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HMCS Calgary exercises with Indonesian Navy

HMCS Calgary’s Commanding Officer, Cdr Mark O’Donohue, Executive Officer, Cdr Meghan Coates, and Coxswain, CPO1 Mark Chambers, on the ship’s forecastle. The command team had just met with the group waving from the jetty, which included Canadian Ambassador to Indonesia and Timor-Leste, Cameron MacKay, and Canadian Ambassador to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, Diedrah Kelly, along with Colonel Andrew Cleveland, the Canadian Defence Attaché to Indonesia, the Philippines, Brunei and Timor-Leste, and two of their staff members in Jakarta, Indonesia on July 2.
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HMCS Calgary exercises with Indonesian Navy

By Capt Jeffery Klassen,
HMCS Calgary

Her Majesty’s Canadian Ship (HMCS) Calgary enhanced naval partnership and Canadian-Indonesian relations during a technical visit to Jakarta in early July 2021 while on Operation PROJECTION. During this visit the ship had several interactions with Indonesian ships including a multi-ship escort upon its sail into Jakarta and a Flashing Light communications exercise with the multi-role corvette Kapal Perang Republik Indonesia (KPI) Bung Tomo. In English, KPI means Naval Vessel of the Republic of Indonesia.

“We greatly appreciated the opportunity to enhance our interoperability with the Indonesian Navy during our visit to Jakarta,” said Commander (Cdr) Mark O’Donohue, HMCS Calgary’s Commanding Officer. “Conducting cooperative deployments with other capable navies in the region demonstrates our ability to work together and contribute to Indo-Pacific maritime security and stability.”

Sailor Second Class Fletcher Tompkins, a Sonar Operator, stands ready for deck work aboard HMCS Calgary during the departure from Jakarta, Indonesia on July 3.
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While in Jakarta on July 2, HMCS Calgary had a socially distanced visit by Ambassador Deidrah Kelly of the Mission of Canada to Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and Ambassador Cameron MacKay of the Embassy of Canada to Indonesia and Timor-Leste. The ship’s Executive Officer, Cdr Megan Coates, and Ambassador MacKay held a virtual press conference with local media. They spoke about Canada-Indonesia bilateral relations and the importance of maintaining military interoperability between nations.

“The visit of HMCS Calgary to Jakarta is a concrete demonstration of Canada’s growing partnership with Indonesia, and our joint commitment to peace, security, sustainability, and prosperity at home and abroad,” said Ambassador MacKay.

Upon sailing out of Indonesian waters, HMCS Calgary was met by the ocean-going tug KRI Soputan. The two ships exchanged honours before HMCS Calgary proceeded on its course to the coast of Australia where it will work with other regional partner navies on Exercise Talisman Sabre from mid-to-end-July.