HMCS Winnipeg joins SNMG2

On July 15, 2015 HMCS Winnipeg joined Standing NATO Maritime Group Two in Palma de Mallorca, Spain. This NATO exercise is part of the larger OP REASSURANCE.

The Advanced Boarding Party from HMCS Winnipeg trains on board the Spanish ship Cantabria on July 22, 2015.  

On its initial meeting, Winnipeg meet with the SNMG2 Commanding Flag Ship, Federal German Ship (FGS) Hamburg as well was the Spanish Ship (SPS) Cantabria and SPS Santa Maria. While the ship was in port, it was open as a diplomatic engagement event, and was open to public tours to both local residents and tourists.

True Story behind the sinking of the USS Ingraham 1942

Propaganda is as old as conflict itself. Propagandize was used in World War Two to ensure push for an increase in recruitment numbers, especially in coastal towns such as Halifax, Nova Scotia.

For 70 Years the deaths of 300 US Navy sailors have been buried in the propaganda of the time. The USS Ingraham, which was launched in 1941, was escorting two Canadian troop transports and a larger supply convoy on its way towards England, when on August 22nd 1942 is sank off of Sable Island, known as the Maritime Graveyard of the Atlantic.

It was not Sable island that caused the sinking, but a false U-Boat scare that led the USS Ingraham and USS Buck to begin a cross-search and destroy pattern. In the fog and darkness of the North Atlantic, the Buck's bow was hit by the troop transport Awatea and almost simultaneously, the oil tanker Chemung t-boned the Ingraham, causing the Ingraham to sink instantly killing all by 11 of its crew. As the Ingraham sank, the unlocked depth charges on its deck exploded, killing many of the survivors in the water.

Until recently, thanks to a National Post investigation the Ingraham was thought to have been hit by a torpedo while protecting the Awatea. There are no specific memorials to the USS Ingraham in Halifax - the port it last sailed from.

You can read the entire report here:

How 300 U.S. sailors died off the coast of Nova Scotia

HMCS Athabaskan in rough shape: Rear Admiral Admits

Earlier this year the Royal Canada Navy retired two of its three destroyers, HMCS Algonquin  and HMCS Iroquois due to their age, and the extensive damage. Now, Canada's last destroyer, HMCS Athabaskan is in for repairs, after its engines suffered a breakdown while on exercise. The Ottawa Citizen reports that this is not the first time Athabaskan has had engine issues, and now cracks in her hull have been found.

HMCS Athabaskan is the flagship of the Atlantic fleet for the RCN, and now she is sidelined until the fall (or so the RCN hopes). According to the Ottawa Citizen, the engines on Athabaskan broke down earlier this year while the vessel was on exercise in Florida and then again in the Caribbean.

According to several crew members, the engines are not the only problem, The vessel struggles to hold onto is fresh water supply - making life aboard her difficult. The Ottawa Citizen was given leaked documents from June 2015, that show that Athabaskan also has cracks in her hull; the same reason Iroquois was retired.

The problems came to the attention of Read Admiral John Newton, when on a recent sail day in Halifax. Newton was on-board the vessel when the engines again had issues; but Newton also noticed several other problems.   After talks with the crew, Newton came to realize that several repairs had been deferred to keep the vessel afloat, which were causing unnecessary hardships for the crew.

The Navy is extremely hopeful the repairs can take place quickly, as Athabaskan was one of five RCN vessels that is scheduled to take part in Operation TRIDENT JUNCTURE-15 - NATO's largest exercise in Europe since the end of the Cold War - which is scheduled to take place in September/October of this year.

Newton found that several of the ships essential equipment is so worn that controls and directions are hard to, if not impossible to make out. Newton brought the attention to the Navy command to get the repairs complete, as much of the repairs had been delegated to the crew, who have little to no experience depending on the repairs required. Newton hopes they can restore Athabaskan and keep her operational until her scheduled retirement in 2017. The Navy does not expect the new Canadian Surface Combatant vessels to be ready until 2025.

The RCN has blamed much of the neglect of its equipment on the War in Afghanistan - as for nearly two decades, the Army and Air Force we given billions of dollars to upgrade their equipment to get the job done - the Navy wasn't in Afghanistan, and therefore was left out of the procurement loop.

Breakdown of CAF contribution to TRIDENT JUNCTURE 15

Operation TRIDENT JUNCTURE 15 will be NATO's largest exercise in years, with more than 36,000 troops participating.

Canada will be sending more than 1,600 CAF personnel.  It will be Canada's largest deployment to Europe since 2000, when it contributed troops to Kosovo, Macedonia, and Bosnia-Herzegovina.

The Canadian deployment will include:

• Five RCN vessels including a submarine and their crew
• At least 650 Canadian Army Personnel 
• Two RCAF C-130J Hercules aircraft - and potentially 1 refueling aircraft 
• A Special Forces contingent 
• 5 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group HQ

RCN to lease Spanish Supply Ship

Reports are slowly coming in that the Royal Canadian Navy will be leasing a Spanish Navy AOR (Supply Vessel) to handle the Navies east coast operations for up to one year. Specific details of the lease are still being worked out.

Last month The Navy announced that it spent $6 million on the rental of a Chilean Navy AOR vessel for 40 days. It is currently stationed at CFB Equimalt.

The Spanish Navy defensa.com is reporting the deal will take place during 2016.

The Royal Canadian Navy is looking to lease Cantabria AOR, which was lent to the Australian Navy in 2013.

The Cantabria AOR off the coast of Sydney, Australia in 2013. Photo: Australian Defence Force.