CH-148 Cyclone Deploys on First International Deployment with HMCS Ville de Quebec

By BRETT BUNDALE, The Canadian Press

HALIFAX— Hundreds of people gathered on a jetty at Halifax’s naval base Wednesday to bid farewell to 240 military members aboard HMCS Ville de Quebec as it headed to the Mediterranean as part of Canada’s ongoing contribution to a NATO mission in central and eastern Europe.

Under pouring rain, family, friends and dignitaries waved goodbye as the warship sounded a fog horn and departed through a heavy mist in Halifax harbour.

HMCS Ville de Quebec in Halifax last December. Hundreds of people gathered on a jetty at Halifax's naval base today to bid farewell to 240 military members aboard the vessel. (ANDREW VAUGHAN / THE CANADIAN PRESS FILE PHOTO)

An RCAF CH-148 Cyclone maritime helicopter flies past a luxury yacht in Halifax on Friday, July 13, 2018. It departed for its first international deployment with the frigate HMCS Ville de Quebec today. (ANDREW VAUGHAN / THE CANADIAN PRESS)

Children in brightly-coloured rain boots waved Canadian flags and homemade signs, one saying, “Bye Mommy, see you later” while another said, “Bon Voyage Daddy.”

Couples shielded from the rain under large umbrellas hugged and kissed goodbye before the six-month mission.

“It’s overwhelming,” said Vanessa Picard, standing on the jetty with her two young children after her husband departed. She called the experience of watching him sail off “surreal.”

It’s a familiar scene here at HMC Dockyard Halifax, as the commanding officer of the warship noted.

“It’s really hard on families,” said Cmdr. Scott Robinson, adding he was leaving behind his wife and two young children. “I’m not the only one. It weighs on you.”

Several ships deploy from the east coast base every year, but the HMCS Ville de Quebec send off was a significant milestone for the Canadian military.

On board the frigate was a CH-148 Cyclone helicopter — the first international mission for the new twin-engine machine.

Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan said the state-of-the-art technology adds to the “tremendous capability” of the country’s armed forces and its contribution to Operation Reassurance.

The retired lieutenant-colonel also said it “sends a very strong message of deterrence” to countries like Russia, which he said is starting to go against “a rule-based order.”

Sajjan pointed to Russian actions under Vladimir Putin, such as the annexation of Crimea, its support for rebel forces in eastern Ukraine and Bashar al-Assad’s government in Syria.

“It’s something that we will not stand for,” he told reporters following the warship’s departure. “This is one of the reasons why Canada will continue to step up not only as part of NATO, but as part of a coalition.”

He added that Canada “will not take threats lightly” and that the multinational, “fully combat ready” battle groups send a strong message.

Indeed, the commander of the HMCS Ville de Quebec said he expects to run training exercises with his crew to “keep our combat capability at a high level in case the government calls upon us to react to some sort of world event,” Robinson said.

“We want to maintain our proficiency as much as we can at the highest level in case the government of Canada calls on us to do something.”

Meanwhile, the Royal Canadian Navy commander called it an “exciting moment” for the first-ever Cyclone helicopter to be sent on a mission.

Vice-Admiral Ron Lloyd said Canada’s contribution to the NATO mission will help “enhance regional maritime security and stability.”

The Halifax-class warship HMCS Ville de Quebec is slated to relieve HMCS St. John’s, which returns to Halifax later this month after a six-month mission.



Today the first CH-148 Cyclone helicopter and aircrew embark aboard HMCS Ville de Québec for Op REASSURANCE, @CanadianForces support to #NATO defence and deterrence measures in Central and Eastern Europe.#RCAF #RCAFProud

The deployment of the Cyclone marks a major milestone for the 17-metre, 13,000-kilogram aircraft.

In January, the East Coast fleet of Sea Kings was retired after 54 years of service.

The Cyclone fleet will be tasked with surface and sub-surface surveillance, and search and rescue missions, while providing “tactical transport for national and international security efforts,” according to the military. Its aluminum and composite airframe is built with lightning-strike and high-intensity radio frequency pulse protection.

