RCAF CP-140 Aurora Will Track Russian Aircraft Carrier

By: Tim Ripley, London - IHS Jane's Defence Weekly

Russia's only aircraft carrier, Admiral Kuznetsov, and a supporting naval task group has set sail for the Mediterranean, state-owned news agency TASS has reported.

"The group consists of the aircraft-carrying heavy cruiser Admiral Kuznetsov , the battlecruiser Pyotr Velikiy , large anti-submarine ships Severomorsk and Vice Admiral Kulakov and support vessels," according to a statement from the Russian Northern Fleet on 15 October, reported by TASS later that day.

The mission of the deployment is "to ensure naval presence in the important areas of the World Ocean", said the Northern Fleet statement. "Special focus will be made on safeguarding security of maritime traffic and other types of maritime economic activity of Russia and also on responding to the new kinds of modern threats such as piracy and international terrorism."

NATO has been developing plans to monitor the progress of Admiral Kuznetsov and its battlegroup as they transit through the North Atlantic and into the Mediterranean. Many of the alliance's naval and air assets participating in Exercise 'Joint Warrior' off the west coast of Scotland are expected to be drawn upon for the surveillance operation, including Royal Canadian Air Force CP-140 Aurora and US Navy Boeing P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft temporarily deployed to RAF Lossiemouth in Scotland.

UK assets on call for the surveillance operation include a Type 23 frigate and a Type 45 destroyer to shadow the Russian ships, a senior UK military official has told IHS Jane's . Royal Air Force aircraft are also being prepared for the operation. These include a Boeing RC-135 Rivet Joint electronic eavesdropping aircraft, a Lockheed Martin C-130J Hercules transport being used in the surface surveillance role and Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft to shadow any Sukhoi Su-33 or Mikoyan MiG-29K naval strike fighters launched from the Russian carriers.

A UK Royal Navy spokesperson told IHS Jane's on 15 October, "UK and NATO assets routinely monitor warships from other nations when they enter our area of interest and this will be no different."

HMCS Halifax and Irish Coast Guard Evac RCN Sailor

By Lieutenant (Navy) Kelly Boyden

Irish Coast Guard Helicopter while Medically Evacuating a member of the RCN

News Release: November 19, 2015.

Her Majesty’s Canadian Ship (HMCS) Halifax joined forces with the Irish Coast Guard to airlift an injured sailor to a nearby hospital on October 15, 2015, while at sea in the North Atlantic.
HMCS Halifax put out a call to the Irish Coast Guard after a sailor suffered an upper body injury while training on board the ship. The ship’s medical staff immediately tended to the sailor but deemed the injury required care best offered at a nearby hospital.

An Irish Coast Guard helicopter crew quickly responded to the call and lowered a rescue worker and a stretcher to the ship. Together with HMCS Halifax medical staff, the sailor was secured in the stretcher, raised into the helicopter, and taken to a nearby hospital in the Dublin area. The sailor was released from hospital later in the day, and returned to Halifax, Nova Scotia, the following day, where he is expected to make a full recovery.

Meanwhile, for HMCS Halifax and the Irish Coast Guard, the incident provided a great example of Canadian and Irish interoperability in action.

This interoperability has been fostered in recent years through a program known as Regulus, which facilitates exchanges with partner navies from around the world. This past summer, Rear-Admiral John Newton, Commander of Maritime Forces Atlantic, was in Cork, Ireland, to meet with Irish Navy officials regarding the program. Since 2010, the program has seen over 150 Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) members serve with foreign navies, including the Irish Naval Service, and aboard warships, research vessels, and coast guard cutters.

The program provides RCN participants with real-world operational experience, and a greater understanding of life in a foreign culture. In turn, the RCN sends training teams to other nations’ naval schools and accepts their members into technical and operational courses in Canada. The aim is to promote greater relationships and overall interoperability between Allied partners.

This has also been HMCS Halifax’s goal during the course of its current deployment. The ship recently worked with Allied forces to enhance overall mission preparedness during Exercise JOINT WARRIOR and Exercise TRIDENT JUNCTURE, NATO’s largest exercise in more than a decade. These shared skills can be called upon anywhere and anytime, whether it be working together to care for an injured colleague or partnering to bring safety and security to our world.

