DND News

HMCS Regina returns from long deployment

Aug 19, 2019

Her Majesty’s Canadian Ship Regina has completed a six-and-a-half month deployment to the Asia-Pacific and Middle East regions and returned to Canadian Forces Base Esquimalt to a welcoming crowd of friends and family.

Accompanied by Naval Replenishment Unit Asterix, HMCS Regina had departed its homeport of Esquimalt on 6 Feb 2019. This deployment marks the third operational deployment of a CH-148 Cyclone helicopter, and the first deployment of a Cyclone with the Pacific Fleet.

2 August 2019 – HMCS *Regina*'s Air Detachment conducts hoisting and in-air refueling training with "*Bronco*", the CH-148 Cyclone helicopter during Operation *Projection* in the Pacific Ocean. *(Photo: Corporal Stuart Evans)*

The ships initially sailed on Operation Projection, working with partner navies and conducting key leader engagements to enhance military cooperation and partnerships in support of Canada’s diplomatic efforts in the Asia-Pacific region.

30 June 2019 – HMCS *Regina* crewmembers (Leading Seaman Blake Verhaeghe, Sub-Lieutenant Graeme Stout, Master Seaman John Lang, Chief Petty Officer 2nd class Ian Burke, Petty Officer second class Clayton Kihn, and Petty Officer second class Matthew Dykstra) unload the 57mm Bofors canon during Op *Projection*. *(Photo: Corporal Stuart Evans)*

During their time at sea, the ships also supported Operations Neon and Artemis. “The excellent work of Regina’s command team and crew over the last several months has had a direct impact on international peace and security, which is why deployments like Operation Projection remain critical to the mandate of the Royal Canadian Navy,” noted Maritime Component Commander, Rear-Admiral Craig Baines.

Regina's Commanding Officer Jacob French took pride in seeing crew members reuniting with their families after the successful deployment, and highlighted some details of accomplishments achieved over that time. “We supported a Canadian-led task force that deterred and disrupted the flow of narcotics in the Northern Arabian Sea, contributed to United Nations Security Council Resolutions enforcing sanctions on North Korea, and integrated with our Allies for cooperative deployments and high-end exercises such as Talisman Sabre 19.”

25 July 2019 – Commander Jacob French *(right)*, Commanding Officer of HMCS *Regina* and officer of the watch Sub-Lieutenant In-Kee Kim supervise HMCS *Regina*, HMAS *Melbourne* and NRU *Asterix* as they conduct a final replenishment at sea during Operation *Projection* in the Pacific Ocean. *(Photo: Corporal Stuart Evans)*

Exercise Talisman Sabre is a biennial Australian and United States bilateral exercise designed to train partner military forces in planning and conducting Combined Task Force operations and to improve the combat readiness and interoperability. This year the exercise took place from July 11 to 24 in the vicinity of Queensland, Australia and involved approximately 25 000 personnel operating across the maritime, land, and air domains, from Australia, the United States, New Zealand, Japan, and the United Kingdom.

During its deployment, HMCS Regina made several port visits, including to Guam and Hawaii in the U.S., Japan, United Arab Emirates, Seychelles, Singapore, Oman, and Australia.

2 Aug 2019 – Ordinary Seaman Huthalfah Alfallah keeps watch onboard HMCS *Regina* during Operation *Projection* in the Pacific Ocean. *(Photo: Corporal Stuart Evans)*

Operation Artemis supports the Canadian-led Combined Task Force 150 (CTF 150). CTF 150 is part of the Combined Maritime Force, which is a naval coalition of 33 partner nations that promotes security and stability in international waters of the Middle East regions. CTF 150 works to deter and deny terrorist organizations from using the high seas for smuggling weapons, illicit cargo, and narcotics, while ensuring the safe passage of merchant ships in some of the busiest shipping lanes in the world.

3 May 2019 – Ordinary Seaman Bradley Kerschbaum (foreground) and Petty Officer second class Herbert McDonald of HMCS *Regina*'s crew process narcotics seized from a dhow during Op *Artemis* in the Indian Ocean. *(Photo: Navy Lieutenant Linda Coleman)*

Operation Neon is Canada’s contribution to a coordinated multinational effort to support the implementation of United Nations Security Council sanctions imposed on North Korea. The imposed UN sanctions aim to pressure North Korea to abandon its weapons of mass destruction programs and respond to North Korean nuclear weapon tests and ballistic missile launches.

HMCS Ottawa recently departed for a four-and-a-half month deployment to the region to replace Regina and demonstrate Canada's continuing commitment to being a reliable player in the Asia-Pacific region through consistent engagement and strong partnerships.