HMCS Charlottetown leaves for OP REASSURANCE; First Deployment since 2012

By: David Pugliese, Defence Watch 

Her Majesty’s Canadian Ship Charlottetown departed from Halifax today as the designated forward deployed ship of the Royal Canadian Navy, replacing HMCS Fredericton in that role, the RCN said.

HMCS Fredericton has been on Operation REASSURANCE since January 2016.

HMCS Charlottetown’s last international deployment was in 2012, when the ship served on Operation METRIC, Canada’s support to enhanced security in the eastern Mediterranean region, and Operation ARTEMIS, Canada’s support to counter-terrorism and maritime security in the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden, the Gulf of Oman, and the Indian Ocean, according to the RCN.

HMCS Charlottetown in 2012. Photo courtesy DND

HMCS Charlottetown has been upgraded as part of the Halifax-class modernization. It completed the Halifax-class Modernization/Frigate Life Extension (HCM/FELEX) program in June 2014.

The program provided the ship with a new Combat Management System, new radar capability, a new electronic warfare system upgrade, upgraded communications and missiles, as well as a new Integrated Platform Management System.

The ship’s mission will be the third to employ one of the Royal Canadian Navy’s Enhanced Naval Boarding Parties, a specialized team that is capable of executing a full range of maritime interdiction operations.

Refugee Crisis - A Call for the RCN to Help

In a letter to the editor in today's National Post full comment section,  Ernest Seidman of Cote St. Luc, Quebec asked a question many people are asking - why are children still drowning and why isn't our Navy doing anything about it?

Here is Ernest's letter:

Re: Why Are Children Still Drowning? May 31.

As a pediatrician, I share my sense of horror and despair with my fellow Canadians asking, “Why are children still drowning”? Hundreds of refugees from Syria and Africa are so desperately seeking asylum that they are drowning offshore in dinghies and other ill-equipped boats. The images of this relentless and horrific loss of life of children and their families evoke emotions of helplessness and gloom across our nation. Many Canadians feel betrayed by the lack of our government’s effective and affirmative action. We can and must do more. What can we do?

Because of long-term cutbacks in equipment to modernize our fleet, the Royal Canadian Navy has been down-classified to a Rank 5 navy (offshore regional coastal defence) on the Todd-Lindberg classification system, from Rank 3 (multiregional power projection). In other words, our navy is no longer equipped to wage war. However, we can and should transport these refugees,using our naval boats, under the guidance of a well trained naval corps.
-- Ernest Seidman, Cote St. Luc, Que.
I second Ernest's call - and I did so back in September 2015 when the image of Alan Kurdi was front-page news around the globe. You can read my article "Refugee Crisis; the CAF can help - Deploy them!" here on my blog. It was originally published September 4, 2015. (If the link is broken at any point; find it in the Blog Archive)

The Royal Canadian Navy is currently operating in the Mediterranean as part of OP REASSURANCE. HMCS Fredericton joined Standing NATO Maritime Forces on 8 January 2016 as part of Operation REASSURANCE, Canada’s support to NATO assurance measures in Central and Eastern Europe. The ship joins Standing NATO Maritime Group 2 (SNMG2). HMCS Fredericton replaced HMCS Winnipeg which concluded a six-month operational deployment.

Black Sea. 5 April 2016 – Her Majesty's Canadian Ship (HMCS) FREDERICTON performs a PASEX with the Bulgarian Frigate, BGS RESHITELNI (F13) and the Romanian Frigate, ROS REGINA MARIA, during a patrol in the Black Sea during Operation Reassurance. (Photo: Master Corporal Sebastian Allain, HMCS FREDERICTON Air Detachment)

HMCS Fredericton is a Halifax-class frigate with a crew of approximately 250 personnel of all ranks, including a CH-124 Sea King helicopter and air detachment.

While patrolling and "putting Russia in it's place" is great and all - children are dying. The 250 member crew of HMCS Fredericton can help the asylum seekers from Syria and North Africa.

