Commander Maritime Forces Pacific salutes return of HMCS Vancouver at passes Duntze Head December 5th, 2024. Official photo.

HMCS Vancouver returned to Esquimalt December 5 after her having completed her six-month deployment to the Indo-Pacific region.

During this deployment, HMCS Vancouver and her crew participated in six exercises with partner and allied forces along their voyage, including Exercise KAEDEX which focuses on strengthening interoperability between the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) and the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force. In addition, Vancouver was the first time Canada only sent one combatant to Exercise Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) which is the largest joint combined maritime exercise in the world.

In September 2024, HMCS Vancouver made a historical forward reload of its Vertical Launch System missiles in the port of Broome, Australia. This was the first rearmament by an RCN vessel outside of Canadian or American territory. In collaboration with allies and partners, the ship actively contributed to upholding international law concerning navigation rights in vulnerable regions such as the Taiwan Strait and the East and South China Seas.

By Editor