Ville de Québec joins training exercise with Australian and Philippine navies 

Ville de Québec joins training exercise with Australian and Philippine navies 

By Trident Staff 

His Majesty’s Canadian Ship (HMCS) Ville de Québec has been deployed since April supporting Operation Horizon in the Indo-Pacific region, and the ship isn’t slowing down. The team on board recently welcomed new crew members and took part in a large multinational exercise near the Philippines as it moves into the second half of a seven-month mission. 

The ship joined partner navies and other military personnel for Exercise Alon 25, marking the first time a Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) ship has participated in the event, which ran from August 15 to 29. Though primarily designed as a bilateral Australian–Philippine initiative, the exercise also included contributions from the United States in addition to Canada’s participation with HMCS Ville de Québec. 

Exercise Alon brought a series of demanding naval warfare and seamanship evolutions. The ship’s company conducted Combined Anti-Submarine Warfare Exercises (CASEXs), simulating undersea threats with mobile training targets in the water. Air Defence Exercises (ADEXs) followed, with Royal Australian Air Force F-18s launching mock “attacks” against the formation, testing the readiness of ships’ combat systems. 

The embarked helicopter detachment and CH-148 Cyclone helicopter, call sign “Avalanche,” also played an active role. Technicians and aircrew completed cross-deck training, performing hoists aboard HMAS Brisbane while also hosting their Australian counterparts for hoists on Ville de Québec. Helicopters from Canada and Australia also flew together during the exercise in a demonstration of the flexibility of embarked aviation and air-maritime integration. 

Sailors transferred between ships for cross-pollination activities, with Ville de Québec welcoming visitors from the Philippine Navy’s BRP Jose Rizal and the Royal Australian Navy’s HMAS Brisbane, and Canadian sailors stepping aboard partner vessels for a look at how other navies work at sea. 

Additional activities focused on interoperability. Ville de Québec took part in Officer of the Watch manoeuvres with HMAS Brisbane, BRP Jose Rizal, BRP Gener Tinangag, and BRP Domingo Deluana, sharpening ship handling and coordination skills across multiple navies. 

Launched in 2023 by Australia and the Philippines, Exercise Alon has expanded in scope. This year’s edition brought together more than 3,600 personnel, including 1,600 from the Australian Defence Force and 1,525 from the Armed Forces of the Philippines. The U.S. Marine Rotation Force–Darwin added about 350 personnel, while Canada contributed HMCS Ville de Québec and her roughly 180 sailors and aviators. 

The exercise also came amid a busy period for the ship’s company. A significant crew turnover occurred in Manila, with about 35 sailors rotating out and replacements joining the ship. The influx of new personnel meant that, alongside multinational training, Ville de Québec conducted a program of emergency drills to ensure the new sailors met the ship’s high standards. 

The ship also recently completed a Rest and Maintenance Period — a somewhat misleading title. With many crew members away on leave, new sailors arriving and technicians engaged in essential upkeep, the work alongside remained just as demanding as the exercise itself.