Royal Canadian Navy frigate HMCS Charlottetown returned to her home port of Halifax on January 13, concluding a six-month deployment to Eastern and Central Europe.
The frigate deployed within operation Reassurance which is Canada’s contribution to NATO efforts in the region.
HMCS Charlottetown acted as command ship for Standing NATO Maritime Group 2 (SNMG 2) Task Unit 2. It led a detachment of NATO ships while on operations in the Black and North seas while participating in a series of multinational training events in the North Atlantic.
Charlottetown departed Halifax on June 27, 2016 as the fifth Royal Canadian Navy ship and third modernized Halifax-class frigate to support NATO missions in Central and Eastern Europe since April 2014. Charlottetown arrived in the Mediterranean and replaced HMCS Fredericton on June 29, 2016.
During her deployment, the ship and crew made defence diplomacy visits to a number of ports of call including Egypt, Barcelona, Spain, and Chania, Greece.
“I would like to welcome home the crew of HMCS Charlottetown following their success on operation Reassurance,” Vice Admiral Ron Lloyd , Commander of the Royal Canadian Navy said. “The ship and crew seamlessly conducted operations with our NATO partners and allies promoting security and stability in Central and Eastern Europe. The RCN is proud to be able to act globally on behalf of Canadians and the Government of Canada.”