Canadian destroyer heads to Nova Scotia scrapyard

Royal Canadian Navy’s last Iroquois destroyer, HMCS Athabaskan, departed Halifax Harbour on March 29 for the final time, Maritime Forces Atlantic (MARLANT) said. 

Having been in service for more than 44 years, the ship will be scrapped at Cape Breton, Nova Scotia.

HMCS Athabaskan will be dismantled by Ontario-based Marine Recycling Corporation. In January, the company landed a CAD 5.7 million contract for the disposal of the vessel.

The Iroquois-class destroyers were a made-in-Canada solution to the defense and security challenges of the Cold War and post-Cold War era of the late 20th century.

The decommissioning is part of the fleet renewal efforts of the Royal Canadian Navy and the Canadian Coast Guard.

The Iroquois-class destroyers will be replaced by up to fifteen Canadian Surface Combatants. The delivery of the first vessel is expected in the mid-2020s.