The Liberal Government should adapt the mandate of the Royal Canadian Navy vessels in the Mediterranean to help. This would also help reduce the stress the Italian and Greek Navy and Coast Guard currently faces with this crisis. 

HMCS Fredericton deploys on Operation REASSURANCE

DND Press Release:

January 4, 2016

OTTAWA — Media are invited to attend the departure ceremony of Her Majesty’s Canadian Ship (HMCS) Fredericton on January 5 as the ship deploys to the Mediterranean Sea on Operation REASSURANCE.

Operation REASSURANCE refers to the military activities undertaken by Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) to support NATO assurance measures and promote security and stability in Central and Eastern Europe through the provision of military capabilities for training, exercises, demonstrations and assigned NATO tasks. The CAF response in support of NATO’s request for enhanced assurance measures demonstrates the readiness and professionalism of the CAF.

When:Tuesday, January 5, 2016 at 1 p.m. (AST)

Where:NB Jetty, HMC Dockyard, Canadian Forces Base Halifax, NS. 

Refugee Crisis: CAF Can Help - Deploy Them

In the wake of the recent tragic death of 3 year old Alan Kurdi, his brother and mother - there have been calls for Canada and the World do to more to help Syrian and Iraqi refugees fleeing the Middle East. Minister of Defence Jason Kenney comes out and said that Canada has no responsibility to help the migrant issue. We had no 'onus' to help.

What about the human responsibility? While I have always been a proponent of the Peacekeeping Myth - that Canada became a Peacekeeping country as a war by other means during the Cold War. Canada has always cared about those in need.

According to the UN an estimated 350,000 refugees crossed the Mediterranean fleeing the Middle East in the last year - and approximately 2,500 have died trying. Earlier this year Italy made a global outcry for help on the migrant problem, as their Navy is baring the brunt of the rescue.



Other European nations have send support. In May Great Britain deployed HMS Bulwark to help. It rescued 500 migrants off of Libya earlier this year. The Irish Naval service also deployed a ship, and it has rescued some 2,000 migrants. As of August 22, 2015, the Italian Navy has rescued more than 3,000 migrants.

Canada has had a Naval vessel deployed to the Mediterranean since 2014, and could have went to the aid of migrants. But, according to the Royal Canadian Navy, they were never given the order to intervene by the Conservative Government.

My question is why not? Why does Canada not have any military responsibility to help European nations struggling with the thousands of migrants?

It would not cost any extra money to have the RCN vessel that is already deployed to help support Eastern Europe. Not sending help when it is the vicinity, is like not stopping at the scene of a horrific car accident on a back road, when you know paramedics will not make it in time.

Why not help at the refugee centers? Hungary has thousands of migrants blockaded in their train station. While this situation needs political help to help move the trains to locations willing to accept the migrants - the camps in Turkey and Jordan are huge, and quickly outgrow their boundaries. Canada could easily deploy the DART (Disaster Assistance Response Team) to one of the regions to help. This team specializes in setting up and helping in humanitarian crisises. They are usually deployed for a month long period, but with added support - the team could be deployed for a longer period of time.

In the current election campaign, the Liberals and NDP have both said they will do more to help the humanitarian issue caused by ISIS and the Syrian Civil War - neither are willing to continue to stand up and confront ISIS. Yet, now it seems the Conservatives are unwilling to help through  humanitarianism. What we need is a government that will step up on both fronts - the CAF can help in the refugee crisis all we need is a leader who will deploy them to do so.

HMCS Winnipeg Deploying on OP REASSURANCE

HMCS Winnipeg deployed today for a 9 month mission throughout the Mediterranean and Black Sea as part of OP REASSURANCE, as a member of NATOs Standing Maritime Forces.

HMCS Winnipeg will replace HMCS Fredericton, which has been deployed in the region since January 2015.

255 Sailors and Air Crew aboard the Winnipeg will spend the next nine months promoting security and stability in Central and Eastern Europe.