Asterix returns after 500 days at sea

MV Asterix arrived back in Halifax Aug. 26 after more than 500 days away supporting the Royal Canadian Navy in various exercises and operations. Photo by Mona Ghiz, MARLANT PA

Trident Newspaper ~

After nearly a year and a half at sea supporting Royal Canadian Navy ships and allies around the world, MV Asterix arrived back at its homeport of Halifax on Aug. 26.

The interim supply ship, owned and operated by Davie Shipbuilding subsidiary Federal Fleet Services, left Halifax in April 2018 and kept a busy schedule that included involvement in exercise RIMPAC 2018 off Hawaii, Operation Projection and Operation Neon in the Asia-Pacific, and support for Operation Artemis and CTF 150 in Middle Eastern waters.

In total, the vessel conducted 197 refueling operations with 40 warships from 12 countries throughout the 500-day deployment, transferring nearly 31 million litres of fuel. Asterix sailed a total of 150,721 nautical miles, and conducted exercises, operations, and port visits throughout the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Ocean, the Caribbean, South China Sea, Arabian Sea, and the Persian Gulf.

These taskings were all carried out with a mixed crew of civilian mariners and Royal Canadian Navy sailors from Naval Replenishment Unit (NRU) Asterix, led by Commanding Officer LCdr Trent Nichols, with crews rotating out partway through the deployment to allow the ship to remain at sea.

Asterix spent two weeks tied up at HMC Dockyard before sailing again to support RCN warships and NATO allies as part of Cutlass Fury 19. The ship is then expected to return to Davie Shipbuilding in Quebec for maintenance.