Harry DeWolf-class offshore patrol vessel
Harry DeWolf-class offshore patrol vessels are warships of the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) built within the Government of Canada Arctic and Offshore Patrol Ship (AOPS) procurement project, part of the National Shipbuilding Strategy. In July 2007 the federal government announced plans for acquiring six to eight icebreaking warships for the RCN.[12][13][14][15][16][17][18]
The vessels are modelled on the Norwegian Coast Guard NoCGV Svalbard and as of 2007 were projected to cost CA$3.5 billion to construct with a total project procurement budgeted to cost $4.3 billion in order to cover maintenance over the 25-year lifespan of the vessels.[19][20] In 2018 it was reported that the cost of the first six ships had increased by $810 million over previous projections.[2] In 2023 it was reported that the cost for the first six ships had increased by a further $780 million and that of the two envisaged vessels for the Coast Guard by an additional $100 million.[21]
The lead ship of the class was announced as Harry DeWolf in September 2014, and four additional ships were named in 2015. Construction of the ships Harry DeWolf and Margaret Brooke started at the Halifax Shipyards in September 2015 and September 2016, respectively. Harry DeWolf and Margaret Brooke were originally planned to be delivered in 2019 and 2020 respectively.[22] Harry DeWolf was officially launched on 15 September 2018.[23] Margaret Brooke was launched on 10 November 2019.[24] Max Bernays began construction in December 2017 and William Hall was also planned to begin in 2017, although construction was delayed to early 2019. Max Bernays was launched in October 2021, and was followed by William Hall in 2022.[25][22] Frédérick Rolette was scheduled to begin construction in 2019, with construction on Robert Hampton Gray expected to begin in 2021. They were originally planned to be completed by 2022 and 2023, respectively.[22][26][27][28] However, in 2020 it was confirmed that ships five and six (Frédérick Rolette and Robert Hampton Gray) would not begin construction until 2021 and 2022 respectively.[29]
On 22 May 2019, an official announcement was made to begin the process of building two vessels for the Canadian Coast Guard, bringing the total number of ships in the class to eight.[30]