2 Canadian Warships Deploy to Indo-Pacific in Bid to Increase Military Presence

A Sonar operator onboard HMCS Montreal looks out towards His Majesty’s Australian Ship (HMAS) Stalwart (left) and United States Ship (USS) Oakland as they conduct a liquid Replenishment at Sea (RAS) as part of exercise Talisman Sabre while deployed on Operation Projection on July 31, 2023. Cpl Connor Bennett/ Canadian Armed Forces

Two Royal Canadian Navy warships have left Canada for Asia as part of the federal government’s strategy to increase its military presence in the region.

His Majesty’s Canadian Ships (HMCS) Ottawa and Vancouver departed from the Esquimalt base in B.C., on Aug. 14. The two Halifax-class frigates are accompanied by the support vessel MV Asterix, in part crewed by civilian personnel.

The navy has been conducting dual warship deployments to the area annually, but the latest mission brings the total to three.

Meanwhile, HMCS Montreal is set to return to Halifax next month after sailing to Asia in March 2022.

“The Indo-Pacific Region is vital to global security, and its importance will only increase in the coming years,” said Defence Minister Bill Blair in a statement on Aug.14.

“Through our Indo-Pacific Strategy, Canada is significantly increasing its military presence in the region to support a free, open, and inclusive Indo-Pacific where international rules prevail.”

Mr. Blair became the new defence minister during a cabinet shuffle on July 26, replacing Anita Anand.

The government’s Indo-Pacific Strategy was released in 2022 to better seize economic opportunities in the region, but also address “great power competition” that “deepens in the region.”

The strategy singles out China as a disrupting force, saying it “benefitted from the rules-based international order to grow and prosper, but it is now actively seeking to reinterpret these rules to gain greater advantage.”

Separate Missions

The Department of National Defence (DND) says that HMCS Ottawa will be conducting operations in Southeast Asia, while HMCS Vancouver will be in Northeast Asia and contribute to Operation NEON.

Op NEON is Canada’s contribution to a multinational mission monitoring North Korea’s adherence to a United Nations sanctions regime.

Previous deployments under that framework have been eventful, with the Chinese military conducting aggressive manoeuvres around Western armed forces. In June, a Chinese warship cut off a U.S. destroyer travelling through the Taiwan Strait, coming within 150 yards of the vessel. HMCS Montreal was also participating in that mission.

In 2022, a Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) surveillance plane deployed for Op NEON had several close interactions with Chinese fighter jets.

“In some instances, the RCAF aircrew felt sufficiently at risk that they had to quickly modify their own flight path in order to increase separation and avoid a potential collision with the intercepting aircraft,” said DND at the time.