HMCS St. John’s sails for Operation Reassurance

By Lookout on Jan 25, 2017 with Comments 0

HMCS St. John’s sails out of Halifax Harbour on the morning of Jan. 9 to begin an extended deployment to the Mediterranean in support of Operation Reassurance (Photo LS Peter Frew/FIS Halifax). A member of the Maritime Tactical Operations Group repels off HMCS St. John’s as the ship transits across the Atlantic Ocean to participate in Operation Reassurance (Photo by LS Ogle Henry, Formation Imaging Services).

Ryan Melanson, Trident ~

After months of preparation, HMCS St. John’s and crew departed Halifax Jan. 9, the first Royal Canadian Navy ship to deploy in the new year.

It will join NATO partners as part of Canada’s continuing contribution to Operation Reassurance.

The newly modernized Halifax-Class Frigate replaces HMCS Charlottetown as the navy’s representative with NATO Standing Maritime Group 2, a mission focused on enhancing regional security and stability in the Mediterranean.

Despite frigid weather, which many people remarked was colder than any departure or arrival ceremony they could remember, hundreds of family members and loved ones of the crew were on hand to watch the ship sail through the sea smoke out into the harbour.

Cdr Sheldon Gillis, the ship’s Commanding Officer, spoke to media shortly before departing, expressing confidence in his crew and the job they’ve done through the workups program. Speaking on the mission of Op Reassurance, Cdr Gillis said the deterrence measures in Central and Eastern Europe are an important part of demonstrating NATO resolve against aggression in the region, and that the Canadian Armed Forces plays an important role.

“As a NATO ally, it’s important for Canada to demonstrate our resolve and our partnership with other NATO countries. We will be demonstrating some of the interoperability of maritime assets, working closely with many of our partners.”

The frigate is expected back in Halifax in the late summer or early fall.

“We’ll be deployed for as long as the Government of Canada needs to us to be, and we’ll be happy to get home to Halifax when that time comes,” Cdr Gillis said.