Royal Canadian Navy frigate HMCS St. John’s returned to her homeport in Halifax on July 23 after spending six months deployed to NATO’s Standing Maritime Group 2 (SNMG2).
Joining SNMG1 on January 18, 2018, the frigate contributed to NATO operations as part of the Canadian operation Reassurance.
During the deployment, St. John’s sailed in the Baltic Sea, Northern Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea, participating in exercise Dynamic Guard, exercise Dynamic Shield, and exercise Joint Warrior 18.
HMCS St. John’s also supported SNMG2 and contributed to NATO operation Sea Guardian in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea.
Operation REASSURANCE refers to the Canadian Armed Forces’ activities in support of NATO assurance and deterrence measures through the provision of military capabilities for training, exercises, demonstrations, and assigned NATO tasks.
“HMCS St. John’s has participated in large multi-national exercises and operational missions alongside navies from allied nations,” HMCS St. John’s commanding officer Commander Gord Noseworthy said. “We have patrolled the Baltic, North, Norwegian, and Mediterranean Seas; have crossed the North Atlantic and the Arctic Circle, and have travelled over 40,500 nautical miles from as far south as the North African Coast to as far north as the High Arctic off of Bodo, Norway. Now that we are at the end of the deployment, we are looking forward to reuniting with our family and friends after a long time away from home.”
This deployment was HMCS St. John’s second rotation on operation Reassurance. She first deployed on operation Reassurance from January 2016 to July 2017.
HMCS St. John’s will be replaced by HMCS Ville de Québec, which left Halifax on July 18, 2018 to join SNMG2, one of NATO’s maritime immediate reaction forces, on its way to the Mediterranean Sea. The homecoming of HMCS St. John’s also marks the last deployment on operation Reassurance of the CH-124 Sea King helicopter.