HMCS Regina is on her way back to CFB Esquimalt after a mission to the oceans of the Asia Pacific, Australia and the Arabian Sea.
Regina and her 240 sailors are expected back this month after spending seven months away from home.
In a Thursday interview from Regina, one day after the vessel crossed the equator on her way to Hawaii, the ship’s commanding officer, Cmdr. Jake French, said the vessel completed a diplomatic first, a joint training exercise with the Vietnamese Navy.
“We were the first Royal Canadian Navy ship to be in Cam Ranh Bay,” said French. “To have that cultural experience and to work with the Vietnamese Navy was fantastic.”
HMCS Regina left CFB Esquimalt on Feb. 6 for Operation Projection, an ongoing effort by the Department of National Defence to maintain a maritime presence in the Asia-Pacific region.
Regina sailed with MV Asterix, Canada’s civilian-military vessel that serves as a floating supply station to replenish fuels and stores for ships of Canada’s navy and its allies.
French said Regina found itself in the Arabian Sea just as diplomatic tensions increased between Iran and the U.S. and its allies.
“That was an interesting experience.” said French. “Just as the political back and forth started and the geopolitical tension started to tighten, and we there for that.”
While in the Arabian Sea, Regina stopped a number of dhows, small boats common in the area, and helped seize illegal drugs.
Regina also conducted exercises with the naval forces of Japan and took part in a biannual exercise of the Australian and U.S. navies called Talisman-Sabre.
French said Talisman-Sabre involved a lot of amphibious landings along the coast of Australia.
“To see that number of ships and that number of personnel conducting raids on Australia and to be part of that coalition of ships, that was a very cool experience,” French said.
