Canadian Armed Forces add new naval large tug as fleet modernization continues

The federal government says new naval large tugs are helping support the future operations of the Royal Canadian Navy as it modernizes and expands its fleet.

The Department of National Defence accepted a third naval large tug in January, the Canadian Forces Auxiliary Vessel Canso. The vessel sailed more than 1,000 nautical miles in 2025 from a shipyard in Île-aux-Coudres, Que., to Halifax.

Ownership of the vessel is expected to transfer to the Royal Canadian Navy once crew training is completed, which is anticipated in March.

Canso is the first naval large tug delivered for use on the East Coast. Another vessel, Stella Maris, is scheduled to arrive in Halifax in November. Two other tugs — Haro and Barkerville — were delivered to the navy in Esquimalt, B.C., in August 2024.

Naval large tugs provide harbour and coastal support to the navy, including berthing assistance, coastal towing and harbour firefighting.

The federal government also announced it amended its contract with Ocean Industries Inc. in December 2025, increasing the value by $81 million to a total of $213.45 million to build two additional vessels.

Officials say building the extra tugs at the same shipyard is expected to improve efficiency and speed up delivery.

The two additional vessels will be named Sansum, after Sansum Narrows in British Columbia, and Belle Isle, after the Strait of Belle Isle between Newfoundland and Labrador.

Once all six vessels are in service, the navy will operate three on the East Coast and three on the West Coast, providing backup capacity during maintenance periods and supporting fleet readiness.

The expanded project is also expected to support between 40 and 60 jobs at the shipyard involved in building the vessels.