HMCS St. John's

There has been only one vessel named HMCS St. John’s in the Royal Canadian Navy.

HMCS St. John’s (340)

The Halifax Class patrol frigate HMCS St. John’s was floated up on August 26, 1995 and commissioned in her namesake city in Newfoundland on June 24, 1996.

She joined the Standing Naval Force Atlantic (North Atlantic Treaty Organization: NATO) on August 7, 1997, at Norfolk, Virginia, returning home on December 18. She took part in NATO Exercise STRONG RESOLVE in Norwegian waters in the early spring of 1998, and that fall joined Standing Naval Force Mediterranean (SNFM), returning to Halifax, Nova Scotia, on December 15. On March 23, 1999, HMCS St. John’s and 3 consorts sailed south for a month’s training. The following spring found her in the Caribbean area yet again, making courtesy visits and taking part in the international Exercise UNITAS.

She sailed on May 1, 2002, to join in Operation APOLLO in support of the United States-led coalition in the war against terrorism. In 2004, she conducted various fisheries patrols as well as participating in a covert operation with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police to intercept drug smugglers; 500 kg of uncut cocaine were seized. In November 2004, HMCS St. John’s was awarded NATO’s “CLEAN SWEEP AWARD” following a live firing operation in which she successfully fired 2 missiles against high-speed aerial targets. It was the sixth time this honour was awarded and the first time for a nation other than the United States. In 2005, she was busy with a variety of international exercises, from simulated evacuations of civilians to anti-submarine warfare. In June, she conducted an interdiction operation along with other government agencies and 6 tons of hashish was seized.

HMCS St. John’s continues to deploy in support of Canada’s international and domestic policies. As well, the ship has a very close relationship with her namesake city and with the Province of Newfoundland.

• Builder: Saint John Dry Dock and Shipbuilding Co. Ltd., Saint John, New Brunswick
• Date commissioned: June 24, 1996
• Displacement: 4826.2 tonnes
• Dimensions: 134.8 m x 16.5 m x 4.9 m
• Speed: 29 knots
• Crew: 185 in peace, 225 for wartime
• Armament: one 57-mm gun, one 20-mm Phalanx gun, six 12.7-mm machines-guns, sixteen Sea Sparrow missiles, eight Harpoon missiles, four 533-mm torpedo tubes and one helicopter

Motto: “Avancez” (Advance)