Good neighbors
aid war on terrorA brief press release from the Pacific headquarters of the Canadian Navy in Esquimalt, British Columbia, reminds Americans that we are not alone in the war on terror:
After six months away from home on Operation APOLLO in Southwest Asia, HMCS OTTAWA berthed at Esquimalt on Aug. 17. The frigate intercepted and inspected vessels in the northern Arabian Sea and the Arabian Gulf in search of contraband oil, restricted goods, and fleeing al-Qaida and Taliban leaders. The ship conducted a record number of queries with more than 1,800 merchant ships hailed and 33 vessels boarded for closer inspection, including the motor vessel ROAA found smuggling oil.
The ship's air detachment with crews from 443 Maritime Helicopter Squadron flew the CH-124 Sea King helicopter more than 400 hours while deployed, supporting operations from replenishment to surveillance. While on station, OTTAWA spent the first 55 days continuously at sea. Additionally, she was the flagship for the Canadian Task Group for the first four weeks until relieved by HMCS ALGONQUIN.
Overall, OTTAWA spent 100 days in the region, of which 90 percent were at sea. With the round trip from Esquimalt to the Gulf and the time spent patrolling, OTTAWA traveled more than 60,000 nautical miles in her deployment.
Richard Halloran