Halifax – The Royal Canadian Navy’s (RCN) fourth Arctic and Offshore Patrol Vessel (AOPV), His Majesty’s Canadian Ship (HMCS) William Hall, was delivered to the fleet. Designed to assert and uphold Arctic sovereignty, the Harry DeWolf-class Arctic and Offshore Patrol Vessel significantly enhances the Canadian Armed Forces’ (CAF) capabilities and presence in the Arctic. With its considerable space to transport cargo, small vehicles, and deployable boats, the AOPV brings versatility and support to a wide range of domestic CAF operations with the ability to support global peace and security in coordination with our allies and partners.
As the RCN takes delivery of HMCS William Hall, the next steps will include sea trials, warm and cold weather trials, and other post-delivery evaluation tasks. The full commissioning ceremony for HMCS William Hall is expected to take place sometime next year, after the conclusion of the trials.
Since the inaugural deployment of first in class, HMCS Harry DeWolf in 2021, these ships have seen multiple deployments to Canada’s Arctic regions, the South-Eastern Pacific Ocean, the Caribbean Sea, and have contributed to the Hurricane Fiona response in Newfoundland. HMCS William Hall will remain at His Majesty’s Canadian Dockyard Halifax while post-acceptance work, sea trials and final ship preparations are completed, and subsequently will officially be commissioned into the RCN fleet.
In support of Canada’s defence policy, Strong, Secure, Engaged, the Government of Canada continues to deliver the modern, functional, and effective ships that the RCN needs to support operations, while also rebuilding Canada’s marine industry with the creation of hundreds of new jobs under Canada’s National Shipbuilding Strategy.