RCN Ships en route to JOINT WARRIOR and TRIDENT JUNCTUR

During the last week of September, HMCS Halifax left Norfolk Virginia, to meet up with HMCS Montreal and Athabaskan and USS William McLean and The Sullivans for the Trans-Atlantic voyage to the NATO led joint military exercises JOINT WARRIOR and TRIDENT JUNCTUR; refereed to as JOINTEX-15 in Canada.

HMCS Athabaskan, Montreal, and Halifax transit alongside the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS The Sullivans during Task Group Exercises on their way to participate in JOINT WARRIOR, a United Kingdom-led multinational cooperative training exercise designed to prepare NATO and allied forces for global operations.

Below is the press release from The Department of National Defence: 

The ships are currently transiting the North Atlantic Ocean and will be conducting Task Group Exercises (TGEX) in preparation for the upcoming multinational military exercises JOINT WARRIOR and TRIDENT JUNCTURE 15, which is also referred to as JOINTEX 15 in Canada.

TGEX plays an important role for Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) ships’ crews by providing interoperability training for embarked fleet staff. HMCS Halifax will be flagship for TGEX, using new equipment fitted during its modernization to support the embarked Commander and his staff.

“This is an exciting time for the Royal Canadian Navy,” said Commodore Craig Baines, Commander Canadian Fleet Atlantic and head of the Canadian-led task group. “Our modernized frigates are proving their worth and their capability not only to take part in, but also to take the lead during, international maritime exercises. Our sailors, and all Canadians, can be proud of our country’s continuing reputation for excellence at sea.”

Exercises JOINT WARRIOR and TRIDENT JUNCTURE 15 will take place in October and in November off the coast of the United Kingdom as well as of Portugal, Spain and Italy. They are two of the largest multinational military exercises to take place in recent years, with Exercise TRIDENT JUNCTURE 15 being the largest NATO exercise in more than a decade.

These exercises will provide a challenging and complex tactical learning environment, further demonstrating the agility and adaptability of the RCN, its efficiency and effectiveness in working with the Royal Canadian Air Force and Canadian Army, as well as its interoperability with allied navies and military assets from around the globe.