HMCS Winnipeg’s participation in Exercise JOINT WARRIOR 152

By Sub-Lieutenant Jamie Tobin, Public Affairs Officer, HMCS Winnipeg of forces.gc.ca

From October 5 to 15, Her Majesty’s Canadian Ship (HMCS) Winnipeg and its Standing Maritime Group One (SNMG1) consorts participated in Exercise JOINT WARRIOR 152 (Ex JW152), a multinational joint task force exercise in the coastal waters of Scotland involving more than 30 warships representing 12 countries.

During the exercise, the task group’s mission was to assist a fictitious nation with the enforcement of a mock United Nations Security Council Resolution. The resolution called for protection of the population from the threat of terrorism, protecting critical infrastructure, reassuring the local and international community, and ensuring freedom of maritime navigation.

“Exercise JOINT WARRIOR 152 was a great opportunity for HMCS Winnipeg to train with all of our warfare capabilities while demonstrating the value that this high-readiness team brings to international operations,” said Commander Pascal Belhumeur, Commanding Officer of HMCS Winnipeg.

During Ex JW152, all of HMCS Winnipeg’s capabilities were put to the test. The ship’s Above Water Warfare team protected the population and infrastructure by defending against aerial and surface threats from military forces while the Underwater Warfare team scanned the waters of the exercise area searching for submarines and other subsurface threats.

The scenario also saw the ship’s CH-124 Sea King Helicopter fly reconnaissance missions to identify various threats and provide aerial protection to both the ship and its allies. It also included mine countermeasure units working to clear the waterways of explosive hazards.

Further, HMCS Winnipeg’s Enhanced Naval Boarding Party boarded several suspicious vessels in the region to investigate their business and ensure that they were not contributing to terrorist activity.

Finally, the remainder of the crew on HMCS Winnipeg supported the exercise’s other tasks by maintaining the ship’s propulsion and combat systems, responding to damage control situations, providing casualty support and ensuring the well-being of the team.

“The team responded in Exercise JOINT WARRIOR 152 just like they would any real-world scenario,” said Lieutenant-Commander Kevin Whiteside, Executive Officer of HMCS Winnipeg. “We came together and responded like the high-readiness unit that we have trained to be and as a result, we further built upon our interoperability with our NATO counterparts.”

While deployed, HMCS Winnipeg is participating in a number of joint NATO training exercises, including Exercise NORTHERN COAST, Exercise JOINT WARRIOR 152, and Exercise TRIDENT JUNCTURE.

HRH Prince Charles Visits RCN Ships

Navy News / October 8, 2015

By Lieutenant (Navy) Kelly Boyden

His Royal Highness Prince Charles (2nd from left), along with Commodore Craig Baines (left), Commander Canadian Fleet Atlantic, and Rear Admiral John Weale (back), Flag Officer Scotland Northern Ireland, are shown the Operations Room by Commander Kristjan Monaghan (center) Commanding Officer of HMCS Montreal on October 3, 2015.

His Royal Highness Prince Charles, The Prince of Wales, and recently appointed Commodore-in-Chief Canadian Fleet Atlantic, visited Her Majesty’s Canadian Ship (HMCS) Montréal and Her Majesty’s Canadian Submarine Windsor on October 3, 2015, while in Faslane, Scotland. The Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) vessels were alongside Faslane in preparation for the start of military exercises JOINT WARRIOR and JOINTEX 15.

His Royal Highness, accompanied by Commodore Craig Baines, Commander Canadian Fleet Atlantic, expressed his pride in being the ships’ Commodore-in-Chief, conveyed his appreciation for the hard work of the ships’ companies, and wished them success in Exercise JOINT WARRIOR. He also took the time to promote a young sailor in HMCS Montréal from ordinary to able seaman, and presented a deserving officer with his bridge watch-keeping certificate.

“It was a profound honour for the whole of the Royal Canadian Navy to host His Royal Highness during his visit,” said Vice-Admiral Mark Norman, Commander of the Royal Canadian Navy, from National Defence Headquarters in Ottawa. “The Royal Family and Canada’s Navy have maintained a strong relationship since the foundation of the RCN in 1910. It is fitting that His Royal Highness was able to visit HMCS Montréal, one of his fleet’s newly modernized frigates, as well as HMCS Windsor, on the eve of the submarine’s date of commissioning into the Royal Canadian Navy 12 years ago.”

The visit aboard Montréal and Windsor was the first opportunity His Royal Highness has had to visit Canadian Fleet Atlantic ships since being appointed their Commodore-in-Chief on May 5, 2015. As Commodore-in Chief, His Royal Highness is kept informed of all important Canadian Fleet Atlantic activities and engages with the fleet in a ceremonial capacity as opportunity allows.

