Arabian Sea
Post Second World War
Date
12 September 2001 – 31 October 2003
Geographical parameters
Persian Gulf, Gulf of Oman, Arabian Sea, Gulf of Aden, Red Sea, Suez Canal, and those parts of the Indian Ocean north of 5° south latitude and west of 68° east longitude.
Context
A theatre honourFootnote 1
Description
On 11 September 2001 terrorists attacked targets in the United States, leading to condemnation by the United Nations and military action by the US and a coalition of other nations. The Americans launched Operation ENDURING FREEDOM (OEF) on 7 October with attacks against al Qaeda and Taliban targets in Afghanistan and interdiction operations in the Arabian Sea and surrounding waters.
Canada initiated Operation APOLLO as its contribution to OEF, also on 7 October. HMCS Halifax was ordered to cease its current NATO activities and sail for the North Arabian Gulf to join up with coalition warships. Over the course of the next two years, fifteen Canadian warships served with the Canadian Task Group or other coalition formations. During this time, they protected naval assault formations, and carried out fleet replenishment duties, and conducted leadership and maritime interdiction operations.Footnote 2
Canada’s aerial operations in the region covered a wide range of activities. Helicopter detachments operated from each of the warships, vastly expanding their surveillance capabilities. A Strategic Airlift Detachment undertook personnel and equipment transport and medical evacuation duties between Germany and the area of operations, a Long-Range Patrol Detachment carried out surveillance missions, and a Tactical Airlift Detachment flew transport missions, primarily in support of Canadian land operations in Afghanistan (see the entry for the theatre honour “Afghanistan”). Footnote 3
Awarded to:
Ships in Commission and Operational Flying Squadrons Footnote 4
- HMCS Calgary
- HMCS Charlottetown
- HMCS Fredericton
- HMCS Halifax
- HMCS Montréal
- HMCS Ottawa
- HMCS Regina
- HMCS St. John’s
- HMCS Toronto
- HMCS Vancouver
- HMCS Winnipeg
- 405 Long Range Patrol Squadron
- 407 Long Range Patrol Squadron
- 415 Long Range Patrol Force Development Squadron
- 423 Maritime Helicopter Squadron
- 443 Maritime Helicopter Squadron