Pacific Fleet Warship begins operations in the Asia-Pacific

News Release

Pacific Fleet Warship begins operations in the Asia-Pacific

August 18, 2016 – Esquimalt, British Columbia – National Defence / Canadian Armed Forces

Her Majesty’s Canadian Ship (HMCS) Vancouver departed Pearl Harbour today to conduct operations in the Asia-Pacific region following success at Exercise Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC). Activities will include participating in Exercise KAKADU, a joint, biennial exercise hosted by the Royal Australian Navy, and WESTPLOY 16, a deployment aimed at building strong ties between the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) and the navies of Asia-Pacific countries, while also promoting peace and security in the region.

This deployment will allow HMCS Vancouver, with an embarked CH-124 Sea King air detachment, to test and evolve the warfighting capabilities of the Halifax-class warships after upgrades to equipment that were made as part of the Halifax-Class Modernization/Frigate Life Extension project. During Exercise KAKADU, HMCS Vancouver will showcase advanced surface gunnery capabilities designed to better protect sailors and warships operating in littoral waters.

Operations in the Asia-Pacific region are crucial in establishing and developing the RCN’s relationships with like-minded nations.  HMCS Vancouver’s deployment underlines the strategic importance of the Asia-Pacific region, of increasing international interest in the area, and the opportunities to operate alongside partner navies.

QUOTE

“HMCS Vancouver made us proud during RIMPAC and as it carries on conducting operations in the Pacific, its crew will foster increased relations and inter-operability among nations including Australia, Indonesia, Vietnam and New Zealand. Throughout this deployment, it will serve as an excellent ambassador for Canada by showcasing both the professionalism of the Royal Canadian Navy personnel as well as demonstrating the enhanced capabilities of our Post-Halifax-Class-Modernization Warships while conducting realistic and essential training for more than 200 sailors.”
– Commodore Jeff Zwick, Commander Canadian Fleet Pacific

QUICK FACTS

• Exercise KAKADU aims to build and strengthen mutual understanding and interoperability through a series of graduated training activities.
• A total of 20 nations will participate in Exercise KAKADU, including Australia, Brunei, Canada, Fiji, France, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Republic of Korea, Singapore, Thailand, Timor Leste, Tonga, United States of America and Vietnam.
• Following Exercise KAKADU, HMCS Vancouver will embark on exercises for WESTPLOY 16, which will further allow the warship to engage in a variety of training opportunities with foreign navies as well as visiting several countries in the Asia-Pacific region. WESTPLOY 16 provides a unique opportunity that allows the RCN to foster and sustain cooperative relationships that are critical to ensuring the safety of sea lanes and security on the world’s oceans.
• RIMPAC is the world’s largest international maritime exercise, with twenty-six nations, more than 40 ships and submarines, more than 200 aircraft and 25,000 personnel participated in this year’s RIMPAC from June 30 to August 4, in and around the Hawaiian Islands and Southern California.
• The Halifax-class Modernization/Frigate Life Extension project is providing state-of-the-art upgrades, allowing Canada’s fleet of 12 Halifax-class frigates to meet 21st century threats. The modernization of this fleet includes a new Combat Management System procured from Lockheed Martin Canada, as well as new radar capability, a new electronic warfare system, and upgraded communications technologies and missiles. The modernized frigates also boast new systems that offer better damage control, as well as more modern electrical and machinery control.
• The RCN remains very active internationally by conducting maritime security operations including intercepting narcotics shipments in the Caribbean and conducting counter-terrorism patrols in the Arabian Sea. Operation CARIBBE and Operation REASURRANCE are examples of how the RCN protects Canada’s interests on the international stage.

PO1 Shawn Steunenberg takes a final glance at Pearl Harbor as HMCS Vancouver sets sail towards Guam for WestPloy on Aug. 18. Photo by LS Sergej Krivenko, HMCS Vancouver