Description

The Royal Canadian Navy is the naval force of Canada. The navy is one of three environmental commands within the Canadian Armed Forces. As of February 2024, the RCN operates 12 Halifax-class frigates, 12 Kingston-class coastal defence vessels, 4 Victoria-class submarines, 5 Harry DeWolf-class offshore patrol vessels, 8 Orca-class patrol vessels, and several auxiliary vessels. Officially, the RCN consisted of 8,400 Regular Force and 4,100 Primary Reserve sailors, supported by 3,800 civilians. However, as reported by the commander of the RCN, Vice-Admiral Angus Topshee in 2023, the "effective strength" of the regular force was considerably lower with numerous naval trades having shortages in trained strength of more than 20 percent.