Canadian Navy’s HMCS Toronto completed participation in the Turkish-led Exercise Mavi Balina November 13 as part of her Operation Reassurance deployment in the Mediterranean Sea in response to the Putin regime’s aggressive military actions against Ukraine.
As part of Standing NATO Maritime Group Two (SNMG 2), Toronto participated in joint training exercises which involved planning and executing anti-submarine and submarine warfare tactics, as well as other maritime warfare capabilities in the Eastern Mediterranean from November 6 to 13.
The maritime component of Exercise Mavi Balina involved warships and aircraft from five NATO nations: Canada, Germany, Spain, Turkey, and the United States, as well as the Pakistan Navy as a partner nation.
The exercise provided a valuable opportunity to further increase NATO’s subsurface warfare skill set, knowledge of anti-submarine warfare and tactical planning in a multinational, simulated threat environment.
Commander Jason Armstrong, Commanding Officer of Toronto, said:
Exercise Mavi Balina provided an ideal forum for HMCS Toronto’s anti-submarine, submarine and surface warfare specialists to hone their skill sets while working collectively with NATO allies to strengthen alliance interoperability and confidence in each other’s capabilities.
The ship’s company performed well throughout the exercise as they met every challenge and simulated threat with tenacity, vigour and professionalism.
As part of Operation Reassurance, Toronto remains tasked with patrolling the Mediterranean Sea with SNMG 2, monitoring shipping to help detect, deter and protect against terrorist activity.
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Press release, Image: Canadian Navy