CPL ANTONIO GARCIA ALVAREZ
HMCS Ville de Québec reaches European waters with SNMG1
By Nathan Stone,
Trident Staff
CPL GREGORY COLE
After months of preparation, His Majesty’s Canadian Ship (HMCS) Ville de Québec and its crew are putting that training into practice as they lead a NATO task group on Operation REASSURANCE.
The Halifax-based frigate departed on July 15 for a planned six-month deployment in European waters. Sailing as the flagship of Standing NATO Maritime Group 1 (SNMG1), the ship is operating alongside Allied navies in the North Atlantic and Baltic Sea, contributing to joint exercises, maritime patrols, and NATO’s deterrence mission in Eastern Europe.
Operation REASSURANCE is Canada’s ongoing contribution to NATO deterrence measures and includes personnel and capabilities from all three branches of the Canadian Armed Forces.
“For the past six months, the entire crew has been focused on becoming a team and preparing for this mission. Today, HMCS Ville de Québec stands ready to answer the call of Canadians and our NATO Allies,” said Commander (Cdr) Jason Knowles, the ship’s Commanding Officer.
Since departing Halifax, the ship’s company has continued to sharpen its skills through a demanding routine of training at sea. Sailors have conducted damage control exercises, weapons training on the flight deck, and casualty-clearing simulations to maintain their readiness while deployed.
The vessel underwent extensive maintenance and workups before sailing and is equipped with advanced anti-submarine warfare capabilities, surface-to-air missiles, and a CH-148 Cyclone helicopter.
Cdr Knowles says Ville de Québec excels in its role as a multipurpose frigate and that the crew is eager to demonstrate those capabilities alongside NATO partners.
“The ship can do a little bit of everything really well and can always surge to do the thing that we’re needed to do.”
He also expects that he and the crew will learn new skills from their allies.
“When we get there, we’ll realize that there are things we haven’t thought of that somebody else is good at, and that gives us the chance to learn. There’s no better place for learning than at the front.”
For members of the ship’s company on their first major deployment, including Sailor 3rd Class (S3) Joseph Turcotte, a new Naval Communicator, the mission marks an important milestone.
His parents, Tim and Karen Turcotte, were among the family members who gathered on the jetty in Halifax last month to see the ship sail.
“I’m really proud,” said Karen. “I never in my life thought that I would be here watching one of the big warships sail away and that my son would be on it.”
Since leaving Halifax, the ship has already begun building on international partnerships. One of HMCS Ville de Québec‘s first port visits was to Glasgow, Scotland, where the crew was welcomed at a civic reception hosted by the Lord Provost of Glasgow.
