The ship deployed for Standing NATO Maritime Group Two as part of Operation Reassurance just after 2 p.m. with friends and families in attendance.
Commander Jeff Anderson, the Captain of HMCS St. John’s, said they will be patrolling the Mediterranean to provide deterrence and collective defence with the rest of NATO.
“The Canadian Navy has been continuously deploying to this area of operations and continuing to work with our partners,” Anderson said from the Jetty, moments before the ship launched.
HMCS St. John’s last deployment was before the pandemic, but the Commander said the 250 sailors, aviators and soldiers – including the Cyclone air detachment – aboard his ship have the readiness and training to support their partners, despite a changing political climate.
“There’s always a fair bit of the unknown on a deployment of any kind,” said Anderson.
The departure of HMCS St. John’s was less a political affair and more of a family event. The band played as hundreds of people waved from the pier after their loved ones.
Anderson said his team has been together a long time and includes members from all across Canada. He said they are flexible, adaptable and they have a proven model for success.
“This is really our opportunity to shine. The team’s had some time to prepare for it.”
Anderson called the deployment a great opportunity to represent Canada abroad.
“It’s really important to know that Canadians support what we’re doing as we’re standing watch for them.”
Operation Reassurance is the largest, current overseas mission the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) contributes to in defence of Central and Eastern Europe, through NATO, said a National Defence news release.
The operation is part of the “biggest reinforcement of Alliance collective defence in a generation,” said the release.
Anderson said HMCS St. John’s inclusion in Reassurance is important for Canada’s contribution to NATO.
“As a founding member of NATO and as a country that relies on food and communication and international security, we need to play our part in that,” he said.
CAF’s Maritime Task Force contributes to Standing NATO Maritime Groups and other operations and exercises under Operation Reassurance, said the release. Additional operations include an air task force that provides logistical support out of Prestwick and a land task force that includes the NATO Multinational Brigade-Latvia (MNB-LVA). Canada is the Framework nation for MNB-LVA, which will see up to 2,200 CAF members deployed when fully implemented in 2026.
Approximately 1,900 CAF members are deployed through the year in support of Operation Reassurance, said National Defence.
The full history of the operation is available on the Government of Canada’s website.
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Our Departed Member from The Submariners’ Association of Canada East, Ronald “Alvin” Carrier along with his departed father Ephrem Joseph Carrier sailed with HMCS St. John’s on this trip to be buried at sea at an appropriate date, time & place. Thank you to the RCN and St. John’s for carrying out the ceremony.
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