Ships from Canadian Fleet Atlantic and aircraft from 12 Wing Shearwater and 14 Wing Greenwood have returned to their home bases after a well-accomplished fleet exercise off the eastern seaboard. The valuable training saw the ships, aircraft and submarine tested for upcoming operations.
For the Commander of Canadian Atlantic Fleet, Commodore Scott Bishop, fleet exercises are crucial to maintain the Royal Canadian Navy’s (RCN) excellence in operations above, on, and below the surface of the sea:
“Fleet Exercises allow the RCN to train ships and their associated helicopter air detachments for operations around the globe. Such exercises involve hundreds of sailors, airmen and women training together to work on their skills in their trades. They train the crew of Canadian warships, aircraft and submarines to work together and, by extension, with our allies around the world.”
In this serial, Her Majesty’s Canadian Ships (HMCS) Iroquois, Preserver, and Ville de Quebec, had the opportunity to operate with allied ships. At the beginning of the exercise, they operated with the visiting German Ship, FGS Bonn, and with United States Coast Guard vessel USCG Campbell, executing replenishment at sea, communication and boarding training events with those vessels. The RCN ships also had the opportunity to practice antisubmarine warfare scenarios with HMCS Windsor and operated with Royal Canadian Airforce aircraft, including one CP-140 Aurora from 14 Wing Greenwood, and 2 CH-124 Sea King helicopters from 12 Wing Shearwater, in a variety of operational scenarios.
[mappress] Press Release, March 18, 2014, Image: Canadian Navy