More than 500 sailors from Her Majesty’s Canadian Ships (HMCS) Calgary, Winnipeg, Brandon and Yellowknife have departed from their home port of Esquimalt, B.C., to take part in operations and exercises off the coast of Southern California.
Supported by two CH-124 Sea King helicopters from 443 Maritime Helicopter Squadron, the ships will participate in a Task Group Exercise (TGEX) with the United States Navy and Japanese Maritime Self Defence Force from October 20 to 31.
The aim of the TGEX is to enhance combat readiness while improving interoperability and tactical excellence. This specific TGEX will focus on interoperability between the Royal Canadian Navy, United States Navy and the Japanese Maritime Self-Defence Force, and is hosted by the United States Navy’s 3rd Fleet.
On completion of TGEX, Yellowknife and Brandon will join Operation Caribbe, Canada’s contribution to Operation Martillo, a U.S. Joint Interagency Task Force South-led interagency and multinational effort among Western Hemisphere and European nations designed to improve regional security and deter criminal activity.
As part of Operation Caribbe, the Canadian Armed Forces support multinational efforts to address illicit trafficking by providing naval and air capabilities to detect and monitor suspect activities on the water off the Caribbean and Pacific coasts of Central America.
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Press Release, Image: Canadian Navy