Royal Canadian Navy

Established following the introduction of the Naval Service Act by Prime Minister Sir Wilfrid Laurier, the Naval Service of Canada (NSC) was intended as a distinct naval force for Canada, that, should the need arise, could be placed under British control. The bill received royal assent on 4 May 1910. Initially equipped with two former Royal Navy vessels, HMCS Niobe and HMCS Rainbow, King George V granted permission for the service to be known as the Royal Canadian Navy on 29 August 1911.[2]

During the first years of the First World War, the RCN's six-vessel naval force patrolled both the North American west and east coasts to deter the German naval threat, with a seventh ship, HMCS Shearwater joining the force in 1915. Just before the end of the war in 1918, the Royal Canadian Naval Air Service was established with the purpose of carrying out anti-submarine operations; however, it was disbanded after the armistice of 11 November.[3]

HMCS Québec, former HMS Uganda was one of many ships commissioned by the Royal Canadian Navy in the Second World War. Expanding substantially during the war, the RCN had become the world's fifth-largest navy by 1945.

After the war, the Royal Canadian Navy took over certain responsibilities of the Department of Transport's Marine Service, and slowly started to build its fleet, with the first warships specifically designed for the RCN being commissioned in 1932.[4] At the outbreak of the Second World War, the Navy had 11 combat vessels, 145 officers and 1,674 men.[5] During the Second World War, the RCN expanded significantly, ultimately gaining responsibility for the entire Northwest Atlantic theatre of war. During the Battle of the Atlantic, the RCN sank 31 U-boats and sank or captured 42 enemy surface vessels, while successfully completing 25,343 merchant crossings. The navy lost 33 ships and 1,797 sailors in the war.[6] In order to gain experience with the operation of aircraft carriers, RCN personnel crewed two Royal Navy escort carriers from 1944 to 1946: HMS Nabob, and HMS Puncher.[7]

Four F2H-3 Banshee fly overhead HMCS Bonaventure. Bonaventure was the last aircraft carrier in service with the RCN.

Starting in May 1944, when Canada began drafting plans to assume a larger role in the Pacific Theatre after achieving victory in Europe, the Canadian government recognized that the RCN would require vessels that were much larger than what it currently had.[7] Canadian naval staff advocated for HMS Nabob and HMS Puncher to be given back to the Royal Navy in exchange for two light fleet carriers.[7] The Canadian government agreed to acquire two carriers on loan from the Royal Navy, with an option to purchase them, but they were not ready before the war ended.[7] Postwar budget cuts meant that Canada could only afford to operate one aircraft carrier, instead of two as originally planned.[7] The RCN operated HMCS Warrior from 1946 to 1948, before exchanging it with the Royal Navy for the slightly larger HMCS Magnificent.[7]

From 1950 to 1955, during and after the Korean War, Canadian destroyers maintained a presence off the Korean peninsula, engaging in shore bombardments and maritime interdiction. During the Cold War, the Navy developed an anti-submarine capability to counter the growing Soviet naval threat.[8][9] In November 1956, HMCS Magnificent was chosen to transport men and supplies to Egypt as part of Canada's response to the Suez Crisis.[10] In preparation for use as a transport, the ship's weapons were stripped, and her complement was reduced to 600 personnel.[11][12] The initial plan was to embark the Queen's Own Rifles of Canada, but that order was rescinded in December.[10] Magnificent waited in Halifax until the end of the month, then sailed for Egypt carrying 406 Canadian troops and their vehicles, four Royal Canadian Air Force de Havilland Canada DHC-3 Otters, and a single H04S helicopter.[10][13][12] She returned to Canada in March 1957.[12] Later in 1957, the RCN paid off HMCS Magnificent and commissioned HMCS Bonaventure, which was better suited for jet aircraft.[7] She flew the McDonnell F2H Banshee fighter jet until 1962, as well as various other anti-submarine aircraft until her decommissioning.[3] In the 1960s, the RCN retired most of its Second World War vessels, and further developed its anti-submarine warfare capabilities by acquiring the Sikorsky CH-124 Sea King, and successfully pioneered the use of large maritime helicopters on small surface vessels.

