Advancing the Royal Canadian Navy’s Future Fleet with New Naval Large Tugs
Press Release + Noah Note
February 27, 2026 – Halifax, Nova Scotia – National Defence / Canadian Armed Forces
Today, on behalf of the Minister of National Defence, the Honourable David J. McGuinty, the Honourable Lena Metlege Diab, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, visited Canadian Forces Base (CFB) Halifax to highlight ongoing efforts to support the future fleet of the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN).
In January 2026, the Department of National Defence accepted a third Naval Large Tug, Canadian Forces Auxiliary Vessel (CFAV) Canso, after it successfully sailed in 2025 from the shipyard at Ocean Industries Inc, Îsle-aux-Coudres, Quebec, to Halifax, Nova Scotia, a journey of more than 1,000 nautical miles. Ownership of CFAV Canso will transfer to the Royal Canadian Navy once the crew has completed training, anticipated for March 2026.
CFAV Canso is the first Naval Large Tug to be delivered to the East Coast, with a second Naval Large Tug, Stella Maris, scheduled to arrive in November 2026. In August 2024, CFAVs Haro and Barkerville were delivered to the RCN in Esquimalt, British Columbia, on the West Coast.
Naval Large Tugs provide essential harbour and coastal support to the RCN, including harbour-berthing, coastal towing, and harbour firefighting. As the RCN continues to modernize, build and expand its fleet—with the Harry DeWolf-class Arctic and Offshore Patrol Vessels, Protecteur-class Auxiliary Oiler Replenishment vessels and River-class destroyers—the demand for harbour support services will increase.
In preparation for the RCN’s growing operational requirements, the Government of Canada amended the contract with Oceans Industries Inc., in December 2025, increasing the value by $81 million (including tax)—for a total contract value of $213.45 million—to deliver two additional Naval Large Tugs. Building the additional tugs through the same shipyard will leverage existing capacity and capabilities to create efficiencies that streamline production and accelerate delivery of the auxiliary vessels to the RCN.
Keeping with the naming tradition for Naval Large Tugs in the RCN, the two additional tugs are also named after straits:
CFAV Sansum is named after Sansum Narrows in British Columbia, out of respect of the coastal area where the tug will serve.
CFAV Belle Isle is named after the Strait of Belle Isle, which lies between Newfoundland and Labrador, an area of historical significance for navigation in the Atlantic.
Naming Naval Large Tugs after straits commemorates the symbolic similarities in function between waterways and tugs, with both providing safe maritime passage and manoeuvrability.
Once all six tugs are in operation, the RCN will be equipped with three tugs on the East Coast and three tugs on the West Coast, providing a redundancy of vessels to compensate for capability gaps during maintenance or repairs and, ultimately, strengthening overall fleet readiness. Expanding the scope of the project will also help sustain between 40 and 60 Canadian jobs at the shipyard while supporting the Naval Large Tug project.
Quotes
“The strength of our naval fleet is not defined by its largest warships alone. The security of our oceans depends on the steadfast contribution of every vessel that keeps our fleet moving and our sailors safe. Our Naval Large Tugs are fundamental to that mission—guiding ships through narrow waterways, ensuring safe passage home, and supporting our sailors as they head out on deployment.”
The Honourable David J. McGuinty, Minister of National Defence
“On behalf of the Minister of National Defence, I would like to extend my sincere appreciation for the work of our dependable defence industry, our innovative engineers, our dedicated technicians, and our professional crew for their seamless collaboration in materializing the Royal Canadian Navy’s future fleet and helping strengthen our maritime capabilities.”
The Honourable Lena Metlege Diab, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship
“Built under the National Shipbuilding Strategy, the Naval Large Tugs are an important investment to support the navy’s future capabilities and Canada’s marine industry. With today’s acceptance into the fleet of Canadian Forces Auxiliary Vessel Canso and the announcement of two additional tugs to be built, bringing the total to six, we’re making sure our sailors have the advanced and reliable vessels they need to protect Canada’s interests at home and abroad for decades to come.”
The Honourable Stephen Fuhr, Secretary of State (Defence Procurement)
“As the Royal Canadian Navy welcomes another new Naval Large Tug into the fleet, I would like to congratulate the team at Ocean Industries Inc. for its hard work and dedication to this important project. The Government will continue to work with Canadian shipyards to provide the navy with modern ships while generating economic benefits for Canada.”
The Honourable Joël Lightbound, Minister of Government Transformation, Public Works and Procurement
“The arrival of Canadian Forces Auxiliary Vessel (CFAV) Canso strengthens Maritime Forces Atlantic’s ability to safely support naval operations on the East Coast. Naval Large Tugs are essential to fleet readiness, enabling warships to manoeuvre safely in harbour and operate effectively. As the Royal Canadian Navy modernizes its fleet, reliable harbour and towing support becomes increasingly critical. Though operating behind the scenes, CFAV Canso will play a vital role in sustaining operations and supporting the RCN’s long-term mission in the Atlantic.”
Rear-Admiral Josée Kurtz, Commander Maritime Forces Atlantic and Commander Joint Task Force Atlantic
Quick facts
The RCN is receiving six Naval Large Tugs to replace the capabilities of the five Glen-class tugs and two Fire-class fireboats that are reaching the end of their service life.
Each Naval Large Tug is 24 metres long and 11 metres wide and can accommodate a crew of six members.
The Naval Large Tugs are named after straits that are significant in Canadian maritime history as well as notable tugs that perished in service
Noah Note: A dear friend reminded me the other day that Naval Large Tugs is not an official classification. Something I myself forget to add at times, the proper designation for these tugs would be Tug, Harbour, Large' (YTB). A fun fact for all of you in differentiating project and proper classification designations!
I am glad they saw the wisdom in having 2 more tugs, they may also want to look at a couple of small tugs as well for each coast.