Canadian Armed Forces Join Operation CARIBBE

Her Majesty’s Canadian Ship (HMCS) Winnipeg is patroling in the Eastern Pacific as part of Operation CARIBBE 2015, Canada’s contribution to the multinational campaign against transnational criminal organizations in the Pacific Ocean and Caribbean.

HMCS Winnipeg’s deployment marks the beginning of several naval and air deployments under Operation CARIBBE scheduled for 2015.The Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) have conducted Operation CARIBBE since November 2006 and remain committed to working with Western Hemisphere and European partners to address security challenges in the region to disrupt illicit trafficking operations.

As part of Operation CARIBBE 2014, the CAF contributed four CP-140 Aurora surveillance aircraft, seven Maritime Coastal Defence Vessels (HMC Ships Nanaimo, Whitehorse, Kingston, Glace Bay, Summerside, Brandon, and Yellowknife), one Halifax-class frigate (HMCS Calgary), and one Iroquois-class destroyer (HMCS Athabaskan) with two embarked CH-124 Sea King helicopters. In total, CAF assets on Operation CARIBBE 2014 directly contributed to the seizure of more than four metric tons of cocaine and more than 500 kilograms of marijuana.

As part of Operation CARIBBE 2015, the Royal Canadian Navy will deploy warships from both the East and West Coasts, while the Royal Canadian Air Force will provide CP-140 Aurora aircraft from various long-range patrol squadrons. These Operation CARIBBE deployments are all in support of Operation MARTILLO, a joint multinational effort led by the United States to eliminate illicit trafficking in the Caribbean Sea, the eastern Pacific Ocean and the coastal areas of the Central American nations.

Image: Canadian Government/SLt Ellie Aminaie