From 1964 through 1968, under the Liberal government of Lester B. Pearson, the Royal Canadian Navy, Royal Canadian Air Force and Canadian Army were amalgamated to form the unified Canadian Forces. This process was overseen by then–Defence Minister Paul Hellyer. The controversial merger resulted in the abolition of the Royal Canadian Navy as a separate legal entity. All personnel, ships, and aircraft became part of Maritime Command (MARCOM), an element of the Canadian Armed Forces. The traditional naval uniform was eliminated and all naval personnel were required to wear the new Canadian Armed Forces rifle green uniform, adopted also by former Royal Canadian Air Force and Canadian Army personnel.[14] Ship-borne aircraft continued to be under the command of MARCOM, while shore-based patrol aircraft of the former Royal Canadian Air Force were transferred to MARCOM. In 1975 Air Command was formed and all maritime aircraft were transferred to Air Command's Maritime Air Group.[15] The unification of the Canadian Forces in 1968 was the first time that a nation with a modern military combined its formerly separate naval, land and air elements into a single service.[14]

HMCS Athabaskan departing Halifax for the Persian Gulf as part of the Coalition forces. Canada deployed three ships in support of Operation Desert Shield, and later Operation Desert Storm

HMCS Bonaventure was sold off in 1970, shortly after completing a 16-month, $11 million mid-life refit.[7] The 1970s saw the addition of four Iroquois-class destroyers, which were later updated to air defence destroyers, and in the late 1980s and 1990s the construction of twelve Halifax-class frigates and the purchase of the Victoria-class submarines. In 1990, Canada deployed three warships to support Operation Friction. Later in the decade, ships were deployed to patrol the Adriatic Sea during the Yugoslav Wars and the Kosovo War. More recently, Maritime Command provided vessels to serve as a part of Operation Apollo and to combat piracy off the coast of Somalia.[16]

Following the Official Languages Act enshrinement in 1969, MARCOM instituted the French Language Unit, which constituted a francophone unit with the navy. The first was HMCS Ottawa. In the 1980s and 1990s, women were also accepted into the fleet, with the submarine service the last to allow them, beginning in 2001.[17]

Some of the changes that had taken place during the unification of the forces began to be undone. In 1985, MARCOM received new black uniforms, differentiating them from the land-based forces.[15] By 1990, the three senior naval officers of MARCOM had recreated the Naval Board.[17] On 16 August 2011, the government restored the historic names of the Canadian Forces' three environmental services: Maritime Command became the "Royal Canadian Navy", Air Command the "Royal Canadian Air Force," and Land Force Command the "Canadian Army."[18]

As of August 2015, with the loss of area air defence and (temporarily) resupply capabilities, the RCN was then classified as a Rank 5 navy (offshore regional coastal defence) on the Todd-Lindberg navy classification system of naval strength, dropping from Rank 3 (multiregional power projection) in 2005.[19]

CFB Halifax serves as the headquarters for Royal Canadian Navy units from Maritime Forces Atlantic.

The Royal Canadian Navy's Atlantic Fleet, known as Canadian Fleet Atlantic is co-located with Maritime Forces Atlantic (MARLANT), with headquarters at CFB Halifax in Halifax, Nova Scotia. It is supported by CFS St. John's in Newfoundland. Attached to MARLANT and CFB Halifax is the Royal Canadian Air Force's 12 Wing Shearwater, based at Shearwater Heliport, which provides shipborne air support for the Atlantic Fleet. The RCAF's 14 Wing Greenwood provides fixed-wing air support for MARLANT through 404 Maritime Patrol and Training Squadron and 405 Maritime Patrol Squadron. Other Atlantic Fleet facilities are CFAD Bedford, an ammunition depot, and two radio stations, Naval Radio Section (NRS) Newport Corner and NRS Mill Cove.[a 3]

The Atlantic Fleet, with 18 warships and a number of auxiliary vessels, is responsible for Canada's exclusive economic zone on the East Coast, as well as Canada's area of responsibility in the Atlantic Ocean and the eastern Arctic Ocean.

