The commander of the Royal Canadian Navy is considering the feasibility of an ice-capable amphibious landing ship to improve troop and equipment transport in the Arctic and potentially other regions.
Ice-Capable Landing Ship Under Consideration
Vice-Admiral Angus Topshee has described the concept as a “conceptual thing” and a “thought exercise,” part of broader planning as the navy anticipates increased funding and expanded ambitions. Preliminary discussions have taken place between naval planners and Davie Shipyard in Lévis, Que., and Seaspan in Vancouver, both of which are currently building the Canadian Coast Guard’s new icebreaker fleet.
Both shipyards have presented ideas that could be adapted to create an all-Canadian designed-and-built landing ship for operations in the Far North. “We talked to a couple of our shipbuilders, and they’ve said that theoretically a Polar Class 2 amphibious ship would be possible,” Topshee said. The key benefit of such a ship would be its ability to deliver capabilities from sea to shore without relying on established port infrastructure, a significant advantage in the Arctic.
Such a ship would likely carry smaller landing craft, potentially hovercraft, and helicopters. While many of Canada’s allies operate similar ships, few are designed for northern environments.
New Funding Enables Broader Military Planning
A new defence policy is expected in 2026, following Prime Minister Mark Carney’s announcement in June that Canada would meet NATO’s spending target of two per cent of GDP. Canada is committed to spending up to five per cent of its gross domestic product – roughly $150 billion annually – on defence, including military spending and infrastructure, over the next 10 years, with a review planned for 2029.
This increased funding has allowed military leaders to explore options that were previously unattainable. Topshee has also advocated for a new class of corvettes, in addition to existing Arctic and offshore patrol vessels and the new River Class destroyers under construction in Halifax.
The potential ice-capable landing ship could be a significant step in demonstrating Canadian sovereignty in the Far North. “We’ve done a study of the North, [and] one of the things that becomes clear is that in North America, there’s only one year-round ice-free port, and that’s in Nuuk, Greenland,” Topshee said. He explained that the concept arose from considering how to provide assistance to a small Canadian community in distress in the High Arctic during February.
Amphibious Ships and National Security
The Canadian military has a history of improvising solutions, such as during the 2010 earthquake in Haiti, where relief troops were flown in but equipment had to be transported separately due to port damage. Being able to move and sustain troops and equipment has long been a challenge, often requiring reliance on allies or rented capabilities.
“To sustain an operation up in the North, we sort of realized that some form of Arctic mobile base probably made a lot of sense, and that is effectively what an amphibious ship is,” Topshee said.
Discussions about procuring an amphibious support ship in Canada have occurred for over 20 years, but have repeatedly faced political and financial obstacles. In 2015, then-defence minister Jason Kenney explored purchasing a French Mistral-class helicopter carrier, but negotiations were halted by the federal election, and the ship was subsequently sold to Egypt.
Other countries, such as Australia and Japan, are also increasing their focus on amphibious capabilities as part of their national security strategies. The United Kingdom is planning to replace its decommissioned amphibious warfare ships with Multi-Role Support Ships.
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