vessel now stands ready to protect our Arctic waters and Canada’s maritime interests.”
Arctic and Offshore Patrol Vessel Program
Ottawa invested 4.98 billion Canadian dollars ($3.65 billion) to procure six DeWolf AOPVs from local shipbuilder Irving in 2015. The effort’s design phase commenced two years ahead of the acquisition.
Each ship under the program is affiliated with six regions of the Inuit Nunangat to honor the nation’s heritage. In March, the government affiliated the HMCS William Hall with the Kivalliq region in Rankin Inlet, Nunavut.
Alongside intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance missions, the fleet is planned for ocean monitoring, maritime helicopter support, search and rescue, and other response tasks against evolving threats at sea.
Construction of the final AOPV, the HMCS Robert Hampton, began in 2022.
Canada’s DeWolf-Class Fleet
A DeWolf-class vessel measures 103.6 meters (339 feet) and has a beam of 19 meters (62 feet).
It is powered by a diesel-electric engine for speeds of up to 17 knots (31 kilometers/20 miles per hour) in open water and 3 knots (5.6 kilometers/3.5 miles per hour) in ice.
The vehicle has the capacity for two multi-role rescue boats, a landing craft, an aircraft similar to CH-148 Cyclone or CH-146 Griffon helicopters, a vertical takeoff and landing or VTOL drone, pickup trucks, snowmobiles, and 80 naval personnel.
The ship is armed with a Mark 38 25-millimeter shipborne gun and M2 Browning heavy machine guns.
