Royal Canadian Navy frigate HMCS Vancouver departed Pearl Harbour August 18 and will now conduct operations in the Asia-Pacific after participating in the Exercise Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC), the world’s largest international maritime exercise.
According to the Canadian Navy, the frigate’s activities will include participating in Exercise Kakadu, a joint, biennial exercise hosted by the Royal Australian Navy, and Westploy 16, a deployment aimed at building ties between the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) and the navies of Asia-Pacific countries.
“HMCS Vancouver made us proud during RIMPAC and as it carries on conducting operations in the Pacific, its crew will foster increased relations and inter-operability among nations including Australia, Indonesia, Vietnam and New Zealand,” said Commodore Jeff Zwick , Commander Canadian Fleet Pacific.
“Throughout this deployment, it will serve as an excellent ambassador for Canada by showcasing both the professionalism of Royal Canadian Navy personnel as well as demonstrating the enhanced capabilities of our Post-Halifax-Class-Modernization Warships while conducting realistic and essential training for more than 200 sailors,” Zwick added.
A total of 20 nations will participate in Exercise Kakadu, which aims to build and strengthen mutual understanding and interoperability through a series of graduated training activities. The exercise will allow HMCS Vancouver, with an embarked CH-124 Sea King air detachment, to test and evolve the warfighting capabilities of the Halifax-class warships after upgrades to equipment that were made as part of the Halifax-Class Modernization/Frigate Life Extension project.
Following Exercise Kakadu, HMCS Vancouver will embark on exercises for Westploy 16, which will further allow the warship to engage in a variety of training opportunities with foreign navies as well as visiting several countries in the Asia-Pacific region. Westploy 16 provides a unique opportunity that allows the RCN to foster and sustain cooperative relationships that are critical to ensuring the safety of sea lanes and security on the world’s oceans.