HMCS Montreal departs Halifax for Indo-Pacific operation
A Royal Canadian Navy frigate departed Halifax today as part of the federal government's wider strategy of boosting its presence in the Indo-Pacific region.
HMCS Montreal steamed out of Halifax to become the first of three frigates to deploy in the region over a 12-month period, with the support of the naval supply vessel Asterix.
Defence Minister Anita Anand has touted the deployment of three -- rather than two -- frigates to the region as part of a wider strategy to demonstrate a bigger Canadian presence in the region, particularly in the Indian Ocean.
A news release says the ship and its on-board Cyclone helicopter detachment will work closely with allies in naval exercises during the deployment.
Anand says the frigate will also be part of Canada's contribution to multinational efforts to monitor sanctions imposed on North Korea by the United Nations Security Council.
The sanctions are designed to pressure North Korea to abandon its weapons of mass destruction programs.
The Halifax-class frigates carry anti-submarine warfare and anti-surface warfare weapons and sensors, along with anti-air warfare defences.
Last fall, Ottawa announced it was earmarking $2.3 billion to form closer ties with countries that span Pakistan to Japan.
That included a half-billion dollars to deploy a third naval frigate to the area and boost collaboration on both cybersecurity and military training with allies.
Anand has said working with countries such as Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Vietnam and Singapore represents a shift that goes beyond a naval presence in the region as Canada seeks to boost economic relationships with those nations.
However, the Indo-Pacific strategy did not include a registry of foreign agents. Some intelligence experts have been calling on Canada to follow the U.S. and Australia in compelling countries to register anyone engaging in domestic political activity.
The Liberals first promised the strategy in 2015 and had initially planned to launch it in late 2020.
It was announced after a period of rocky diplomatic relations with China and included a comment that, "China is an increasingly disruptive global power."
This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 26, 2023.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Which Canadian cities have the highest and lowest grocery prices?
Where you live plays a big factor in what you pay at the grocery store. And while it's no secret the same item may have a different price depending on the store, city or province, we wanted to see just how big the differences are, and why.
BREAKING McGill University seeks emergency injunction to remove pro-Palestinian encampment from campus
McGill University has filed a request for an injunction to have the pro-Palestinian encampment removed from its campus.
Swarm of 20,000 bees gather around woman’s car west of Toronto
A swarm of roughly 20,000 bees gathered around a woman’s car in the parking lot of Burlington Centre.
U.S. says Israel's use of U.S. arms likely violated international law, but evidence is incomplete
The Biden administration said Friday that Israel's use of U.S.-provided weapons in Gaza likely violated international humanitarian law but wartime conditions prevented U.S. officials from determining that for certain in specific airstrikes.
'State or state-sponsored actor' believed to be behind B.C. government hacks
The head of British Columbia’s civil service has revealed that a “state or state-sponsored actor” is behind multiple cyber-security incidents against provincial government networks.
Mother assaulted by stranger while breastfeeding baby in her car: Vancouver police
A person was arrested in East Vancouver Thursday after allegedly entering a car while a mother was breastfeeding her four-month-old boy.
Rare severe solar storm Friday could bring spectacular aurora light show across Canada
A rare and severe solar storm is expected to bring spectacular displays of the northern lights, also known as aurora borealis, across much of Canada and parts of the United States on Friday night.
More than half the Canadians once detained in Syrian camps for suspected ISIS family members have returned home
A total of 29 Canadians have been freed from detention camps in northeast Syria and brought back to Canada since human rights advocates began lobbying for their release years ago.
Canada abstains from Palestinian UN membership vote but supports two-state solution
Canada was one of 25 countries that abstained from a United Nations vote on Palestinian membership that passed with overwhelming support on Friday.