The Royal Canadian Navy uses the title Operation Projection to describe many of its activities with other nations that include port visits and exercises around the world. The early 2023 version saw the Halifax based HMCS Glace Bay and HMCS Moncton sailing to the Gulf of Guinea in western Africa and returning via the Caribbean.
Today March 26, saw the departure of two more ships on the latest version of Operation Projection, but there is a difference. It is unusual for Halifax-based frigates to sail to the Pacific Ocean, but that is the destination for HMCS Montreal FFH 336. Along with NRU Asterix the ship sailed this morning in an unpleasant combinaton of driving wind and wet snowy / rain. However as their route to the Indo-Pacific will be via the Panama Canal, they will soon be changing to whites.
The NRU (Naval Resupply Unit) Asterix is the privately owned and operated interim supply ship that the RCN has hired until new ships are constructed by Seaspan ULC in Vancouver. The ship operates with a combined civilian crew and specialist naval personnel as needed. It was commissioned in 2018 after it was converted from a container ship and is classed as a non-combattant.
However it has participated in numerous naval exercies and operations in the Atlantic and Pacific. Among them was a 2018-2019 deployment that took the ship to Hawaii and the Middle East. It was away from Halifax for 500 days. The ship is fitted with "refueling at sea" equipment and reportedly made 197 fuel transfers in that mission alone.
Asterix is Canada's only naval supply ship at the present time. The two new ships of the Protecteur class, (Canadianized Berlin class), are still several years away from completion. Current estimates are 2025 and 2027 deliveries, but even these seem optimistic. It is therefore likely that the Asterix may be in service longer than the originally suggested seven years.
This morning's conditions did not favour a photo of HMCS Montreal. The Halifax class frigate was commissioned in 1994, and has undergone numerous updates and refits. Thanks to AIS I was able to "see" the ship off Halifax later in the morning as it positioned itself to receive its CH-148 Cyclone helicopter which was to fly out from Shearwater and join the ship.
On December 12, 2021 the ship was highly visible on the Syncrolift at HMC Dockyard in Halifax, sporting a new coat of anti-fouling paint.
