The Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) received its sixth and final Arctic Offshore Patrol Vehicle (AOPV) in August, completing a phase of an ambitious retooling of its maritime force. His Majesty’s Canadian Ship (HMCS) Robert Hampton Gray is the latest AOPV, which since the first ship entered service in 2021, has participated in international missions like Operation Caribbe to stem drug shipments through the Caribbean Sea. AOPVs, equipped for long voyages in harsh Arctic conditions, also have circumnavigated North America and deployed to Antarctica, according to a Canadian Department of National Defence news release.
The AOPVs are “ice-capable patrol ships designed to enhance the Canadian Armed Forces’ presence in the Arctic, and to assert and uphold Canadian sovereignty. These versatile ships can operate anywhere in the world, bolstering the RCN’s capability to support international peace and security. In addition to performing operational missions and tasks, in line with Canada’s defence policy,” the release stated.
HMCS Robert Hampton Gray still must complete sea and weather trials and other evaluations. The ship is slated to enter military service after arriving at its home port in Esquimalt, British Columbia, in 2026 to join another AOPV, HMCS Max Bernay, as part of the Maritime Forces Pacific Fleet.
The latest AOPV is a product of Canada’s National Shipbuilding Strategy, designed to revitalize the RCN and Canadian Coast Guard fleets with Canadian shipbuilding companies. Irving Shipbuilding Inc. of Halifax, Nova Scotia, is the contractor that built the AOPVs.
“Today is a major milestone in our National Shipbuilding Strategy. With the delivery of His Majesty’s Canadian Ship Robert Hampton Gray, the sixth Arctic and Offshore Patrol Vessel, the Royal Canadian Navy now has a complete fleet ready to patrol our waters and defend our sovereignty. These ships strengthen Canada’s ability to protect our interests at home and abroad, and they give our Sailors the modern tools they need to do their job. This achievement is thanks to the dedication of workers at Irving and across Canada’s shipbuilding industry,” Minister of National Defence David J. McGuinty said in the release.
Canada’s 2025 national defense plan emphasized Canada’s maritime domains and the Arctic, and AOPVs are essential for achieving domain awareness over the vast expanses of the Atlantic, Arctic and Pacific oceans within Canada’s territorial waters. AOPVs have ample cargo capacity and can deploy small vehicles and boats. The Harry DeWolf-class ships also carry a maritime patrol helicopter. “The acceptance of our final Arctic and Offshore Patrol ship is a key development for the Royal Canadian Navy as it completes the delivery of the first new class of ships in over 25 years and highlights the success of our national shipbuilding strategy. It is an exciting moment for the Sailors who will train and sail on these incredible vessels. His Majesty’s Canadian Ship Robert Hampton Gray will be transferred to Canadian Fleet Pacific and will ensure that the RCN can patrol Canada’s Arctic from both coasts,” Vice-Adm. Angus Topshee, the RCN’s commander, said.
The ship’s namesake, Lt. Robert Hampton Gray, a Royal Canadian Navy pilot, was awarded the Victoria Cross, Canada’s highest military honor, after his daring airstrikes on the Imperial Japanese destroyer Amakusa during World War II in which he lost his life.