CFB Esquimalt serves as the headquarters for Royal Canadian Navy units from Maritime Forces Pacific.

The Royal Canadian Navy's Pacific Fleet, known as Canadian Fleet Pacific is co-located with Maritime Forces Pacific (MARPAC), with headquarters at CFB Esquimalt in British Columbia, in the Greater Victoria region. MARPAC consists of over 4,000 naval personnel and 2,000 civilian personnel.[a 4]

Comprising 15 warships and several auxiliary vessels homeported in Esquimalt, the Pacific Fleet is responsible for Canada's exclusive economic zone on the West Coast and Canada's area of responsibility in the Pacific Ocean and the western Arctic Ocean. Fleet Maintenance Facility Cape Breton provides repair and maintenance services to the Pacific Fleet. The Royal Canadian Air Force's 443 Maritime Helicopter Squadron, based at Patricia Bay Heliport but under the control of 12 Wing Shearwater, provides shipborne helicopter support for the Pacific Fleet, while 19 Wing Comox provides fixed-wing maritime air support for MARPAC through 407 Long Range Patrol Squadron. Other Pacific Fleet facilities are CFAD Rocky Point, an ammunition depot, and Naval Radio Section Aldergrove.

The Canadian Forces Naval Reserve is the Primary Reserve component of the RCN. The primary mission of the NAVRES is to force generate sailors and teams for CAF operations, including: domestic safety operations as well as security and defence missions, while at the same time supporting the Navy's efforts in connecting with Canadians through the maintenance of a broad national presence.[20]

The Naval Tactical Operations Group (NTOG) is a unit between 85 or 100 personnel (full-time and reserve sailors) dedicated to conduct boarding on non-compliant vessels of interest. Training includes precision shooting, hand-to-hand combat, interrogation techniques, advanced medical skills, the planning of missions and identification of improvised explosive devices.

The Naval Security Team (NST) is a modular, scalable, flexible, and deployable naval team primarily composed of naval reservists, with Regular Force members rounding out the team when required.[21] Tasked with providing enhanced force protection (FP) and security of deployed RCN ships and personnel at home or overseas, the NST deployed for the first time in 2017 providing force protection for HMCS Winnipeg during her port visit to Busan, South Korea.[22][23] Headquartered at Canadian Forces Base (CFB) Esquimalt the NST reports directly to the Commander Canadian Fleet Pacific

HMCS St. John's, one of 12 Halifax-class multi-role frigates in service with Royal Canadian Navy

The Navy operates twelve frigates, four patrol submarines, twelve coastal-defence vessels and eight unarmed patrol/training vessels. The surface ships, which carry the designation Her Majesty's Canadian Ship (HMCS), consist of twelve Halifax-class multi-role patrol frigates and twelve Kingston-class coastal-defence vessels. In addition to the surface vessels, the RCN operates four Victoria-class submarines that were acquired from the Royal Navy in 1998. These warships carry the designation Her Majesty's Canadian Submarine. The Royal Canadian Navy also maintains and operates HMCS Oriole, a historic sailing ship commissioned in 1952 as a sail-training ship. Oriole is the oldest commissioned ship in the RCN.

On September 19, 2014, the Navy announced the decommissioning of its two Protecteur-class resupply ships, along with two Iroquois-class destroyers. The Naval Tactical Operations Group (NTOG) - (French: Groupe des opérations tactiques maritimes, GOTM) established in 2015 has units based on warships to provide an enhanced naval boarding capability.[24][25]

The RCN operates auxiliary vessels to support the Canadian Forces. These vessels are not warships and do not carry the HMCS designation. Among the auxiliary ships operated by the navy are eight Orca-class patrol class training tenders, five Ville-class harbour tugs, five Glen-class harbour tugs, and one fireboat of the Fire class. MV Asterix is an interim replenishing vessel serving in the RCN with mixed naval and civilian crew since January 2018 replacing contracted replenishment oilers and until replacements can be commissioned.

