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The national news magazine of the Royal Canadian Navy CrowsnestVol. 8, No. 2 Fall 2014 www.navy-marine.forces.gc.ca INSIDE RCN begins transition to future fleet Diplomacy at sea The coolest job in the world! RIMPAC 2014 By Lieutenant-Commander Desmond longest continuously participating “RIMPAC also brings together military James and Jamie Cook nations. forces from countries that have real “With participation from 22 nations, estate or significant interest in the uilding long-lasting relationships who collectively sent 49 surface ships, Pacific Ocean,” he continues. “The Bthat will pay dividends during six submarines, more than 200 aircraft relationships we build now will aid us in future operations is one of the main and approximately 25,000 participants, the future to quickly come together as reasons for the Royal Canadian Navy’s RIMPAC allows Canada to be amongst an effective maritime force whenever (RCN) long-standing participation in the a group of nations coming together to the governments of our respective biennial Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) foster and sustain the cooperative countries ask us.” exercise. relationships that are critical to ensuring Held this year off the coasts of Hawaii the safety of sea lanes and security on Relationship building and San Diego, Calif., from June 26 to the world’s oceans,” says Rear-Admiral That relationship building spanned August 1, the RCN has been partici- Gilles Couturier, the Maritime Com- through all levels of the exercise from pating in RIMPAC since its creation in ponent Commander for RIMPAC the senior ranks to the most junior as 1971, making Canada one of the 2014. Canada was given considerable leadership, with staff officer and operator roles that involved almost Crowsnest e-newsletter every military rank. Canada had more Your opinion than 200 staff officers from the navy, air Crowsnest is launching an e-newsletter edition. With this new format, we are force and army working in locations considering dropping our printed edition. including maritime and air operations We value the opinion of our readers and welcome your feedback on the possible centres. change of format. You can send your comments to [email protected]. “The Canadian maritime contribution As well, if you would like to receive Crowsnest as an email subscription now, included divers, maritime patrol aircraft, send us your email address and we will add you to our list of subscribers. surface and subsurface warships, and Crowsnest is also available on the Royal Canadian Navy website at all the associated crews,” explains www.navy-marine.forces.gc.ca. RAdm Couturier. “For the RCN Senior Advisor Crowsnest is published in April and October on the authority Commander Hubert Genest of the Commander Royal Canadian Navy, Vice-Admiral Mark Norman. Head, Navy Public Affairs Comments are welcome and can be sent to: Navy Public Affairs Senior Editor and Writer National Defence Headquarters Darlene Blakeley 11ST, 101 Colonel By Dr., K1A 0K2 Navy Public Affairs or [email protected] For the online version of this publication and for more information about the Royal Canadian Navy, visit www.navy-marine.forces.gc.ca. Cover page: HMCS Calgary arrives in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii for the Rim of the Pacific exercise. Photo: Jacek Szymanski If you would like an email subscription to Crowsnest, send your request to [email protected] to be added to our list. 2 ROYAL CANADIAN NAVY www.navy-marine.forces.gc.ca Ships sail in close formation during RIMPAC. Photo: U.S. Navy specifically, it was another great “For HMCS Calgary, the operational solidify some best practices for a opportunity to put our warships, crews training value was immense,” says modernized Halifax-class frigate,” adds and divers through a range of complex Commander John Wilson, Commanding Cdr Wilson. “The ship’s company really and challenging tasks meant to ensure Officer of Calgary. “Our sailors gained enjoyed the trip and gained valuable we maintain our ability to deliver critical experience operating with allied experience. We are going to take those excellence at sea.” navies in large task group scenarios that lessons learned forward with us as we The scenario this year was complex were well planned and executed. In move into a high readiness role and and revolved around one nation wishing general, I would say the exercise went continue to provide excellence to the to overthrow another through a variety quite well and I am extremely pleased RCN.” of destabilizing actions. In the immediate that Calgary was able to take part.” vicinity were other neutral nations which The warship was even able to Quiet and well trained were also affected by these actions. The successfully complete a series of missile For HMCS Victoria, working with a role of RIMPAC nations was to work firings after RIMPAC, another milestone variety of submarines from different together, with United Nations support, to in the ship’s progress towards nations was