List of current ships of the Royal Canadian Navy

The Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) is tasked to provide maritime security along the Pacific, Atlantic and Arctic coasts of Canada, exercise Canada's sovereignty over the Arctic archipelago, and support Canada's multi-national and bilateral interests overseas. It comprises the Pacific Fleet at Canadian Forces Base (CFB) Esquimalt, and the Atlantic Fleet at CFB Halifax. Officially, CFB Esquimalt is on Vancouver Island, in British Columbia, and is home to 15 vessels and 6,000 staff, the headquarters for Maritime Forces Pacific, His Majesty's Canadian (HMC) Dockyard Esquimalt, Fleet Maintenance Facility – Cape Breton (FMF-CB), Fire Fighting and Damage Control School, the Naval Officer Training Centre (NOTC Venture), and extensive housing. CFB Halifax is home port for the 18 vessels of the Canadian Atlantic Fleet and situated in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Officially, CFB Halifax employs 7,000 civilians and military staff, and hosts the Canadian Atlantic Fleet headquarters, HMC Dockyard Halifax, FMF Cape Scott, extensive maritime research facilities, an ammunition depot, and the four maritime squadrons of the Royal Canadian Air Force that deploy helicopters aboard ships. The Canadian Armed Forces are currently constructing a new naval facility at Nanisivik, Baffin Island, to provide a summer port for RCN patrols in the Canadian Arctic.

The "effective strength" of the RCN is somewhat lower than official numbers would suggest due to serious personnel shortages. In late 2023, the commander of the RCN, Vice-Admiral Angus Topshee, reported that only 6,226 naval personnel could be considered part of the "effective strength" of the RCN, making numerous ships in the RCN inactive due to both crew shortages and broader operational readiness issues. In late 2025, Vice-Admiral Topshee stated that the Navy's personnel problem had not been solved and remained dire, while the Auditor General of Canada reported deeper systemic problems with Canadian military recruitment. In early 2026, Rear Admiral David Patchell, the commander of Canadian naval forces in the Pacific, reported that the navy was short about 2,000 personnel, or about one-quarter of its authorized strength including a shortage of about 1,000 naval technicians. In early 2024 it was reported that 54 percent of the navy's frigates, submarines, arctic and offshore patrol ships, and maritime coastal defence vessels were considered "unserviceable".

With the loss of area air defence capabilities in 2015 (and, temporarily, at-sea replenishment capabilities), the RCN was, at that time, classified as a Rank 5 navy (offshore regional coastal defence) on the Todd-Lindberg navy classification system, dropping from Rank 3 (multiregional power projection). Commissioned vessels are designated as 'His Majesty's Canadian Ship' (HMCS), minor ships as 'Patrol Craft Training' (PCT) and auxiliaries as 'Canadian Forces Auxiliary Vessel' (CFAV).