May 21, 2025:
For the first time since 1945, the Royal Canadian Navy is undergoing a major expansion. This begins with the construction of fifteen 8,000-ton River Class destroyers. Construction began this year and the first ship will enter service in the early 2030s with the fifteenth ship arriving by 2050. These 151 meter long ships are classified as Guided Missile Destroyers. Top speed is 50 kilometers an hour and max range is 13,000 kilometers.
The crew of 210 operates an American Aegis Combat System modified for Canadian use. Systems include fire control, hull mounted and towed sonar, Cyber War defense, torpedo defenses, surveillance and fire control radars, communications, electronic warfare and missile defense. Air defense weapons include up to 42 RIM-116 anti-aircraft missiles with a range of nine kilometers. There are also RIM-162 ESSM anti-missile or anti-aircraft missiles with a range of over 50 kilometers.
Offensive weapons consist of eight Naval Strike Missiles with a range of over 300 kilometers. RIM-66 SM-2 anti-air or ship missiles have a range of 170 kilometers. BGM-109 cruise missiles with a range of about 2,000 kilometers are carried and launched from Vertical Launch Cell or VLS containers. There are also four torpedo tunes loaded with 324mm anti-submarine torpedoes.
Projectile weapons includes a 127mm cannon, two 30mm autocannon and eleven machine-guns mounts for 7.62mm and or 12.7mm weapons. Aircraft include a medium helicopter carrying submarine warfare equipment and two 324mm torpedoes. There is an enclosed hangar that also has space for drones. There are three boats carried including a nine meter rescue boat.
Currently the Royal Canadian Navy has four diesel-electric submarines that entered service between 2000 and 2015. There are eight 5,000-ton frigates. These entered service between 1992 and 1996. Four 6,600 ton offshore patrol vessels and twelve 970 ton Coast Defense ships guard 202,080 kilometers of coastline, the longest coastline in the world. Most of this is in arctic or subarctic waters. There are also several dozen auxiliary, training and support ships. Naval aviation consists of several different types of drones.