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The Usual Disclaimer:
HMCS Toronto will be part of a mission of firsts
JENNIFER TAPLIN
For the first time, a Canadian naval ship in a NATO task group will circle Africa.
HMCS Toronto left Halifax yesterday bound for five months of NATO operations and exercises. The deployment will include a two-month, 23,150-kilometre (12,500 nautical mile) journey around the coast of Africa.
It's all part of Operation Sextant, and Canada's contribution to the Standing NATO Maritime Group 1 fleet.
Then the group, comprised of six ships from six countries, will head for Africa in August. Along the way they'll provide a presence in the Gulf of Guinea where oil workers were recently kidnapped and oil installations attacked.
When they hit South Africa, the NATO group will train with the South African navy. This is another first for NATO, explained the ship's commanding officer, Stephen Virgin.
"I don't think it's been done before, certainly not a combined NATO-South Africa exercise. The alliance has nations ... that they want to develop ties with so by being in that area, it's just an ideal opportunity to get together with South Africa."
Commodore Bob Davidson, commander of the East Coast fleet, said NATO exercises with non-NATO countries, but never before with South Africa.
The cruise will start and end in the Mediterranean, escorting shipping and deterring terrorism. In between, they'll circle Africa (via the Suez Canal), and conduct exercises in the Indian Ocean..........................http://www.hfxnews.ca/index.cfm?sid=46531&sc=89
HMCS Toronto will be part of a mission of firsts
JENNIFER TAPLIN
For the first time, a Canadian naval ship in a NATO task group will circle Africa.
HMCS Toronto left Halifax yesterday bound for five months of NATO operations and exercises. The deployment will include a two-month, 23,150-kilometre (12,500 nautical mile) journey around the coast of Africa.
It's all part of Operation Sextant, and Canada's contribution to the Standing NATO Maritime Group 1 fleet.
Then the group, comprised of six ships from six countries, will head for Africa in August. Along the way they'll provide a presence in the Gulf of Guinea where oil workers were recently kidnapped and oil installations attacked.
When they hit South Africa, the NATO group will train with the South African navy. This is another first for NATO, explained the ship's commanding officer, Stephen Virgin.
"I don't think it's been done before, certainly not a combined NATO-South Africa exercise. The alliance has nations ... that they want to develop ties with so by being in that area, it's just an ideal opportunity to get together with South Africa."
Commodore Bob Davidson, commander of the East Coast fleet, said NATO exercises with non-NATO countries, but never before with South Africa.
The cruise will start and end in the Mediterranean, escorting shipping and deterring terrorism. In between, they'll circle Africa (via the Suez Canal), and conduct exercises in the Indian Ocean..........................http://www.hfxnews.ca/index.cfm?sid=46531&sc=89