HMCS Regina is a Halifax-class frigate that has been in service with the Canadian Forces and Royal Canadian Navy since 1993. She is the fifth vessel in her class, which was designed as a general-purpose warship with a focus on anti-submarine warfare, replacing older classes such as the St. Laurent and Restigouche. Regina is homeported at CFB Esquimalt and assigned to Maritime Forces Pacific (MARPAC). Constructed by Marine Industries in Sorel, Quebec, Regina was laid down on October 6, 1989, and launched on October 25, 1991. She was provisionally accepted in March 1994 and commissioned on September 30, 1994, with the hull classification symbol FFH 334. The vessel measures approximately 134.65 meters (441 ft 9 in) in length overall, with a beam of 16.36 meters (53 ft 8 in) and a draught of 4.98 meters (16 ft 4 in). Displacing around 4,750 long tons (4,830 t), Regina is propelled by a CODOG system combining two General Electric LM2500 gas turbines and one SEMT Pielstick diesel engine, allowing a maximum speed of 29 knots and a range of 7,000 nautical miles at 15 knots using diesel power. Her armament suite includes a 57 mm Bofors gun, Harpoon Block II surface-to-surface missiles, Sea Sparrow surface-to-air missiles, and a Phalanx CIWS for close-in defense. Regina also carries anti-submarine weaponry such as the Mark 46 torpedoes, launched from twin Mark 32 tubes, and deploys a CH-124 Sea King helicopter for extended anti-submarine operations. Electronic systems include advanced radars, sonar suites, decoy launchers, and electronic warfare equipment, all upgraded during her Halifax Class Modernization (HCM) and FELEX programs. Throughout her service, Regina has participated in numerous operational deployments, including exercises in Southeast Asia, the Persian Gulf, and the Indian Ocean. Notable events include her visit to Ho Chi Minh City in 1996, enforcement of sanctions in the Persian Gulf, operations off Somalia, and recent missions supporting NATO and UN sanctions. In 2019, she intercepted multiple vessels smuggling drugs and participated in international exercises such as RIMPAC, firing Harpoon missiles in a SINKEX. Regina also made a historic Arctic patrol in July 2024, marking her first voyage to the Bering Strait and engaging with Chinese research vessels in a professional encounter.

This description has been generated using GPT-4.1-NANO based on the Vessel's wikidata information and then modified by ShipIndex.org staff.