a rare treat. attempt to stabilize the region and completing the HCM program. “We don’t get to train very often sustain maritime commerce, while also “Overall, RIMPAC was an outstanding with this many submarines. We are a building up enough firepower in the opportunity for Calgary to generate and Continued on page 4 region that could be brought to bear upon the belligerent nation if needed. The RCN contributed three surface ships, HMC Ships Calgary, Nanaimo and Whitehorse, one submarine, HMCS Victoria, as well as a team of clearance divers from Fleet Diving Unit (Pacific) (FDU(P)). This was one of Canada’s largest RIMPAC naval contributions, even as the RCN works through the challenge of upgrading its Halifax-class frigates, the workhorses of the fleet, and bringing its Victoria-class submarines up to a steady state of readiness. Testing upgraded systems HMCS Calgary used RIMPAC to continue testing her upgraded systems and training new crews on the state-of- the-art technology that all frigates will Navy Photo: U.S. have as they complete the Halifax-Class Combined Forces Maritime Component Commander for RIMPAC Rear-Admiral Gilles Modernization (HCM) Project in the Couturier, second from right, speaks with Commander Joel Stewart, Commanding Officer of coming years. USS Anchorage while under way off the coast of San Diego. www.navy-marine.forces.gc.ca ROYAL CANADIAN NAVY 3 Continued from page 3 submariner qualification, a notable operating picture.” high-end diesel-electric submarine, achievement within the RCN and the At times, Nanaimo was tasked to find which means we’re known to be quiet submarine community as a whole,” Cdr the mines again using sonar so that they and well trained, and we know how to Kooiman adds. “We also built great could be dealt with. “We used our operate these boats. We’ve been doing relationships with sailors from other Seabotix remote operated vehicle it a long time,” says Cdr Alex Kooiman, RIMPAC nations, which I know will be (ROV), which a team from FDU(P) Commanding Officer of Victoria. “This beneficial as we continue to work operated,” continues LCdr Hopkins. also means it is a challenge for our together in future operations and “Over the course of the exercise, the allies as they try to locate us.” exercises.” ROV team successfully prosecuted Victoria also used RIMPAC as another numerous mines.” opportunity to continue developing the San Diego scenario From Nanaimo’s perspective, this Canadian submarine program. Building Hawaii wasn’t the only hub of RCN exercise was a complete success, upon her success at RIMPAC 2012 activity during RIMPAC 2014. Off the “providing an outstanding opportunity to when Victoria successfully sank a coast of San Diego, HMC Ships train, practise and develop RCN mine decommissioned U.S. vessel with her Nanaimo and Whitehorse, as well as a countermeasures (MCM) capabilities, Mark 48 torpedo, the submarine gained contingent from FDU(P), were kept busy while employed in a joint and combined valuable at-sea experience and built dealing with a scenario in which and multinational environment,” says upon lessons learned from her last two hundreds of mines were laid to prevent LCdr Hopkins. years of sailing time. vessels from operating in certain areas. With a conglomerate of Regular and “This RIMPAC allowed Victoria to Nanaimo and Whitehorse are maritime Reserve Force personnel from various build upon the Canadian sub program coastal defence vessels, small and parent units, Nanaimo successfully success as we keep moving towards the nimble ships ideally suited to the task of incorporated the “One Navy” concept steady state for the Canadian submarine minesweeping. and for many, this was their first force,” Cdr Kooiman explains. “We were “Our primary mission was to RIMPAC and only exposure to MCM challenged as a platform and as a crew contribute to freedom of navigation, operations. as we worked through some difficult providing safe routes and keeping the anti-submarine exercises, with port of San Diego Harbor open for Clandestine divers and trained numerous surface and air assets trying follow-on forces and merchant shipping,” dolphins to locate us before we could simulate explains Lieutenant-Commander Jeff Members of FDU(P) were also kept firing upon them.” Hopkins, Commanding Officer of busy on board partner nations’ vessels. Faced with those challenges, Victoria Nanaimo. “We employed our side-scan RCN clearance divers embarked in USS rose to the occasion, using honed sonar to detect objects on the sea Anchorage, a newly-commissioned San tactics to evade those forces trying to bottom, which the ship’s analysis team Antonio-class amphibious transport locate her. “The crew performed very classified, before we passed the dock, for exercises simulating the well and I was proud to say we information to our task group leadership, detection and neutralization of sea presented six sailors with their which helped them create a common mines located in close proximity to HMC Ships Whitehorse and Nanaimo alongside at San Diego Naval Base in California.