List of equipment of the Canadian Coast Guard


The Canadian Coast Guard maintains a fleet of sea- and lake-going vessels, hovercraft, and aircraft. The variety of equipment allows the CCG to perform its mandated functions of navaids and sea-going transportation management, search and rescue, marine pollution response and the support of other Canadian federal authorities.

Vessels

The Fleet Directorate of the Canadian Coast Guard is responsible for all ships and their manning requirements. As of October 2022, it manages and operates a fleet of 123 vessels in support of: CCG aids to navigation; icebreaking; environmental response; and search and rescue. The CCG fleet also supports Department of Fisheries and Oceans's Fisheries Conservation and Protection and Marine Science programs.
The ships, ranging from search and rescue lifeboats to icebreakers, are tasked to various programs, often concurrently, and are crewed by 2,400 skilled seagoing personnel. Most vessels have between 4 and 30+ crewmembers.
All CCG vessels are painted uniformly regardless of their use. They are characterized by a red hull and white superstructure, designed to look like a "floating Canadian flag". Their hulls bear a white stripe raked forward at a 60-degree angle on each side forward. Larger vessels display a red maple leaf on the funnel. Ship nameplates are typically affixed to the superstructure, and vessels are typically named for persons or places of historic or geographic significance.
Throughout the 1960s–1990s, the CCG painted primary SAR vessels in a different colour scheme: bright mustard yellow superstructure and maple leaf red hull, meant to distinguish them from navaid tenders and icebreakers, and also to improve their visibility on the open ocean in breaking waves. Today, the only distinguishing markings for primary SAR vessels is the large RESCUE-SAUVETAGE lettering on the superstructure. Vessels carry the "Canada" 'federal wordmark', which incorporates the duotone version of the national flag. The words Coast Guard/Garde Cotière appear side by side on the hull.
The prefix "Canadian Coast Guard Ship", abbreviated CCGS, is affixed to all vessels. Minor vessels such as patrol boats and lifeboats carried the prefix "Canadian Coast Guard Cutter", abbreviated CCGC in the past, however, this is no longer the case.
The list of various classes of CCG vessels includes:

Icebreakers

Polar icebreakers

A new class of icebreakers under the National Shipbuilding Strategy, with the first vessel expected to enter service in 2030.

Heavy icebreaker

A very large multitasked icebreaker, approximately in length, capable of sustained operations in the Arctic Archipelago over two seasons per year and for escort operations in the Gulf of St. Lawrence and East Coast of Newfoundland. Has a large cargo carrying capacity, a helicopter hangar that will accommodate a CCG helicopter, and carry multiple utility craft. Named after a former Canadian prime minister and the late cancer research activist Terry Fox. Formerly referred to as Type 1300.

Other

Emergency towing vessel

*

Special navaids vessel

*

Channel survey and sounding vessel

  • CCGS Helen Irene battle
  • CCGS ''Jean bourdon''

Air cushion vehicle (hovercraft)

*

SAR lifeboat (MLBs)

''Arun'' class">Arun-class lifeboat">''Arun'' class

*

Bay class">Severn-class lifeboat (Canada)">Bay class

  • CCGS Baie de Plaisance
  • CCGS Pennant Bay
  • CCGS McIntyre Bay
  • CCGS Pachena Bay
  • CCGS Sacred Bay
  • CCGS Conception Bay
  • CCGS Cadboro Bay
  • CCGS Florencia Bay
  • CCGS Hare Bay
  • CCGS La Poile Bay
  • CCGS Chignecto Bay
  • CCGS Shediac Bay
  • CCGS Chedabucto Bay
  • CCGS Gabarus Bay
  • CCGS Barrington Bay
  • CCGS Baie des Chaleurs
  • CCGS Groswater Bay
  • CCGS ''Cascumpec Bay''

Cape class">Cape-class motor lifeboat">Cape class

*

Specialty vessel

  • - small buoy tender
  • - small buoy tender
  • - small buoy tender
  • - river buoy tender
*

Training vessels

*

Small/utility craft

  • Work boats
  • * Rosborough Boats RF-246 designs
  • * Rotork Marine Sea Truck designs
  • Rigid hull inflatable boats
  • * Zodiac Hurricane Mark IV, Mark V, Mark VI, 733 and 753 SOLAS designs
  • * Rosborough Boats Rough Water 9.11 SOLAS designs
  • * There are also two new high-speed, aluminum Kingston-class search and rescue and environmental patrol boats built by Metalcraft Marine going into Arctic service.

