The Canadian government will build two new Arctic and offshore patrol ships for the Coast Guard, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced today.

These ships will be built by Irving Shipbuilding in Halifax, reports Nunatsiaq News.

Six similar ships are currently being built for the Royal Canadian Navy.

These 130-metre vessels are meant to work in the North during the navigable season, roughly from July to October, and can travel in medium first-year ice up to a metre thick.

The first of these vessels to be completed is the HMCS Harry DeWolf, which launched in September.