Canada to send 4 warships, 800 military personnel to world's largest naval exercise
The Canadian military will send four warships and 800 soldiers, sailors and aviators to this summer’s Exercise Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC), the world's largest naval warfare exercise.
The decision was finalized at a meeting earlier this month in San Diego that was attended by senior defence staff from Canada, the United States, Australia, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea and Singapore.
Two Canadian navy frigates from British Columbia – HMCS Vancouver and HMCS Winnipeg – will be accompanied by Cyclone helicopters, an Aurora patrol plane and a pair of coastal defence vessels, HMCS Brandon and HMCS Edmonton, at the exercise this summer off Hawaii and California.
The Department of National Defence says the ongoing war in Ukraine, which has drawn Canadian frigates from Halifax to Europe in support of NATO’s deterrence measures against Russia, will not affect scheduled naval training in the Pacific region.
"Planning for Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) participation in exercise Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) continues as originally planned despite events in Ukraine," National Defence spokesperson Véronique Sabourin said in an email.
"Our operational readiness management programs ensure the readiness of the CAF to conduct concurrent operations through participation in and execution of specific exercises and training events in Canada and internationally with allies and partners," Sabourin added.
Canada will occupy key leadership roles in this year’s exercise. Rear-Admiral Angus Topshee will serve as deputy commander of the combined task force, Brig.-Gen. Mark Goulden will command the exercise’s air component and Cmdr. Doug Layton will serve as deputy commander for maritime forces.
25,000 PERSONNEL FROM 27 COUNTRIES
The biennial RIMPAC exercise was last held in 2020, when Canada sent a smaller contingent than initially planned due to the restrictions of the COVID-19 pandemic. The exercise itself was scaled back to two weeks instead of the usual six, and was held exclusively at sea after the U.S. Navy cancelled the onshore training that had been a part of RIMPAC since its inception.
The 2022 exercise is expected to be a return to full-force interoperability training with approximately 25,000 military personnel, 41 ships, four submarines and more than 170 aircraft from 27 participating countries.
The list of participating countries likely will not be released until June when the exercise gets underway, according to a spokesperson for the U.S. Navy’s Third Fleet, which hosts the event.
The big question for many military watchers is whether the U.S. will invite Taiwan to the exercise for the first time, either as a participant or observer.
In December, U.S. President Joe Biden signed into law a defence spending bill that included a recommendation to conduct "practical training and military exercises with Taiwan, including, as appropriate, inviting Taiwan to participate in the Rim of the Pacific exercise conducted in 2022."
The invite was proposed by the U.S. Congress to counter "the increasingly coercive and aggressive behavior of the People’s Republic of China towards Taiwan," according to the National Defense Authorization Act.
RIMPAC began as an annual exercise in 1971 before it was moved to every two years due to its large size. Canada is one of the exercise’s founding countries, alongside the U.S. and Australia.
National Defence describes its participation in the warfare exercise as a key opportunity to build multinational relationships and strengthen peace and security in the Indo-Pacific region.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Spectacular aurora light show to be seen across Canada Friday night
A rare and severe solar storm is expected to bring spectacular displays of the northern lights, also known as aurora borealis, across much of Canada and parts of the United States on Friday night.
Town of Fort Nelson, B.C., ordered to evacuate due to wildfire
The entire town of Fort Nelson, B.C., as well as the nearby Fort Nelson First Nation, has been ordered to evacuate due to an out-of-control wildfire.
Snowbirds in Vancouver for puck-drop flyby as Canucks face Oilers
The Canadian Forces Snowbirds will be performing a flyover across downtown Vancouver at the start of tonight's Stanley Cup playoff game between the Canucks and the Edmonton Oilers.
McGill University seeks emergency injunction to dismantle pro-Palestinian encampment
McGill University has filed a request for an injunction to have the pro-Palestinian encampment removed from its campus.
Which Canadian cities have the highest and lowest grocery prices?
Where you live plays a big factor in what you pay at the grocery store. And while it's no secret the same item may have a different price depending on the store, city or province, we wanted to see just how big the differences are, and why.
Swarm of 20,000 bees gather around woman’s car west of Toronto
A swarm of roughly 20,000 bees gathered around a woman’s car in the parking lot of Burlington Centre.
Video shows naked raccoon catching B.C. family by surprise
When Marvin Henschel spotted a strange and hairless creature wandering through a front lawn in B.C.'s Lower Mainland, he could barely believe his eyes.
Barron Trump declines to serve as an RNC delegate
Former U.S. President Donald Trump's youngest son, Barron Trump, has declined to serve as a delegate at this summer’s Republican National Convention, according to a senior Trump campaign adviser and a statement from Melania Trump's office.
Out-of-control wildfire prompts evacuation alert for Fort McMurray, Saprae Creek Estates Friday night
An evacuation alert was issued for two Wood Buffalo communities Friday night, as crews battled an out-of-control wildfire near Fort McMurray.