HMCS SHAWINIGAN
HMCS Shawinigan, HMCS Charlottetown and NATO Allies monitor Russian Navy Vessels in Western Europe and Mediterranean Sea
By DND
From August 29th to September 18th, 2024, while conducting vigilance activities alongside NATO ships, His Majesty’s Canadian Ships (HMCS) Shawinigan and Charlottetown monitored Russian submarines and surface ships.
Beginning August 29th HMCS Shawinigan monitored a Russian submarine and surface vessel through the Baltic and North Seas before handing over responsibility to His Majesty’s Ship (HMS) Iron Duke, of the Royal Navy on September 1st. HMCS Charlottetown, flagship of Standing NATO Maritime Group 2 (SNMG2) assumed monitoring duties on September 17th from ESPS Cristobal Colon of the Spanish Navy, also part of SNMG2, and monitored the vessels for the remainder of their journey through the Eastern Mediterranean Sea.
“It fills me with a great sense of pride as the Maritime Task Force Commander to see our shipmates in His Majesty’s Canadian Ships (HMCS) Shawinigan contribute in such a meaningful way to the safety and security of our NATO allies and partners in Europe. Ships of the Royal Canadian Navy deployed on Operation Reassurance are ready for a wide spectrum of operations such as this one which provided invaluable maritime domain awareness, in addition to supporting and protecting Canadian and Allied interests. HMCS Shawinigan has rejoined HMCS Glace Bay and the other Alliance ships of Standing NATO Mine Countermeasures Group 1 and will continue its important work in Europe,” said Lieutenant-Commander Paul Morrison, Commanding Officer of HMCS Glace Bay and Maritime Task Force Commander, Operation Reassurance Maritime Task Force 24-03.
During this period HMCS Charlottetown also conducted monitoring activities of a separate Russian Federation Navy submarine and three surface vessels as they participated in Exercise OCEAN 24, a large-scale Russian exercise.
HMCS Shawinigan is currently deployed to Europe alongside HMCS Glace Bay on Operation Reassurance with Standing NATO Mine Countermeasures Group 1 (SNMCMG1), working alongside allied NATO ships to safely dispose of historical ordnance in the region’s waters, in addition to participating in NATO enhanced Vigilance Activities.
HMCS Charlottetown is currently deployed on Operation Reassurance as the flagship for SNMG2, working alongside allied NATO ships to support regional maritime security in the Mediterranean.
The right of innocent passage provides standards and expectations for ships to follow while transiting the waters of another country. At all times the Russian vessels were observed to have complied with these standards and expectations.
