Her Majesty’s Canadian Ship (HMCS) Fredericton returned to its home port of Halifax, Nova Scotia after a successful seven-month deployment in the Mediterranean Sea on Operation REASSURANCE.
HMCS Fredericton and its helicopter air detachment were tasked to patrol the Mediterranean and Black Seas and monitor shipping to help detect, deter, and protect against terrorist activity as part of Standing NATO Maritime Group 2 (SNMG2).
Throughout the deployment, HMCS Fredericton operated with 121 different ships, including 21 different NATO Navies, and was the flagship of SNMG2 for 16 days. The ship also visited 23 different ports in 16 different partner countries, including 13 NATO Nations.
Since deploying in January, the ship travelled more than 32 500 nautical miles in the Atlantic Ocean, the Mediterranean Sea, the Black Sea, the Baltic Sea, and the North Sea. The ship’s helicopter detachment flew over 160 sorties totaling more than 410 flying hours.
HMCS Fredericton participated in various joint NATO training exercises as part of its Operation REASSURANCE deployment including Exercises JOINT WARRIOR, DYNAMIC MONGOOSE, and BALTOPS.
While operating in the Black Sea, HMCS Fredericton participated in joint NATO training exercises and maritime situational awareness operations. SNMG2 warships also conducted exercises with the Turkish, Bulgarian, and Romanian navies.
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Image: Canadian Navy