Our Navy Today - Volume 6 Issue 5

After departing Halifax in March, His Majesty’s Canadian Ship (HMCS) Montréal and Motor Vessel (MV) Asterix arrived in the Indo-Pacific region. This marks the first time a frigate has made the journey from the East Coast of Canada to participate in Operation Projection Indo-Pacific.

This month Montréal conducted naval operations in the South China Sea and worked alongside His Majesty’s Australian Ship Anzac, Japanese Ship Shiranui and United States Ship Chung-Hoon, conducted replenishments at sea with MV Asterix and United States Naval Ship Rappahannock, and made a stop in Okinawa, Japan.

Montréal and Asterix will continue to operate in the region over the summer and are expected to return to Canada in late August.

HMC Ships Shawinigan and Summerside are departed July 3 for a three-month deployment on Op Reassurance. The ships will join Standing NATO Mine Countermeasures Group 1.

“The deployment of HMC Ships Shawinigan and Summerside constitutes a valuable contribution alongside our NATO allies to ensure security in the region, and demonstrates the capability of the Royal Canadian Navy to operate within the NATO Fleet,” said Vice-Admiral Angus Topshee, Commander Royal Canadian Navy (RCN).

Both ships have embarked clearance diving teams from Fleet Diving Units Atlantic & Pacific, and autonomous underwater vehicles with mine countermeasure capabilities.

HMCS Fredericton participated in the Spanish Navy led Exercise FLOTEX 23 from June 5 to 16 in the waters of the Balearic Sea and the western Mediterranean. Participants in the most advanced naval exercise for the Spanish fleet this year included Canada, France, Greece, Italy, Latvia, Portugal, Turkey and the United States.

Nineteen surface ships, two submarines, 16 aircraft, five unmanned vehicles and 80 security vehicles participated in medium and high intensity serials focused on surface and anti-submarine warfare and air defence.

After deploying in January to join Standing NATO Maritime Group 2 on Op Reassurance, the ship is scheduled to return to Halifax in late July.

Exercise Trident Fury 23 took place this past month off the coast of southern Vancouver Island. Over 1,000 personnel took part including six RCN ships, Royal Canadian Air Force aircraft and Canadian Army personnel, and participation by Japan, NATO partners and the United States.

Trident Fury supported the pre-deployment training for HMC Ships Ottawa and Vancouver and involved air and sea warfare training, live-fire exercises, maritime interdictions, anti-submarine and surface warfare, and more.

RCN reservists from HMCS Jolliet and other Naval Reserve Divisions are providing logistical and front-line support to the Société de protection des forêts contre le feu and Canadian Army personnel after the Government of Québec requested assistance in containing and fighting over 160 forest fires.

Military personnel and their families directly or indirectly affected by forest fires across Canada can contact Military Family Resource Centres for support. The information line is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week: 1-800-866-4546.

HMC Ships Ottawa and Vancouver are preparing to depart later this summer from Victoria on a new operation in the Indo-Pacific called Operation Projection. The ships will depart with MV Asterix and maintain Canada’s presence in the region after Montréal returns in late August.

The short lag time between deployments and the inclusion of a second frigate is a demonstration of our commitment to enhancing our military presence in the Indo-Pacific region.

HMCS Harry DeWolf is departing in August for a two-month deployment on Operation Nanook in Canada’s Arctic.

Nanook is the Canadian Armed Forces’ signature northern operation and contributes to the defence and security of our northern regions, and improves our ability to operate in a challenging environment and respond effective to safety and security issues in the North.

HMCS Oriole is visiting communities along the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Seaway, bringing the RCN to Canadians as part of this year’s Great Lakes Deployment. The ship will be open to visitors, so come on down and tour the RCN’s tall ship!

Find out if Oriole is visiting a city near you.

Sailors – Regular and Reserve Force – at all ranks and civilian employees at all levels are invited.

• Date: Wednesday, July 12
• Time: Noon to 1:30 p.m. EST
• Location: Microsoft Teams

For more information, visit the Mentorship Program’s intranet page.

Announced in NAVGEN 25/23 (internal link), the RCN will transform the MAR TECH occupation into two feeder occupations, ELEC and MECH, at the ranks of Sailor 3^rd Class (S3) to Petty Officer 1^st Class (PO1), and a receptor occupation at the rank of Chief Petty Officer 2^nd Class (CPO2).

The new Occupation Structure will consist of three separate occupations inside a Marine Technician functional grouping:

1. Two feeder occupations:
2. Marine Systems Mechanical Technician (MSMT) from S3 to PO1. Within the MSMT occupation is a Marine Systems Structures Technician (MSST) sub-occupation from Sailor 1^st Class to PO1.
3. Marine Systems Electrical Technician (MSET) from S3 to PO1.
4. One receptor occupation: Marine Systems Chief (MSC) at the CPO2 rank.

The decision was made as part of the ongoing MAR TECH occupation analysis (OA). It is important to note that this decision does not conclude the OA, but signals the beginning of implementation planning, policy updates, and detailed refinement. These will be communicated once put in place.