The HMCS Warrior (R C03) is a Royal Canadian Navy Improved Implacable-class supercarrier. The ship was launched in 1974 and undertook her maiden voyage in 1976.
Warrior has been a part of RCN Pacific Command since she was launched.
Warrior's replacement is going to be the HMCS Enterprise (NR C06), Canada's first entirely indigenously designed and built aircraft carrier.
History[]
Construction and Commissioning[]
HMCS Warrior (R C03) was laid down at Saint John Shipbuilding in Saint John, New Brunswick on February 20th, 1970. It would be launched on August 26th, 1974. Warrior was commissioned on November 11th, 1975.
1970s[]
Warrior left for its first deployment on February 17th, 1976, along with three destroyers, two frigates, a sub and an supply ship, bound for RCNB Esquimalt where it would be based.
1980s[]
Between February and October 1983, Warrior was in Halifax for a refit to its flight to improve launch and recovery operations.
On April 24th 1984 Warrior along with destroyers Haida and Inuit, destroyer escorts Annapolis and Qu'Appelle, and submarine Lake Athabasca departed Halifax for Scapa Flow stopping at Reykjavík, A Coruña, Brest, Dublin, Liverpool, and Belfast along the way.
On December 24th 1984, Warrior sailed from Halifax, Nova Scotia, to Esquimalt, British Columbia arriving on February 8th 1985 making port stops at Norfolk, Miami, San Juan, Santo Domingo, Rio de Janeiro, Buenos Aires, Port Stanley, Valparaíso, Lima, Acapulco, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Seattle along the way. The numerous stops are more for PR and show-the-flag purposes than anything else, but its a successful tour.
On June 17th 1985, Warrior putson yet more mileage departing from Esquimalt for East Asia. After making a stop at Tarawa in the Gilbert and Ellice Islands, Warrior and her battlegroup arrived in Sydney, Australia, on July 7th. After exercises, the group sailed to Singapore, Hong Kong and Subic Bay before making West Tokyo on July 24th. Six days later, the big carrier headed for home, arriving in British Columbia on August 15th.
In 1987, HMCS Warrior went into dry-dock once again, this time to be fitted with new electronic systems and decoys, being fitted with the Raytheon-Marconi Type 1032 electronic warfare system, and the addition of anechoic tiles and a synthetic hull coating, designed to reduce noise and eliminate corrosion.
Warrior would spend the first part of 1989 taken up by a refit that gave it upgraded electrical generators and a new electrical distribution system that allowed greater control of power movement. Fitted as such and with its escorts in tow, Warrior left Halifax on August 9th, for an Allied Pact exercise in the Caribbean. Eagle arrived at Kingston, Jamaica, on August 18th and was visited by the Jamaican Premier along with other dignitaries, before sailing out to begin the exercise on the evening of August 19th.
1990s[]
In early 1995, Warrior and Magnificent would travel to West Japan to assist in relief effort after the Great Hanshin earthquake on January 17th 1995.
2000s[]
2010s[]
Warrior was decommissioned on November 25th, 2016 and her crew transferred to new carrier HMCS Enterprise (NR C06).