Canada Conducts First At-Sea Launch of U.S Mark 54 Torpedo from Halifax-Class Frigate.

HMCS Regina test-fired the U.S.-designed Mark 54 lightweight torpedo between February 2 and 4 near Nanoose, British Columbia, marking the first at-sea launch of the weapon from a Canadian Halifax-class frigate. The trial signals Ottawa’s push to modernize its surface fleet and sustain credible anti-submarine warfare capabilities into the 2030s.

The Royal Canadian Navy has conducted its first at-sea launch of the U.S.-designed Mark 54 lightweight torpedo from a Halifax-class frigate, with HMCS Regina firing the weapon during trials held February 2 to 4 at the Canadian Forces Maritime Experimental and Test Ranges near Nanoose, British Columbia, according to CTV News. The test represents a significant step in Canada’s ongoing Halifax-class modernization program, which is upgrading combat systems, sensors, and weapons across all twelve frigates to maintain operational effectiveness in increasingly contested maritime environments. Designed for anti-submarine warfare, the Mark 54 combines legacy torpedo propulsion with modern digital guidance and advanced sonar processing, offering improved performance against diesel-electric submarines operating in littoral waters.
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In early February 2026, HMCS Regina test-fired a Mark 54 lightweight torpedo off Nanoose, marking the first operational launch of the system by a Canadian Halifax-class frigate as part of the navy’s modernization program. (Picture source: Canadian MoD)

The weapon in question is the Mark 54 Lightweight Torpedo (Mk 54), developed by Raytheon in cooperation with the U.S. Navy and in production since 2004. Canada moved to acquire 425 conversion kits in 2019 under a U.S. Foreign Military Sales framework valued at approximately $514 million. At roughly $1.2 million per kit, the program is structured to transform Canada’s legacy Mark 46 torpedoes into the Mk 54 configuration by integrating updated guidance electronics, advanced signal processing, and improved counter countermeasure capabilities. The U.S. State Department approved the sale in May 2019, and the U.S. Congress did not block the transaction within the statutory review period.

The Mk 54 is a 324 mm lightweight anti-submarine torpedo optimized for both deep and shallow water engagements. It combines the propulsion and warhead section of the earlier Mark 46 with guidance and control features derived from the Mark 50 Advanced Lightweight Torpedo, including modern digital processing to discriminate targets in complex acoustic environments. The system employs active and passive sonar modes, enabling it to detect, classify, and home on submarine contacts even in littoral waters where reverberation and clutter complicate engagement geometry. Its compact dimensions allow deployment from surface vessels, maritime patrol aircraft, and shipborne helicopters without structural modification to standard NATO torpedo tubes.

During the Nanoose trials, the first firing reportedly targeted a stationary underwater objective. According to the Department of National Defence, the objective was not only to validate launch procedures but also to gather performance data on shipboard detection, fire control sequencing, and torpedo behavior after water entry. For HMCS Regina, this required the integration of the torpedo with the frigate’s upgraded combat management system, sonar suite, and weapon control architecture. The Halifax-class modernization program has progressively enhanced onboard sensors, including hull mounted sonar and towed array systems, which feed targeting data into the combat system before weapon release. Ensuring seamless data flow between detection systems and the torpedo’s onboard seeker is central to achieving credible anti-submarine warfare performance.

Canada intends to field the Mk 54 across its broader anti-submarine warfare ecosystem. The CP-140 Aurora maritime patrol aircraft, a heavily modernized variant of the P-3 Orion equipped with advanced radar and acoustic processing suites, and the CH-148 Cyclone helicopter, fitted with dipping sonar and tactical data links, are both configured to deploy 324 mm torpedoes. The Mk 54’s compatibility with airborne platforms allows rapid prosecution of contacts detected over wide ocean areas, shortening engagement timelines and reducing the risk of submarine escape. In operational terms, this cross platform standardization simplifies logistics and training while increasing flexibility in distributed maritime operations.

The introduction of the Mk 54 enhances Canada’s ability to counter modern diesel electric and nuclear powered submarines operating in both blue water and confined coastal zones. The torpedo’s updated seeker and processing architecture improve resistance to acoustic decoys and evasive maneuvers, which are common features of contemporary undersea warfare. Its launch envelope from surface ships and aircraft supports layered anti-submarine defense, combining long range detection by maritime patrol aircraft with shipborne prosecution. For a navy tasked with safeguarding the North Atlantic, Arctic approaches, and Pacific coastline, credible undersea lethality remains a prerequisite for task group protection and sea line security.

Canada’s integration of the Mk 54 reinforces interoperability with the United States and other NATO navies that already field the same torpedo. Standardized munitions facilitate combined maritime task forces, shared logistics chains, and coordinated anti-submarine patrols in contested theaters. As submarine activity intensifies in the North Atlantic and as great power competition extends into the Arctic and Indo-Pacific, the credibility of allied undersea deterrence rests on such incremental yet concrete capability upgrades. In that context, the Canadian Navy’s recent test firing is not an isolated technical event but part of a broader alignment of North American and allied maritime posture in an increasingly competitive security environment.

Written By Erwan Halna du Fretay - Defense Analyst, Army Recognition Group
Erwan Halna du Fretay is a graduate of a Master’s degree in International Relations and has experience in the study of conflicts and global arms transfers. His research interests lie in security and strategic studies, particularly the dynamics of the defense industry, the evolution of military technologies, and the strategic transformation of armed forces.