HMCS Summerside (MM 711) is the twelfth and final vessel of the Kingston-class coastal defence ships constructed for the Royal Canadian Navy. Laid down on 28 March 1998 by Halifax Shipyards Ltd. in Nova Scotia and launched on 25 September 1998, she was commissioned on 18 July 1999 and based at CFB Halifax as part of Maritime Forces Atlantic. The vessel measures 55.3 meters (181 ft 5 in) in length overall, with a beam of 11.3 meters (37 ft 1 in) and a draught of 3.4 meters (11 ft 2 in). Displacing approximately 970 long tons (986 tonnes), Summerside is powered by four Wärtsilä UD 23V12 diesel engines coupled with four Jeumont alternators, generating a total of 7.2 megawatts (9,700 hp). Propulsion is provided by two LIPS Z-drive azimuth thrusters capable of 360° rotation, allowing a maximum speed of 15 knots and a range of 5,000 nautical miles at 8 knots. Designed for multi-mission roles including minesweeping, coastal patrol, and reserve training, Summerside can carry up to three 20-foot ISO containers for mission-specific payloads, such as survey, minesweeping, or bottom inspection modules. Her armament initially included a Bofors 40 mm/60 caliber Mk 5C gun and two M2 machine guns; however, the 40 mm gun was removed in 2014 as it was deemed obsolete. Throughout her service, Summerside participated in notable operations including Arctic exercises in 2002, NATO exercises like Joint Warrior and Trident Venture, and counter-narcotics operations in the Caribbean as part of Operation Caribbe in 2016. She was involved in intercepting a vessel carrying over 300 kg of cocaine off Nicaragua. The vessel also contributed to anti-piracy and illegal fishing missions off West Africa in 2017, and participated in international exercises such as Obangame Express in Nigeria and Trident Juncture in 2018. In 2022, Summerside supported NATO operations in Europe, detecting and safely detonating World War II-era naval mines. Her final deployments included mine-clearing operations in the North Atlantic and Baltic Sea in 2023. The vessel was decommissioned on 3 October 2025, marking the end of her nearly 26-year service in the Canadian Navy.

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