OTTAWA – The Honourable Peter MacKay, Minister of National Defence, announced yesterday that the Canadian Forces (CF) deployed two CP-140 Aurora aircraft, the CF’s maritime patrol aircraft, to Italy to provide strategic maritime surveillance to ongoing international efforts to enforce UN Security Council Resolution 1973 (2011).
“The deployment of these aircraft provides additional resources for the Canadian Forces and our allies during the current crisis in Libya” said Minister MacKay. “These additional assets, and 435 military personnel in the region, ensure that Canada plays a leading role in enforcing the will of the United Nations Security Council to protect the civilian population.”
The CP-140 Aurora aircraft, one based at 19 Wing Comox, B.C., and the other from 14 Wing Greenwood, N.S., are deployed as part of Operation Mobile, the CF’s participation in the multinational response to the continuing crisis in Libya. This deployment is in addition to Her Majesty’s Canadian Ship Charlottetown and six CF-188 Hornet fighter jets participating with our allies and partners in enforcing UN Security Council Resolution 1973 (2011).
“This demonstrates, once again, that CF members are highly trained and well-equipped experts who are ready to deploy anywhere in the world on short notice,” said Lieutenant-General André Deschamps, Chief of the Air Staff. “The strategic maritime surveillance capacity provided by the CP-140 Aurora aircraft allows the CF to react rapidly to evolving situations and provide support to the Allied efforts over Libyan territory.”
Canada’s 18 CP-140 Aurora aircraft were delivered in 1980. The CP-140 aircraft is ideal for an evolving variety of operations and is often used to patrol Canada’s coastlines, safeguarding Canada from foreign threats.
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Notes to editor / news director:
For more information on the CP-140 Aurora aircraft: http://www.airforce.forces.gc.ca/v2/equip/cp140/index-eng.asp
For more information on Operation Mobile: http://www.comfec-cefcom.forces.gc.ca/pa-ap/ops/mobile/index-eng.asp