Retired vessels

The following is a listing of vessels that are no longer part of the Canadian Coast Guard's present fleet.
  • CCGS Alert
  • – July 2016 – transferred to Parks Canada – now named
  • – retired
  • – retired
  • - previously known as Polar Gas II - believed to have been sold at auction
  • – decommissioned
  • - Icebreaker, lighthouse supply and buoy vessel decommissioned 1985, scrapped 1989
  • – now retired and re-commissioned by Toronto Fire Services as fireboat William Thornton in 2015
  • - decommissioned 2012
  • - decommissioned 1978 and museum ship since 1980
  • - scrapped in 2020
  • CCGS John Cabot (1965) - ice breaker/cable ship; assisted in the rescue of Roger Mallinson and Roger Chapman. Sold in 1994
  • - sold and now MV Leeway Odyssey
  • - delivered in 1983 for SFO and retired 2000; built as Beau Bois
  • - ex-Lurcher No.5 lightship, training ship at the Canadian Coast Guard College in the 1970s
  • - decommissioned 2001; scrapped 2011
  • - The first barge with this name from 1930 to 1950
  • - The second barge with this name from 1975 to 2009
  • - retired 2005 and re-commissioned by Toronto Fire as fireboat Sora; retired in 2015
  • - survey ship sold and renamed Heavenbound 1984; renamed again as Still Watch 1995
  • - hydrographic survey ship from 1932 to 1975
*

Aircraft

In addition to various bases located in deep water ports, rescue stations in smaller minor ports, and eighteen ships equipped with aviation facilities such as flight decks and/or hangars, the CCG operates 23 helicopters. There are also eight fixed wing aircraft operated on CCG's behalf by Transport Canada. Rotary wing aircraft are used as ice reconnaissance platforms in the winter, while flying maintenance personnel and supplies for servicing aids to navigation year-round. Fixed wing aircraft are flown in support of the Canadian Ice Service and also conduct arctic sovereignty patrols, marine pollution surveillance and fisheries protection patrols as part of the Canadian government's National Aerial Surveillance Program.
As part of the Coast Guard's Fleet Renewal Plan, the Government of Canada has purchased and deployed twenty-three new helicopters: sixteen light-lift helicopters and seven medium-lift helicopters.
In December 2013, the Minister of National Defence released the first "Quadrennial SAR Review" in order to provide a comprehensive perspective of Canada's National SAR Program. In the SAR resources section of the review it states "The Canadian Coast Guard has a total of 117 vessels and 22 helicopters stationed across the country that can deliver maritime SAR services, either in a primary or secondary role".

Rotary-wing deployment

Atlantic Region

Central/Arctic Region

Western Region

  • Four Bell 429s
  • Three Bell 412s
The Bell 412s replaced the Bell 212s that operated until in 2017.

Fixed-wing deployment

Four fixed wing aircraft which form part of the National Aerial Surveillance Program are based with the facility at Ottawa International Airport which is the primary maintenance base. A single fixed-wing aircraft is based in Vancouver, British Columbia, a de Havilland Dash 8 DHC-8M-102. A single fixed-wing aircraft is based in Moncton, New Brunswick, a de Havilland Dash 8 DHC-8M-102. The two other Transport Canada aircraft under contract are: an Ottawa-based de Havilland Dash 8 DHC-8M-103, to be tasked initially with monitoring the Right Whale population off the Atlantic Coast, and a de Havilland Dash 7 DHC-7-150ir which does pollution control patrols over the Great Lakes, St. Lawrence Seaway, and parts of the east coast, as well as Arctic ice patrols and oil pollution surveillance. When in the arctic, the DHC-7-150ir is based out of Iqaluit, Nunavut. In addition to the federal government aircraft, a private company Provincial Aerospace Ltd., is contracted to operate four specially modified and equipped King Air 200 aircraft in support of the National Aerial Surveillance Program, from Halifax, St. John's and Comox, British Columbia.

