Canada has entered a major milestone in its national shipbuilding strategy and marine science sector with the official commissioning of its largest oceanographic research vessel, CCGS Naalak Nappaaluk.
The modern research ship was built at the Vancouver shipyard at a cost of 1.4 billion Canadian dollars (approximately 1 billion US dollars). Measuring 88 meters in length, the vessel is based in the port of Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, and is designed for large-scale scientific missions in the Atlantic and Arctic Oceans.
The ship is equipped with a modular working deck for mission-specific configurations, ocean sampling facilities, specialized laboratories, seismic compressors, and advanced sonar systems for deep-sea data collection.
In addition to scientific work, it is capable of carrying out search and rescue and environmental response operations. The vessel can accommodate 34 crew members and 26 scientists.
Named after Inuit elder Naalak Nappaaluk, the ship is capable of operating continuously at sea for up to 10 weeks and replaces the 60-year-old CCGS Hudson, which was retired in 2022. It is expected to serve as Canada’s primary eastern coastal research platform for at least the next 30 years.
