The Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) and Irving shipbuilding named the sixth and last Arctic Offshore Patrol Ship (AOPS) in a ceremony in Halifax on August 9th, 2025. Dating back centuries, the naming of a ship is steeped in tradition and believed to bring good luck and safe travel to the vessel and crew.
The ship’s sponsor, Jane Underwood, a descendant of Robert Hampton Gray, officially named the ship during a ceremony attended by Vice-Admiral Angus Topshee (Royal Canadian Navy); Lieutenant-General Jaime Speiser-Blanchet (Royal Canadian Air Force); The Honourable David McGuinty, Minister of National Defence; The Honourable Joël Lightbound, Minister of Government Transformation, Public Works and Procurement; H.E. Kanji Yamanouchi, Japanese Ambassador to Canada; as well as descendants of Robert Hampton Gray, the ship’s company, and Halifax Shipyard shipbuilders.
In naval tradition, Underwood broke a bottle of L’Acadie Vineyards’ Prestige Brut sparkling wine against the bow of the ship, declaring, “I name you Robert Hampton Gray. Bless this ship and all who sail in it.”
The six AOPS are named to honour prominent Canadian naval figures who served their country with the highest distinction. Lieutenant Robert Hampton Gray was a Canadian naval hero of the Second World War. Gray joined the Royal Canadian Naval Volunteer Reserve in 1940 and served as a pilot in the Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm.
He embarked in HMS Formidable with 1841 Squadron, joining the war in the Pacific as part of Operation Iceberg, the invasion of Okinawa, Japan, in April 1945. Gray was awarded the Victoria Cross posthumously for courage and determination in carrying out daring air strikes on the Japanese destroyer HIJMS Amakusa. Gray was the only member of the RCN to be awarded the Victoria Cross during the Second World War.
Vice-Admiral Angus Topshee, Commander of the Royal Canadian Navy , remarked, “The naming of our sixth and final Arctic Offshore Patrol Vessel is a proud milestone for the Royal Canadian Navy and our country. Honouring Lieutenant Robert Hampton Gray—whose bravery, boldness, and resolve inspired generations of Canadians—reflects the perseverance and determination that has enabled the success of the National Shipbuilding Strategy.”
The Harry DeWolf-class AOPS is a highly versatile vessel that can be used on a variety of missions at home and abroad, such as coastal surveillance, search and rescue, drug interdiction, support to international partners, humanitarian aid, and disaster relief. The vessels are designed to operate in the Arctic regions of Canada for patrol and support within Canada’s exclusive economic zone. The ship is 103.6 m (339 ft 11 in) long and has a beam of 19.0 m (62 ft 4 in). The ship will have a displacement of 6,615 metric tons (6,511 long tons).
Specifically designed to patrol Canada’s offshore and Arctic waters, the Harry DeWolf-class AOPS bolsters RCN’s presence in the Arctic and its ability to operate globally protecting Canada’s interests at home and abroad. The AOPS also augments Canada’s presence offshore, and will be capable of conducting a wide variety of operations abroad.
