HMCS Fredericton departs for 6-month counterterrorism mission(October 2009)

[CougarKing]

http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/capress/091025/national/cda_frigate_mission


Canada's latest contribution to the war on terrorism and piracy slipped out of Halifax harbour in driving rain Sunday on a six-month deployment to the Middle East.

Before it left, family and friends gathered on the deck and in the helicopter bay of HMCS Fredericton for a couple of hours to bid an emotional farewell to the 245 crew members who won't be returning until next spring.


As Evan and Bianca Entwhistle hugged, their 20-month-old son Finn sandwiched between them, it was hard to distinguish the tears from the rain.


"The sad part with this little guy is how much they change," said Bianca kissing her son on his curly red head.


"He knows when Evan's gone. I don't think in the long term he'll remember this but he'll be talking by the time dad gets home."


Entwhistle said he knows he signed on for the job - this is his third deployment overseas - but that didin't make it any easier.


"It's the first time I'm doing a trip like this with the little guy and I'm more concerned about how it's going to run back here," he said, acknowledging the help of military support services and what he called "a great circle of friends."


The Fredericton will be integrated into the standing NATO Maritime Group providing security operations in the Arabian Sea and Indian Ocean until late April.


Cmdr. Steve Waddell said he had a lot to think about as captain of a navy ship about to leave on a lengthy mission.


"I'm thinking about the mission ahead, the weather today, just getting the ship off the wall safely, and about my own family on board," he said.


"This will be my fifth deployment to the area and every time I've gone it has been very much different . . . anything can happen so we have to be ready for anything."


The Fredericton will make a few diplomatic port calls before it arrives in theatre sometime mid-November where it will spend the first couple of months on anti-piracy duty off the Horn of Africa.


As he walked about shaking hands and wishing sailors well the head of the east coast navy, Rear Admiral Paul Maddison, said it was important that Canada contribute to ensuring the freedom of the seas.


"What we see happening off Somalia and the risks that are growing at sea we will see growing in other parts of the world," he said.


"This illicit activity puts pressure on the freedom of the sea which is so important to democratic countries like Canada because 90 per cent of the global economy floats."


Maddison said he believes the effort of like-minded navies over the past year has shown results.


"With the navies that have been there since the problem really spiked in 2008 we have put a significant dent in the ability of Somali pirates to operate," he said.

"I am absolutely convinced that they were not as successful over the past year as they would have hoped."

Several dignitaries, including New Brunswick Lt.-Gov. Graydon Nicholas, were on hand for the Fredericton's departure.

They offered best wishes and safe return to the ship that carries the name of the province's capital city.

 

 

[Ex-Dragoon]

Best wishes folks....see you in the spring.

 

[Snakedoc]

Best of luck to the crew of HMCS Fredericton.

 

[Maelstrom]

Happy Hunting!

On a side note, I guess I'll have to re-define 'terrorist'  eg.... Blackbeard the Terrorist and "Terrorists of the Caribbean"

 

[CougarKing]

A belated update from last week:

http://www.torontosun.com/news/world/2009/12/19/12209956-sun.html


GULF OF ADEN, Somalia -- The Canadian warship HMCS Fredericton, which has been patrolling the world's most dangerous waters, took part in its eighth intervention yesterday against what was believed to be an enemy boat.
For the first time since the QMI Agency has been chasing pirates onboard the ship in the Gulf of Aden, a loud alert was broadcast throughout the ship as this reporter was taking advantage of the remaining sunlight on the ship's helipad.

Finally some action!

Right from the get-go, it was obvious this wasn't a drill.

"Decks are out of bounds," yelled a voice over the loudspeakers. Because of the close proximity to the "dhow" (a traditional Indian boat), everyone was instructed to leave the area to avoid being exposed to danger.

The alert also serves as a call to the ship's "boarding team", a specialized group that is tasked with meeting the suspect boat.

The mood is serious on the ship's bridge. You could probably hear a pin drop if the ship wasn't so loud. Everyone is at their post, ready to react.

