HMCS Harry DeWolf Makes Its Mark in Iqaluit

Published at: Aug 13 2021 - 11:02 / Updated at: Aug 13 2021 - 11:02

The HMCS Harry DeWolf is making its debut offshore from Iqaluit this week to participate in a number of military exercises, Nunatsiaq News reports. It is the first of of a new class of ships intended to assert Canada’s sovereignty in the Arctic and along its coast, according to the Royal Canadian Navy.

Five more ships have yet to be built. They all will be 103 metres long, weigh 6,440 tonnes, and will feature onboard rescue boats and a vehicle bay. They will also have the capability to support helicopter takeoffs and landings, and have 25-mm guns on their bows.

Crew on the ship are carrying out simulated emergency situations as part of Operation Nanook, an Arctic military operation the Department of Defence carries out every year. Some of those simulations include how to respond to a sinking ship or an oil spill at sea.

Joining the Harry DeWolf in these drills will be the Canadian and United States coast guards, according to Canadian Armed Forces Major Mark Gough.