Kingston class coastal defense vessels HMCS Nanaimo (MM 702) & HMCS Whitehorse (MM 705)

The Kingston-class consists of 12 coastal defense vessels operated by the Canadian Forces Maritime Command.

The class is the name for the Maritime Coastal Defense Vessel Project (MCDV). These multi-role vessels were built and launched from the mid- to late-1990s and are crewed entirely by members of the Naval Reserve, with the exception of two regular-force technicians per crew.[1] Their main missions are coastal surveillance, sovereignty patrol, route survey and training. They were designed with a minesweeping role in mind and are consequently classified as Mechanical Minesweepers (MM), however this role has diminished as a result of the evolving nature of mine warfare. The possibility of acquiring the gear necessary to undertake a more appropriate mine hunting role continues to be examined.