READY TO SHOOT

Twenty sailors are at the ready, their eyes glued on the occupants of the suspect boat by using binoculars, an infrared camera and a video camera armed with a powerful zoom. Two Canadian sailors, dressed in bulletproof vests and helmets, are behind their .50 calibre rifles, ready to shoot at their targets if they turn out to be aggressive pirates.

Even if the risk in this case doesn't seem high, it's better to be safe.

"We don't bother commercial ships in the international maritime corridor but if a boat deviates from that trajectory, it (becomes) suspect and we look at it very closely," explained one sailor.

The boarding team, aboard a powerful motor boat and made up of a weapons specialists, a communications specialist and a translator, heads towards the dhow.

The boat ended up being full of fishermen: one from Somalia, one from Tanzania and seven from Yemen. All nine of them had big smiles as the boarding team arrived, seeming more amused than frightened by the turn of events.

The boarding team has a very cool approach in dealing with suspects, observing non-verbal signs and the way the suspects answer questions to determine if they are lying.

"They weren't scared at all and that is part of our evaluation of the operation," said the sailor. "If they started to panic, our approach would be different. We can call the commander to tell him that we don't believe it's a fishing boat. If they are pretending to be fishermen and we don't see any nets, any fish, that's shady."

He also explained that using infrared also allows the team to see if someone is hiding somewhere on the boat.

In this case, the team went back to the ship with fresh fish.

 

[Wilshire Blvd.]

Does anybody know exactly when Freddy and her crew are scheduled to arrive? I'd love to go to Point Pleasant Park to watch them sail into the Harbour.

 

[George Wallace]

Keep your eyes on the news.  I am sure that there will be an announcement on the air, or in the newspaper, as to arrival timings.

 

[armyvern]

Does anybody know exactly when Freddy and her crew are scheduled to arrive? I'd love to go to Point Pleasant Park to watch them sail into the Harbour.

Keep your eyes out on these 2 links ...

http://www.navy.forces.gc.ca/fredericton/2/2-s_eng.asp?category=559&title=4181

http://www.navy.forces.gc.ca/fredericton/2/2-s_eng.asp?category=559&title=4159

 

[211RadOp]

Just reading in The Maple Leaf, they are due home May 4.

 

[Wilshire Blvd.]

Thanks guys. I heard May 4 as well. I imagine the time they're expected to arrive could vary depending on weather, etc. I'll keep my eyes on the news.

 

[Neill McKay]

Thanks guys. I heard May 4 as well. I imagine the time they're expected to arrive could vary depending on weather, etc. I'll keep my eyes on the news.

Expected alongside 0830.

 

[Wilshire Blvd.]

Expected alongside 0830.

Perfect - thank you.

 

[gcclarke]

I just have to wonder. Did they speed up a lot or slow down a lot in order to get home on the centennial?

 

[Nfld Sapper]

Think it has more to do with the fol:

HMCS Fredericton to visit St. John’s after overseas anti-piracy and anti-terrorism operations 
The Telegram


The Canadian navy frigate HMCS Fredericton will visit St. John’s Friday following a six-month deployment to the Arabian Sea, the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean where the crew participated in a NATO and Combined Task Force 150-led anti-piracy and anti-terrorism mission.
The ship is expected to arrive about 2 p.m. at Pier 10 in St. John’s Harbour.
After the annual commemoration of the Battle of the Atlantic Service which will be held 11 a.m. Sunday at the Anglican Cathedral, a parade will march to the waterfront.
The Chief of the Defence Staff, Gen. Walt Natynczyk, will be in attendance at all of the day’s events and will travel to Halifax with the ship when she departs at 3 p.m. Sunday.
HMCS Fredericton was integrated into Standing NATO Maritime Group 1 as part of Canada’s ongoing naval contribution to NATO.
The group’s maritime security operations took place in the Arabian Sea and Indian Ocean and were focused on both counter-piracy and counter-terrorism. As well, during their deployment they contributed to Combined Task Force 150 as part of the campaign against terrorism