Arrived and reporting for duty!

HMCS REGINA

Cpl Guillaume Trembly performs some general maintenance on a CH-124 Sea King helicopter while deployed on HMCS Regina

On Aug. 22, Cdr Jason Boyd, Commanding Officer of HMCS Regina reported to Commodore Mukhtar Khan, Pakistani Navy, then Commander of Combined Task Force 150, that Regina had arrived into the area of operations and was ready to assume its duties.

This event marked the end of the Royal Canadian Navy frigate’s transit from Esquimalt, British Columbia, to the Arabian Sea, and the beginning of the work for which the ship was deployed to the Arabian Sea.

“The crew of HMCS Regina has been busy preparing for the last several months for this moment,” explained Cdr Boyd. “Through plenty of hard work and superb support from training and maintenance facilities ashore, both the ship and the sailors, soldiers, air force personnel that sail onboard are ready for any challenges that this operational deployment may bring.”  

Regina brings a distinguished mix of experience and innovation to the Arabian Sea. This deployment marks the third time the ship has been a member of the Combined Maritime Forces in the last decade.

For many of the crew, this is not their first time serving in this area of the globe.

PO2 Joe Dagenais, Regina’s Chief Quarter Master, says, “It is very important to have personnel onboard that have operational experience as there are going to be inevitably some unforeseen circumstances that are going to arise. It is during these times that our senior leaders will use their expertise to guide the more junior members of the ship’s company, so that they in turn can gather the necessary skills and operational experience to become the successful leaders themselves in future operations.”

One of the new technologies Regina brings on this mission is the Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Scan Eagle. This drone is manufactured by Boeing, and operated by members of the Canadian Army’s 4th Air Defence Regiment from CFB Gagetown, New Brunswick, and technicians from ING Engineering.

“The UAV brings an additional capability to Regina. It enables us to observe and identify vessels in our area of operations in order to gain a fuller appreciation of the maritime activities occurring around us,” explained Capt Ian Haliburton, Commander of Regina’s UAV Detachment. “However, Regina is the first ship from the Royal Canadian Navy’s Pacific fleet and second only to Charlottetown in the entire RCN to operate a UAV, so this brings new challenges. Serving onboard a warship is a new experience for myself, and the four soldiers that form the UAV detachment. We are learning about the challenges of life at sea and together with the sailors onboard we are learning how to most effectively operate the UAV in a maritime environment.”

Regina is currently operating the Arabian Sea, Gulf of Oman, Gulf of Aden, and the Indian Ocean as part of Operation Artemis.

Through its actions, Canada is contributing to maritime security and counter-terrorism operations.

Regina’s deployment clearly demonstrates Canada’s solidarity with partners and allies as we continue to work together for peace and security in the maritime environment of the greater Middle East region.  

The Esquimalt-based frigate is scheduled to return home in early 2013.

Lt Chris Walkinshaw, RCN Public Affairs Officer

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  1. Barbara says:

    EXCELLENT article!!!
    Our prayers and thoughts are with the Regina crew for a safe assignment.

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