A Royal Canadian Air Force CP-140 Aurora. The aircraft is used by the RCAF as a maritime patrol aircraft.

A CH-124 Sea King lowers a crewman onto the deck of USNS Yukon during RIMPAC 2012

Since 1975, all aircraft supporting the RCN are operated by the Royal Canadian Air Force through 1 Canadian Air Division. Since 1995, all CH-124 Sea King helicopters have been operated by squadrons under 12 Wing (from Shearwater Heliport and Patricia Bay Heliport). Similarly, all CP-140 Aurora and CP-140A Arcturus anti-submarine, ship surveillance and maritime patrol aircraft have been operated by squadrons under 14 Wing at CFB Greenwood and 19 Wing at CFB Comox. As of February 2019 the Sea King had been retired and there were 17 interim model CH-148 Cyclone helicopters configured for ship-borne anti-submarine warfare, 18 CP-140 Aurora fixed wing aircraft for land-based anti-submarine warfare and area surveillance (of which 14 are being modernized and retained for active operations), and 1 CP-140A Arcturus for land-based maritime surveillance.

During the past several years, the following major projects have been announced by the Government of Canada to modernize the Canadian Navy:

• The Protecteur-class auxiliary vessel began as the Joint Support Ship Project is a program to replace the previous Protecteur-class replenishment vessels with two to three new joint support ships, providing support to naval task forces, a limited sealift capability and limited theatre command and control.[a 5] The JSS project dates back to 2002–2003 and plans were advanced enough at the time to begin construction, though with the change in government in 2006 that project was cancelled and replaced with a less capable and smaller planned acquisition. The RCN has decided to move forward with 2 Berlin-class replenishment ships under JSS, replacing the two Protecteur-class AORs. As part of the National Shipbuilding Procurement Strategy (NSPS), the ships will be built by Seaspan Marine Corporation at the Vancouver Shipyards facility located in North Vancouver, British Columbia. These Berlin-class ships will displace approximately 22,250 tonnes in Canadian service.[26] Construction on the first ship began in November 2019, and a contract to build the second ship was officially awarded to Seaspan in June 2020.[27] They were initially to be named for battles of the War of 1812, with HMCS Queenston as the lead ship, followed by HMCS Châteauguay,[28][29] but the vessels were renamed Protecteur and Preserver respectively in September 2017.[30]

Construction of HMCS Harry DeWolf at Halifax Shipyard in May 2018

• The Harry DeWolf-class offshore patrol vessel, previously referred to as the Arctic Patrol Ship Project (AOPS), announced in 2007, is a program to build six Polar Class 5 Arctic patrol ships capable of operating in ice and to establish the Nanisivik Naval Facility, a deep water port in Arctic Bay, Baffin Island, Nunavut that would support RCN operations in the Northwest Passage and adjacent waters.[a 6] The lead ship began construction at the Irving Shipyard in Halifax in September 2015. Projected service entry for the lead ship of the class is in 2018. In September 2014, Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced that the name of the first ship in the class would be HMCS Harry DeWolf, named in honour of wartime Canadian naval hero Harry DeWolf, and that the class would be named the Harry DeWolf class.[31] The RCN accepted HMCS Harry DeWolf in July 2020, and plan to formally commission the vessel in the summer of 2021, following post-acceptance sea trials.[32]
• The Halifax-class frigates underwent a mid-life extension program that began in 2010 and was completed in November 2016 [a 7] and it was revealed in the October 2011 announcement of the National Shipbuilding Procurement Strategy that the RCN would be procuring up to 15 vessels under the Canadian Surface Combatant project to replace both the 12 Halifax-class frigates and the (now decommissioned) 4 Iroquois-class destroyers. In October 2018, it was announced that a consortium led by BAE Systems and Lockheed Martin Canada had been selected as the preferred design for the Canadian Surface Combatant project, with a variant of BAE's Type 26 frigate (by that stage already ordered by both the Royal Navy and Royal Australian Navy) chosen as the platform.[33] This class of ship is currently in the design phase with construction anticipated to begin in around 2023.[34]
• The Maritime Helicopter Project is an RCAF procurement project that is replacing the CH-124 Sea Kings with 28 CH-148 Cyclone shipborne anti-submarine warfare helicopters to operate from RCN warships.[a 8] This project has been delayed by several years for a variety of developmental challenges. However, deliveries of the Block 1 airframe began in June 2015 and, as of February 2019, seventeen had been delivered. Initial operating capability for the Cyclone was declared in mid-2018.[35]
• In May 2019, it was announced that Saab Skeldar V-200 UAVs would be acquired for the RCN and Canadian Special Forces. The light UAVs would be capable of operating from both the Halifax-class frigates and Harry DeWolf-class patrol ships.[36]

