HMCS Fredericton returns to Halifax July 28th after a successful six-month deployment in the Mediterranean Sea. In January 2023, HMCS Fredericton departed Halifax to deploy under Operation REASSURANCE, Canada’s contribution to NATO assurance and deterrence measures in Central and Eastern Europe.
HMCS Fredericton was assigned to operate as part of Standing NATO Maritime Group Two (SNMG2). NATO’s standing naval forces provide the Alliance with a continuous naval presence and carry out a program of scheduled exercises and port visits, and can be rapidly deployed in times of crisis or tension.
In a crew-starved navy, Canada claims two non-combatants, HMC Ships Summerside and Shawinigan, acting as dive tenders for Standing Naval Mine Counter Measures Group One (SNMCMG1) in the Baltic Sea. Summerside is active while Shawinigan is in Portsmouth for unexplained reasons as of press time.