Canadian Navy to expand Arctic patrol and surveillance missions with new HMCS Frédérick Rolette.

The Royal Canadian Navy is scheduled to commission the HMCS Frédérick Rolette offshore patrol vessel on June 13, 2025, at Wharf 22 of the Port of Quebec, marking its formal entry into operational service. This vessel is the fifth Arctic and Offshore Patrol Ship (AOPS) constructed under the Harry DeWolf class program, itself a key element of Canada’s National Shipbuilding Strategy. HMCS Frédérick Rolette, bearing hull number AOPV 434, was launched on December 9, 2023, and delivered on August 29, 2024.
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The Frédérick Rolette is part of a six-offshore patrol vessel series for the Royal Canadian Navy, with a further two modified variants under construction for the Canadian Coast Guard. (Picture source: HMCS Montcalm)

The HMCS Frédérick Rolette was built by Irving Shipbuilding at Halifax Shipyard, with construction beginning in May 2021 and the keel laid on June 29, 2022. The vessel visited New York City in May 2025 and is affiliated with the Nunavik Inuit region. Its commissioning follows the naming ceremony held in May 2024. The class is intended to improve Canada’s ability to exercise maritime surveillance, assert sovereignty in the Arctic, and conduct a wide range of supporting missions.

The Frédérick Rolette is part of a six-offshore patrol vessel series for the Royal Canadian Navy, with a further two modified variants under construction for the Canadian Coast Guard. The lead ship, HMCS Harry DeWolf, was delivered in 2020 and commissioned in 2021. Subsequent ships—Margaret Brooke, Max Bernays, and William Hall—entered service between 2021 and 2024. The sixth naval ship, Robert Hampton Gray, was launched in December 2024 and remains in the fitting-out phase, scheduled for delivery in 2025. The Coast Guard variants, Donjek Glacier and Sermilik Glacier, are being built to a slightly modified design and are expected to enter service in 2026 and 2027, respectively. These eight ships follow the Arctic Offshore Patrol Ship project announcement made in 2007 and implemented through the 2010 National Shipbuilding Procurement Strategy. The design was derived from Norway’s Svalbard-class patrol vessel and adapted for Canadian requirements.

The vessel is 103.6 meters long, 19 meters wide, and has a draught of 5.7 meters. It has a deep departure displacement of 6,660 tonnes and can achieve a top speed of 17 knots in open water. It is designed to cruise at 14 knots over a range of 6,800 nautical miles and sustain operations for up to four months with resupply. It is rated for Polar Class 5 operations, with the bow strengthened to Polar Class 4, allowing it to navigate unescorted through first-year ice up to 120 centimeters thick. It is equipped with a diesel-electric propulsion system comprising four MAN 6L32/44CR generators, each producing 3.6 megawatts, and two propulsion motors generating 4.5 megawatts each. Twin shaft lines and bolted propellers are used for propulsion. A bow thruster provides additional maneuverability for berthing without tug assistance, and retractable fin stabilizers reduce ship roll in open water but can be withdrawn for ice operations.

The class includes a 20-tonne and a 3-tonne crane for payload handling and a rear working deck capable of accommodating shipping containers, underwater survey equipment, and a 12-meter landing craft. The internal vehicle bay can carry pickup trucks, all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), and snowmobiles to support land-based Arctic operations. For aviation capability, the ship has a hangar and flight deck designed to operate and maintain CH-148 Cyclone helicopters, as well as accommodate the CU-176 Gargoyle unmanned aerial vehicle. Two 8.5-meter multi-role rescue boats capable of over 35 knots are included to support boarding, search and rescue, and personnel transfers. The ship is equipped with a BAE Systems Mk 38 Mod 3A 25mm cannon and two M2 Browning machine guns. These weapons are suitable for constabulary roles and have been modified for Arctic conditions. The enclosed cable deck and fo’c’sle protect machinery and workspaces from environmental exposure.

The command and navigation functions are handled through an Integrated Bridge Navigation System developed by OSI Maritime Systems, which also manages ship navigation, damage control, and machinery monitoring. Sensor systems include the SAGEM BlueNaute inertial navigation unit, Terma SCANTER 6002 radar for surface surveillance, Kelvin Hughes SharpEye X- and S-band radars for navigation, and Thales Identification Friend or Foe equipment. The ship includes a multi-purpose operations room for mission planning and coordination. Crew accommodation is available for 65 personnel and up to 22 mission specialists. Medical facilities, fitness areas, and onboard Wi-Fi are included. The Harry DeWolf class represents the largest class of ships constructed in Canada in over fifty years, with its design optimized for Arctic operation and long-duration missions.

Construction of the ship followed a block-based method common across the class, where each vessel is assembled from three major megablocks. The first steel for Frédérick Rolette was cut in May 2021. This followed a timeline similar to its sister ships, with steel cutting for the first vessel, Harry DeWolf, taking place in September 2015. The sixth ship, Robert Hampton Gray, began construction in August 2022. The Coast Guard vessels, announced in 2019, are based on the same hull but include internal changes for civilian crew and mission equipment. Cost projections for the six naval ships increased over time. The total acquisition budget, excluding taxes, is $4.98 billion. This figure includes ship design, materials, labour, infrastructure, training, spare parts, and contingencies. A separate 35-year in-service support contract valued at $5.2 billion was awarded to Thales. The cost of the Coast Guard variants increased from an estimated $1.5 billion to $2.1 billion as of early 2024.

The Arctic and Offshore Patrol Ship project was subject to criticism over cost and performance. A 2013 report questioned the $288 million design cost, noting that the base Svalbard design was purchased for $5 million. Critics also pointed to the class’s limited speed and armament relative to other nations’ vessels, such as the Russian Project 23550 equipped with Kalibr cruise missiles. Others countered that the Canadian vessels were tailored to law enforcement, search and rescue, and sovereignty roles, rather than combat. In December 2022, lead contamination was discovered in the potable water systems of the first ships, prompting inspections. Operational deployments have since increased. By 2024, multiple ships will conduct simultaneous missions, including a transit through the Panama Canal and operations in the Caribbean. Participation in Operation Nanook and exercises with international partners continues to demonstrate the operational scope of the class.

Each of the six Navy vessels is affiliated with one of the Inuit regions in Canada: Qikiqtaaluk, Kitikmeot, Kivalliq, Nunavik, Nunatsiavut, and Inuvialuit. These affiliations aim to foster sustained ties between the Canadian Armed Forces and northern communities. Although crewing shortfalls were reported in 2023, especially a lack of marine technicians, resulting in only one vessel being crewed at a time, the Royal Canadian Navy resolved the issue by early 2024. The ships are constructed at the Halifax Shipyard by Irving Shipbuilding, which is responsible for the combat package under the National Shipbuilding Strategy. The Industrial and Regional Benefits policy was applied to the AOPS contracts, generating $3.1 billion in obligations as of August 2020, with $2.6 billion completed. Irving Shipbuilding also fulfilled $14.1 million in value proposition obligations in areas such as human resources, technology, and industrial development. Supporting infrastructure has been built in Halifax, Esquimalt, and Nanisivik.