Bases

All CCG regions operate helicopters. However, ice reconnaissance missions are primarily flown in eastern Canada, given the absence of ice surveillance requirements for the West Coast. Unlike fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters can often operate directly out of CCG bases, as is the case in Quebec City and Parry Sound. The majority of CCG aircraft operate from municipal airports located near major CCG bases, as follows:
CCG's fixed-wing operations and maintenance bases are co-located with Transport Canada aviation operations facilities. Maintenance for all CCG aircraft is provided by both CCG and Transport Canada personnel.

Air search and rescue

All Canadian Coast Guard aircraft are able assist the Canadian Forces with search and rescue operations, as well as having a secondary air search and rescue role in the CCG.
AircraftOriginTypeVersionsIn serviceNotes
Bell 412 EPICanadarotary wing77 aircraft acquired to replace the Bell 212, final model delivered March 24, 2017.
Bell 429 CCGCanadarotary wing1616 in service, delivered in 2015, 2016, and 2021 replacing MBB Bo 105.
de Havilland Canada Dash 8Canadafixed wing3Canadian Ice Service ice reconnaissance, oil pollution surveillance and marine wildlife monitoring. 2x DHC-8M-102 1x DHC-8M-103.
Beech Super King Air B200USfixed wing4Contracted by the Canadian government and owned and operated by Provincial Aerospace Limited for ice reconnaissance, marine fisheries and marine pollution surveillance
de Havilland Canada Dash 7Canadafixed wing1Canadian Ice Service ice reconnaissance and oil pollution surveillance DHC-7-150ir.

Canadian Coast Guard Auxiliary

The Canadian Coast Guard Auxiliary does not operate an aviation branch. This role is instead provided by the volunteer Civil Air Search and Rescue Association. Some CCGA volunteers also volunteer with CASARA or have cross-trained with the Royal Canadian Air Force.

Retired aircraft

CCG has operated the following aircraft types which have since been retired:

Procurement

Many larger vessels in the CCG are close to the end of their planned lifetime, having been constructed from the 1960s–1980s with no replacements in the 1990s–2000s. To replace them, new icebreakers, multi-purpose vessels, patrol ships and science vessels are to be constructed under terms of the National Shipbuilding Procurement Strategy; now known as the National Shipbuilding Strategy. Under the NSS and since Budget 2006, the following projects have been initiated:

Mid Shore Patrol Vessel Project

The Mid Shore Patrol Vessel Project procured nine vessels to supplement fisheries conservation and protection duties as well as marine security duties in the Maritime, Newfoundland, Pacific, and Central and Arctic regions. It was expected that four of these vessels are to be tasked with marine security duties in Central and Arctic Region and will have an operating area in the Great Lakes – St. Lawrence Seaway. The initial procurement process for 12 ships was cancelled in 2008 when bids came in over budget; however, a revised bidding process was reissued in 2009. On September 2, 2009, Public Works and Government Services Canada awarded a contract to Halifax Shipyards to build nine mid-shore patrol vessels based on a 'Canadianized' version of the Damen Stan 4207 patrol vessel. All vessels had been delivered to the Coast Guard by the end of 2014.

Offshore Fisheries Science Vessel Project

The federal government announced the Offshore Fisheries Science Vessel Project in 2006 to procure vessels that are in length and be capable of carrying 22 to 26 crew as well as 19 scientists. Two vessels were provided for in Budget 2006, with funding for an additional vessel added in Budget 2007. The procurement process for these vessels began in September 2009, and actual construction work on the three vessels in the class started in June 2015 at Seaspan ULC's Vancouver Shipyards. They were originally projected to start entering service in 2017. However, the first vessel of the class,, was delivered in June 2019 followed by the second ship, CCGS Capt. Jacques Cartier, in December 2019. In October 2020, the third and final ship of the class, CCGS John Cabot, was handed over to the Coast Guard completing the project. She will be home ported in St. John's, Newfoundland.