A naval officer's commission with the Canadian Armed Forces

Commissioned officers of the Canadian Armed Forces have ranks ranging from the NATO standard ranks of OF-1 to OF-9. The only OF-9 position in the Canadian Forces is the Chief of the Defence Staff, who can be from any of the service elements. The highest position occupied in the current Royal Canadian Navy structure is OF-8, a vice-admiral who serves as the Commander of the Royal Canadian Navy and Chief of the Naval Staff. OF-6 (commodore) to OF-9 (admiral) are referred to as flag officers, OF-3 (lieutenant-commander) to OF-5 (captain (N)) are referred to as senior officers, while OF-2 (lieutenant (N)) and OF-1 (sub-lieutenant) are referred to as junior officers. Naval cadets are referred to as subordinate officers.[a 9] All except subordinate officers of the Canadian Forces receive a commission from the Queen of Canada as Commander-in-Chief of the Canadian Armed Forces. The commissioning scroll issued in recognition of the commission is signed by the Governor General of Canada as the Queen of Canada's representative, and countersigned by the serving Minister of National Defence. Subordinate officers are promoted to acting sub-lieutenant upon receiving their commissions.

Naval officers are trained at the Royal Military College of Canada in Kingston, Ontario, the Royal Military College Saint-Jean in Saint-Jean, Quebec, Naval Officer Training Centre (NOTC) Venture and Naval Fleet School (Pacific) in Esquimalt, British Columbia, and Naval Fleet School (Atlantic) in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Some specialized candidates may be commissioned without attending the Royal Military College; the plan is known as Direct-Entry Officer (DEO) Plan. Senior NCOs may also be offered commissions on the basis that their training and experience gives them a comparable basis of knowledge; this is referred to as the Commission-from-the-Ranks (CFR) Plan. NCOs who are offered such promotions are typically petty officer 1st class or higher, with 20 or more years of service.

Officers

The Royal Canadian Navy rank structure is shown below.

Commander-in-Chief

Commander-in-Chief

NATO code	OF-10		OF-9		OF-8		OF-7		OF-6		OF-5		OF-4		OF-3		OF-2		OF-1						OF(D)						Student officer
Royal Canadian Navy	No equivalent																														No equivalent
			Admiral		Vice-admiral		Rear-admiral		Commodore		Captain(N)		Commander		Lieutenant-commander		Lieutenant(N)		Sub-lieutenant			Acting sub-lieutenant			Naval Cadet
			Amiral		Vice-amiral		Contre-amiral		Commodore		Capitaine de vaisseau		Capitaine de frégate		Capitaine de corvette		Lieutenant de vaisseau		Enseigne de vaisseau de 1re classe			Enseigne de vaisseau de 2e classe			Aspirant de marine

Non-commissioned members of the Royal Canadian Navy have pay grades ranging from OR-1 to OR-9. OR-9 (chief petty officer 1st class), OR-8 (chief petty officers 2nd class) and OR-7 (petty officer 1st class) are known as petty officers, and OR-6 (petty officer 2nd class, referred to as senior non-commissioned officer) form the senior cadre of the non-commissioned (enlisted) members of the military. OR-5 (master sailor) and OR-4 (sailor first class) are referred to as junior non-commissioned officers, while OR-3 (sailor second class) and OR-2 (sailor third class) are referred to as junior ranks.