“Together with the Commanding Officers of Montréal and Windsor, Commander Kristjan Monaghan and Lieutenant-Commander Peter Chu respectively, as well as the entire ships’ companies, it was a source of great pride to host our Commodore-in-Chief,” said Cmdre Baines. “The ships’ companies were particularly thankful for the opportunity to provide His Royal Highness with a first-hand look at the ships and personnel of his fleet.”

The ship and submarine, along with HMC Ships Halifax, Athabaskan, and Winnipeg, are participating in Exercise JOINT WARRIOR from October 4 to 15. The Canadian Armed Forces will also be represented by two CH-124 Sea King helicopters embarked on HMCS Athabaskan and one Sea King embarked on HMCS Winnipeg, as well as a CP-140M Aurora aircraft, during the semi-annual military exercise hosted by the Royal Navy.

HMCS Athabaskan Sidelined from NATO Exercise

This article was written by  DAVID PUGLIESE, OTTAWA CITIZEN

An aging Canadian warship, on its way to military exercises that are designed to send a strong message to Russia about the West’s resolve over the crisis in Ukraine, is now sidelined because of engine troubles.

Her Majesty’s Canadian Ship ATHABASKAN departs Canadian Forces Base Halifax Dockyard, Nova Scotia for Operation CARIBBE at on April 16, 2015. Photo: CF Combat Camera

One of the four engines on the 43-year-old HMCS Athabaskan stopped working, sending the destroyer to a port in England for about a week, sources told the Citizen.

Maintenance crews from Canada will be brought in to work on the ship.

Navy spokesman Lt.-Cmdr. Al Blondin confirmed Athabaskan is in port in the United Kingdom and that technicians will replace one of the destroyer’s four engines. The ship has two main engines and two cruise engines.

The ship could continue to operate safely with one of the cruise engines not functioning but the navy “determined the repairs will be made immediately to maintain the most economical modes of propulsion while ensuring optimal propulsion redundancy,” Blondin said.

“Once the necessary repairs to Athabaskan have been made, it will return to sea to participate in Exercise Trident Juncture.”

In June, Defence Minister Jason Kenney announced 1,600 Canadian military personnel, including up to five Canadian vessels, would take part in the major NATO exercise, which he said was meant to send a strong message to Russia over its actions in eastern Europe.

Kenney said the Canadian military’s participation in the exercise would ensure both NATO and Canada are well positioned to respond to any crisis.

Trident Juncture is now underway and will run until Nov. 6. HMCS Athabaskan was taking part in an earlier, related exercise when its engine malfunctioned.

Blondin acknowledged the destroyer is old but also pointed out that engine replacements are sometimes required, regardless of the class or age of ship.

HMCS Athabaskan, the flagship of Canada’s Atlantic fleet, was also sidelined earlier in the summer with cracks in its hull and various other engine issues, the Citizen reported in July.

Earlier this year, the ship broke down in Florida because of engine problems. It later broke down in the Caribbean, again because of engine issues.

HMCS Athabaskan sailors have contacted the Citizen to note a litany of problems, including limitations on fresh water on board the vessel. The ship has also been stripped of some of its radars and weapon systems, sailors say.

But the navy says it has confidence in the ship’s ability to continue to meet its duties. “It should be mentioned that HMCS Athabaskan’s role within the fleet has evolved over time,” said navy spokeswoman Lt. Linda Coleman. “During its service life, it has served as a platform capable of long-range anti-submarine warfare, area air defence, and enhanced command and control. Today, HMCS Athabaskan continues to fill a role that meets the current requirements of the fleet.”

The navy is trying to cope with a dwindling number of ships. The destroyers HMCS Algonquin and HMCS Iroquois were recently decommissioned. Iroquois was taken out of service after cracks were found in her hull. Another destroyer, HMCS Huron, was decommissioned, then sunk in 2007.

The navy had hoped to replace its four destroyers and 12 frigates with 15 new warships. The Conservative government approved the acquisition of “up to 15” new vessels.

But last week, Kenney said inflation and other factors could mean the navy would end up with only 11 ships.

Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau has promised that, if elected, he would put more money into naval shipbuilding to ensure the navy has enough ships. Conservative Leader Stephen Harper has argued that is not necessary as his government launched a massive shipbuilding program.

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.