Royal Canadian Navy’s Halifax-class frigate HMCS St. John’s left her homeport on Wednesday and headed for the Mediterranean Sea where it will join NATO’s standing maritime group 2.
Departing from the naval base in Halifax, St. John’s set sail for the operation Reassurance to replace sister ship HMCS Charlottetown which has been serving with SNMG 2 since July 2016.
St. John’s is the sixth Royal Canadian Navy ship and the fourth modernized Halifax-class frigate to deploy in support of NATO assurance measures in Europe since April 2014.
The ship’s last international deployment was in March 2012 when the ship deployed on operation Caribbe Canada’s contribution to operation Martillo, a multinational campaign to counter transnational criminal organizations in the Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea.
HMCS St. John’s completed the Halifax-class modernization/ frigate life extension program in October 2015 during which the ship was fitted with a new combat management system, new radar capability, a new electronic warfare system upgrade, upgraded communications and missiles, as well as a new integrated platform management system.
The frigate conducted high readiness training as part of Spartan Warrior 16. The ship then conducted a successful Evolved Sea Sparrow missile shoot in late November as part of high readiness preparations for operation Reassurance.