The Royal Canadian Navy’s (RCN) has 12 Halifax-class frigates, which are split between the East and West Coasts of the country. They were built in the 1990s and joined the fleet between 1992 and 1997. They are very flexible and versatile warships, and have become the workhorses of the navy. While envisioned to play an anti-submarine warfare role when they were constructed, they have also played many other roles over the years, including counter-piracy and counter-drug operations, fisheries patrols and sovereignty patrols. Their capabilities and range are augmented by the addition of a maritime helicopter - now the new C-148 Cyclones - which operate from the flight deck at the back (aft) of the ship.
If you want to know more about the capabilities, offensive and defensive weapons and size of these ships, check out Briefing Note #13 produced by the Naval Association of Canada. The Briefing Note is available at https://www.navalassoc.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/BN13-frigates.pdf
One thought on “Workhorses of the Navy”
The Halifax-class is probably one of the best 20th Century older anti-submarine warfare frigates left in the world, and still able to deploy on missions required of them. However, despite their recent frigate modernization upgrades, they are ‘long in the tooth’ and unable to pose any significant Anti-Air Warfare offensive threat. The CSC Frigate program will bring Canada into the 21st century and give the RCN that AAW capability it has been sorely missing for some time and give pause for others. Although the Halifax-class is still the ‘backbone’ of the RCN, it will be hard for some to let go of a great class of ship, but let go we must.