All Regular Force non-commissioned members of the Canadian Forces undergo basic training at the Canadian Forces Leadership and Recruit School in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu. Recruits then attend occupation-specific training at various locations across Canada.

In August 2020, the term "seaman" was replaced with the gender neutral term "sailor".[37][38][39]

Senior non-commissioned appointments of the Royal Canadian Navy
Canadian Forces Chief Warrant Officer	Chief Petty Officer of the Navy/Command, Group, Chief Petty Officer	Command, Group, Formation, Fleet, Base Chief Petty Officer

Non-commissioned member rank structure of the Royal Canadian Navy
Chief Petty Officer 1st class	Chief Petty Officer 2nd class	Petty Officer 1st class	Petty Officer 2nd class	Master Sailor (previously Master Seaman)	Sailor First Class (previously Leading Seaman)	Sailor Second Class (previously Able Seaman)	Sailor Third Class (previously Ordinary Seaman)	Sailor Third Class (Basic)	Sailor Third Class (Recruit)
OR-9	OR-8	OR-7	OR-6	OR-5	OR-4	OR-3	OR-2	OR-1
CPO1	CPO2	PO1	PO2	MS	S1	S2	S3	S3 (B)	S3 (R)

The Queen's Colour

The RCN was granted the right to use the King's Colour in 1925 by King George V. The Queen's or King's Colour (also referred to as the sovereign's colour) for the Navy has been consecrated and presented four times: in 1939 by King George VI in Esquimalt, in 1959 by Queen Elizabeth II in Halifax, in 1979 by Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother in Halifax and in 2009 by the Governor General of Canada and Commander-in-Chief Michaëlle Jean in Halifax.[40] The colour used by the RCN between 1927 and 1936 was never actually presented but went straight into service in both the Atlantic and Pacific commands.[41] Two identical colours were presented, one for the Atlantic fleet and one for the Pacific fleet in 1926, 1939 and 1959, but only one colour was presented in 1979 and 2009. This colour is maintained in RCN Headquarters in Ottawa and dispatched anywhere in Canada anytime that it is needed. The current colours consist of a ceremonial standard with the Maple Leaf flag in the top left canton, the Queen's personal Commonwealth cypher (a capital E on a blue background, surrounded by a circlet of gold Tudor roses and laurels, surmounted by a crown) and an anchor and naval crown (from the Canadian Naval Ensign) on the lower right fly. These elements are found on the 1979 and 2009 colours. The colours from 1926, 1939 and 1959 consisted of a White Ensign with the Queen's or King's cypher, surrounded by the Garter and ensigned with the Crown, in the middle.[40]

The Royal Canadian Navy's retired colours are laid up at Beechwood Cemetery in Ottawa, Ontario.[40]

1945–1949

1968–2016

2016–present

Past versions of the badge used by the Royal Canadian Navy, with the years they were in use listed above

The badge of the Royal Canadian Navy consists of:[42]

• St. Edward's Crown
• A fouled anchor, within a circlet
• A compartment of maple leaves
• Motto: Parati Vero Parati (Latin for "Ready aye ready")

Blazon: Badge: Azure, a fouled anchor or. Motto: "PARATI VERO PARATI"

The history of Royal Canadian Navy is preserved and presented at the Maritime Command Museum in Halifax, the Canadian War Museum, the Naval Museum of Alberta, the Naval Museum of Manitoba, the naval museums at Naval Reserve Headquarters in Quebec City and at CFB Esquimalt as well as the Maritime Museum of British Columbia. Several Royal Canadian Navy ships and submarines have been preserved including the destroyer HMCS Haida, the hydrofoil HMCS Bras d'Or and the submarines Ojibwa and Onondaga. The corvette HMCS Sackville serves as Canada's Naval Memorial. The Royal Canadian Navy Monument is located on the banks of the Ottawa River in Ottawa. A monument at Point Pleasant Park in Halifax commemorates members of Royal Canadian Navy who have died in peacetime and there are valour memorials in Halifax, Quebec City and Esquimalt.