Naval interoperability

Official news release (links added):

Canadian and US Navies To Join For Annual Task Group Exercise

Her Majesty’s Canadian Ships (HMCS) Algonquin and Protecteur have departed Esquimalt Harbour for Southern California in order to participate in a Task Group Exercise (TGEX). They will join HMCS Calgary which has been on a three-month deployment to Central and South America since August 17^th.

Algonquin, Calgary, and Protecteur will rendezvous in San Diego prior to the start of TGEX during which more than 500 Canadian personnel will participate in various naval training exercises before they return at the end of November.

“Naval exercises such as TGEX train our sailors to operate their ships independently or integrate seamlessly into a larger multi-national task force” said Commodore Ron Lloyd, Commander of Canadian Fleet Pacific. “TGEX provides invaluable opportunities for the Fleet to hone skill sets that are used on a wide range of potential missions ranging from counter-piracy operations to providing humanitarian assistance.”

TGEX is designed to provide realistic training exercises that will enhance the Navy’s ability to protect Canadian interests at home and abroad. These interests include securing the unrestricted flow of goods across ocean trade routes and maintaining national security against foreign and domestic threats.

For the Canadian Navy, participation in TGEX is part of a stepped program to generate a high readiness Canadian Naval Task Group called for in Canada’s Defence Policy.