Royal Canadian Navy’s HMCS Iroquois officially concluded its service on Friday, May 1, in a paying-off ceremony at HMC Dockyard in Halifax, receiving a farewell salute from current and former sailors, soldiers, airmen and airwomen.
Commissioned on July 29, 1972, Iroquois sailed with the RCN’s Atlantic fleet, conducting domestic and international security operations. Notably, the warship was part of Canada’s first response after the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001. Iroquois was part of the RCN Naval Task Group that departed Halifax on October 17 of that year to conduct anti-terrorism operations in the Arabian Sea.
Vice-Admiral Mark Norman, Commander RCN, said:
For nearly 43 years, HMCS Iroquois has protected our coastlines, responded to the calls of our allies and helped to make the world a safer place.
Iroquois, an area air defence destroyer, served on Maritime Forces Atlantic missions protecting Canada’s sovereignty in the Atlantic Ocean and enforcing Canadian laws in its territorial waters. It also deployed on missions to the Persian Gulf on anti-terrorism operations, and on counter-narcotics operations in the Caribbean Sea.
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Image: Canadian Navy