Three Navy ships to Persian Gulf in June

A major effort (a balanced group to lead the Task Force):

VICTORIA -- The Canadian navy is deploying three war ships to the Persian Gulf, one of the largest single naval contribution to the war against terrorism since the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.

About 850 sailors, soldiers and air force personnel will sail from June to September with an international coalition of ships from the U.S., U.K., France, Germany, Pakistan and the Netherlands, the navy announced Friday. The group mainly conducts security patrols and searches suspicious ships.

A large portion of the contingent, some 500 Canadian Forces personnel, will come from Canadian Forces Base Esquimalt, outside Victoria. HMCS Calgary, a patrol frigate, and HMCS Protecteur, a supply ship, depart from the West Coast in the next few months, sailing through the Panama Canal to meet HMCS Iroquois somewhere in the Caribbean, navy spokesman Lt. Mark MacIntyre said.

The three ships then join the international group, called Task Force 150, which will run missions in the Arabian Sea, the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean. The Canadians plan to take a Sea King helicopter detachment with them.

Canada will also assume command of the task force, a responsibility that is handed out on a rotating basis [the French are now in command].

It is the fourth deployment of ships for Operation ALTAIR, Canada's naval contribution to what it calls the American-led coalition against terrorism.

More on Combined Task Force 150 here. I presume that HMCS Toronto was at some point part of the task force during its recent patrol, as with HMCS Charlottetown currently.

From the official news release:

...
Her Majesty’s Canadian Ships (HMCS) Iroquois, a destroyer, will act as the command platform for the task force. HMCS Calgary, a frigate, and HMCS Protecteur, an auxiliary oil replenishment ship will round out this fourth rotation of Operation ALTAIR, Canada’s contribution to the maritime portion of the global war on terrorism.

“This command demonstrates the world-class level of our nation’s maritime defence capabilities,” said General Rick Hillier, Chief of Defence Staff. “The competence and professionalism of our sailors and aviators are renowned worldwide, and our expertise in maritime interdiction operations will benefit our allies also contributing to the maritime coalition.”

Commodore Bob Davidson, along with his staff aboard HMCS Iroquois will lead the Canadian Task Group on its assigned mission.

CTF 150 is typically comprised of ships from such nations as France, Germany, Pakistan, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and the United States.