Offshore Oceanographic Science Vessel Project

The Offshore Oceanographic Science Vessel Project is a plan to procure a single vessel that will be in length capable of carrying 30 crew as well as 37 scientists. The ship will replace which was Canada's major oceanographic research vessel for 40 years but suffered a "catastrophic motor failure" in 2021 ending her service. Funds for the project were initially allocated in Budget 2007. The first phase of the procurement process for this vessel, along with the three offshore fisheries science vessels, was launched in September 2009 when the government issued a Solicitation of Interest and Qualification to identify qualified designers. Although construction was originally scheduled to proceed immediately following the Offshore Fisheries Science Vessel project, construction of this vessel is now taking place between the construction of the two Protecteur-class joint support ships at the Seaspan Yard. In February 2021, a $453.8 million contract was awarded to Seaspan yards to begin construction on the vessel. The full costs, however, were reported to be nearly $1 billion, a figure attracting considerable criticism. In late 2023, it was reported that the cost had increased by a further $280 million. The first steel was cut on the new ship in March 2021 with an envisaged completion date of 2024. However, that projected in-service date subsequently slipped to 2025. In November 2022, it was reported that the ship's keel had been formally laid down. The vessel was named and she was launched in August 2024 and began her sea trials in June 2025.

Polar Class Icebreaker Project

The February 2008 federal budget designated $720 million for the Polar Class Icebreaker Project to replace in FY 2017. In August 2008 the name for this project's sole vessel was announced as CCGS John G. Diefenbaker. This vessel was originally scheduled to start construction at the Seaspan ULC yard in Vancouver in sequence after two new joint support ships were built for the Royal Canadian Navy. However, ongoing delays with the JSS and other projects resulted in the reallocation of this vessel to another yard in 2019 with an uncertain build timeframe. In February 2020, the federal government requested that all interested Canadian shipyards to outline their capacity to potentially construct the polar icebreaker with the objective of securing service entry by December 2029. In May 2021, the Government announced that two polar icebreakers — and — would be built instead, one at Seaspan and the other at Davie. The service entry for the first of these two icebreakers was then projected as being in 2030. In 2021, the Parliamentary Budget Officer estimated the lifetime cost of building two vessels at $7.25 billion. By 2024, that estimate had increased to $8.5 billion. The construction of the first vessel began at Seaspan on 3 April 2025. As of March 2025, the combined value of the contracts awarded to Davie and Seaspan is $7.53 billion.

Inshore Fisheries Science Vessel Project

The 2009 federal budget announced $175 million in funding for, among other things an Inshore Fisheries Science Vessel Project which will procure three new Inshore Fisheries Science Vessels. Two vessels are to be based in Quebec region, while a third vessel will be based in Maritime region. In June 2009, the government awarded a contract to Robert Allan Ltd. of Vancouver, British Columbia to design the vessels. The vessels are CCGS Vladykov, CCGS M. Perley and CCGS Leim. In June 2012, the first vessel, CCGS Vladykov, which had been built at Meridien Maritime in Matane, Quebec, arrived at its homeport of St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador. CCGS M. Perley and CCGS Leim also entered service in 2012. M. Perley is homeported at Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, while Leim is homeported at Sorel-Tracy, Quebec.

