Royal Canadian Navy ships leave Halifax to join NATO in Baltic mission
CTV
Two Royal Canadian Navy warships sailed out of Halifax harbour Sunday, bound for the Baltic region where they will join a NATO mission aimed at deterring Russian aggression.
Two Royal Canadian Navy warships sailed out of Halifax harbour Monday, bound for the Baltic region where they will join a NATO mission aimed at deterring Russian aggression.
The vessels, HMCS Shawinigan and HMCS Summerside, will help NATO forces with mine-hunting and disposal in the North Atlantic as part of Operation Reassurance.
Rear Admiral Josee Kurtz, commander of Joint Task Force Atlantic, said the deployment signals Canada's commitment to the 31-country alliance.
"Even if NATO is not directly involved in what's happening in Ukraine with Russia, the fact that we are positioning the alliance to be ready to react, if called upon, is very important," she told reporters after the ships left the harbour.
The "allied waters will be much safer" because they are being patrolled by Canadian ships, she added.
While NATO is not directly involved in Russia's war with Ukraine, a top NATO military officer said Monday the alliance is reinforcing the security of nearby member countries.
Admiral Rob Bauer, chairman of NATO's military committee, said about 40,000 troops are on standby from Estonia in the north to Romania on the Black Sea in the south.
