Canadian navy's Pacific fleet to accept first Arctic patrol vessel

The Canadian navy's Pacific fleet is set to take possession of its first Arctic patrol vessel, which arrives in British Columbia next week ahead of a formal commissioning ceremony.

The Canadian navy's Pacific fleet is set to take possession of its first Arctic patrol vessel, which arrives in British Columbia next week ahead of a formal commissioning ceremony.

HMCS Max Bernays is the third Arctic patrol ship built for the Royal Canadian Navy, which has ordered six of the vessels to conduct surveillance and assert sovereignty over territorial waters, including in the Far North.

The ship, which left Halifax last month and transited the Panama Canal before making port visits in California, is scheduled to arrive at its home port in Esquimalt, B.C., on Monday.

Following a commissioning ceremony in North Vancouver on May 3, the new vessel will immediately undergo maintenance work, according to the Department of National Defence, which expects the vessel to be ready to participate in the biannual Exercise Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC), the world's largest multinational naval exercise, off Hawaii this summer.

While the Arctic patrol vessels were designed to accommodate the CH-148 Cyclone, the military's main maritime helicopter, that capability likely won't be realized for years to come.

National Defence spokesperson Kened Sadiku said plans are underway to "support and deliver initial air operations capabilities during the RIMPAC exercise this summer," however the military could not confirm whether that would involve an embarked Cyclone, a different aircraft, or neither.

The spokesperson said the military is working to integrate the Arctic patrol vessels with the maritime helicopters by 2027 or 2028. "The capability to fully operate a CH-148 Cyclone Helicopter will be achieved in phased delivery timelines," Sadiku added.