Medium icebreakers

In 2019, the federal government indicated that a third shipyard would be added to the National Shipbuilding Strategy and that the construction of six medium icebreakers, to replace the Coast Guard's existing and aging icebreaker fleet, would be undertaken. A competition was undertaken to select the third yard with the envisaged construction of the icebreakers to proceed starting in the 2020s. In December 2019, it was announced that only the Davie Shipyard had qualified to build the envisaged icebreakers for the CCG. An umbrella agreement was planned to be negotiated between Davie and the Government of Canada by the end of 2020. In May 2021 the Government announced that the envisaged umbrella agreement with Davie was now anticipated at the end of 2021, one year later than originally planned. As of the end of 2021, further progress on the conclusion of the umbrella agreement had not yet been reported. In June 2022 the Government again indicated that negotiations had been initiated to conclude an agreement by the end of the year. The agreement to incorporate Davie as a third shipyard within the NSS was finally signed in April 2023 permitting negotiations for the future construction of the icebreakers to begin. In March 2024, Davie was awarded its first contract for the design of the new vessels.

Multi-purpose icebreakers

Up to 16 Multi Purpose Vessels are now scheduled to be built at the Seaspan yard after the second of the two joint support ships are completed. This project is a new addition to the National Shipbuilding Strategy which is designed to provide greater stability to the build program at Seaspan. The MTIs will supersede originally envisaged Offshore Patrol Vessels and Multi-Role High-Endurance Vessels that originally had been planned to be built in two blocks of up to five ships each. Instead up to 16 new vessels will be built which are envisaged as performing multiple roles for the Coast Guard by replacing several existing Coast Guard fleets. Construction work on this project is scheduled to begin at the Seaspan yard in the mid-2020s as work on the second of the two joint support ships winds down. In February 2024, a pre-construction design contract was awarded to Vancouver Shipyard for the project. Delivery of the first vessel was anticipated in 2030. The Functional Design Review for the first flight of six ships was said to have been completed in the summer of 2025. The ships are to displace more than 8,500 tonnes, be 100 metres in length and be able to accommodate up to 50 personnel. As Polar-4 class icebreakers, they are to be able to break 1 metre of ice continuously.

Arctic Offshore Patrol Ships

Two Arctic Offshore Patrol Ships are planned for the Coast Guard utilizing the same design as the vessels currently being constructed for the Royal Canadian Navy. As of 2020, construction of these Coast Guard variants of the AOPS design was scheduled to begin at the Irving Yard in Halifax in 2022 and 2023, coming at the tail end of AOPS production for the RCN. In 2022 it was reported that the two vessels were expected to be delivered in 2026 and 2027 respectively and that the cost would be significantly greater than originally anticipated, totalling about $1.5 billion for two ships. In January 2023, it was announced that the vessels had been ordered and that work on them would begin in the course of 2023. In early 2023, it was also reported that the projected costs for the two Coast Guard ships had increased by an additional $100 million. Steel was cut on the first Coast Guard variant in August 2023, starting construction while the second ship began construction in June 2024.

Miscellaneous vessels and repair of existing vessels

The funding announced in Budget 2009 also provided for the procurement of 98 small boats and barges for the CCG, as well as the life extension or repair of 40 of its larger vessels.

Light and medium-lift helicopters

On August 20, 2012, the Government of Canada announced a procurement of 24 new helicopters to replace the existing fleet with delivery in 2017. Of these helicopters, two could eventually be assigned to the new Polar-class icebreakers if and when those vessels enter service. The Canadian Government announced it will buy 15 Bell 429 helicopters to satisfy the requirement for light helicopters. The contracts for both the light helicopters and the medium-lift helicopters were signed in 2014–2015, with the seven Bell 412 EPI ordered to fulfill the medium-lift helicopter role in April 2015. Deliveries of the Bell 429 began in March 2015 and all aircraft were delivered by March 2016. Delivery of the Bell 412 EPI was completed in March 2017.

Second-hand vessels

The CCG acquired the Romanian-built commercial tug icebreaker Mangystau-2 in November 2021 from New Brunswick-based Atlantic Towing. The ship traveled from the Caspian Sea in Turkmenistan to CCG Base Prescott where it was converted into a light icebreaker by 2022. In October 2022, it was reported that the ship will be named CCGS Judy LaMarsh, and be ready for the 2022–2023 icebreaking season.