Orca-class patrol vessel

Orca of the Royal Canadian Navy, January 2007
Class overview
NameOrca class
BuildersVictoria Shipyards, Esquimalt
OperatorsRoyal Canadian Navy
Preceded byYAG 300
Cost
  • CA$90.7 million (2004) (equivalent to CA$136.1 million in 2023) for 8 vessels
  • CA$11.3 million (2004) (equivalent to CA$17 million in 2023) per unit
BuiltNovember 2004 – October 2008
In service17 November 2006 – present
Completed8
Active8
General characteristics
TypeTraining tender and patrol boat
Displacement210 tonnes (207 Imperial tons)
Length33 m (108 ft)
Beam8.34 m (27.4 ft)
Draught2.6 m (8.5 ft)
Propulsion
  • 2 x Caterpillar 3516B diesel engines, 2,500 hp each at 1,600 rpm
  • 2 x ZF 7550A gearboxes
  • 2 x 1,400mm fixed pitch propellers
Speed20 knots (37 km/h; 23 mph) governed
Range660 nmi (1,220 km; 760 mi) at 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph)
Complement5 (minimum); 24 (maximum)
ArmamentNot armed. Foredeck is strengthened to accept a 12.7 mm M2 machine gun.
Notes
  • 1 x Zodiac SR2 rescue boat
  • 1 x Allied Systems D2500S deck crane

The Orca-class patrol vessels are a class of eight steel-hulled training and surveillance vessels in service with the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) at Patrol Craft Training Unit (PCTU) Canadian Forces Base (CFB) Esquimalt. Based on the Australian Pacific-class patrol boat design, all of the Orca vessels were constructed by Victoria Shipyards between November 2004 and November 2008. In addition to carrying the RCN designation of patrol craft training (PCT), the Orca class are not formally commissioned in the RCN and as such do not possess the His Majesty's Canadian Ship (HMCS) prefix.