Canadian warship joins NATO anti-submarine drill

The Canadian warship HMCS Fredericton joined the annual NATO anti-submarine training exercises in the North Sea, the Defense Ministry said Monday.

Canada is joining the 10-day "Dynamic Mongoose 2015" exercises as part of its deployment under Operation Reassurance, which is "Canada's response to Russia's military aggression toward Ukraine," said the ministry.

HMCS Fredericton will serve as the anti-submarine warfare commander for one of the Combined Task Groups employed for the exercises.

Off the coast of Norway, the exercises include 12 warships, four submarines, and air assets from NATO and non-NATO forces, which will conduct operational air, surface, and subsurface anti-submarine warfare training at the unit and task group level.

The exercises involve forces from Canada, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Spain, Sweden, Turkey, Britain, and the United States.

Standing NATO Maritime Groups are multinational, integrated maritime forces made up of vessels from various allied countries. These vessels are permanently available to NATO to perform different tasks ranging from exercises to operational missions.

HMCS Fredericton is a frigate with a crew of approximately 250 personnel and a CH-124 Sea King helicopter and air detachment.

It has participated in NATO-led counter-terrorism patrols and related activities in the Mediterranean, Aegean and Black Seas, and the North Atlantic Ocean as part of Standing NATO Maritime Group Two since relieving HMCS Toronto in January this year.

Russia's relations with the West have been stranded following the sanctions imposed on Moscow after its takeover of Crimea last March and alleged involvement in the Ukraine crisis.

Ahead of the first anniversary of Crimea's incorporation into Russia, the United States and its NATO allies launched a series of joint drills in the Black Sea.

In mid-March, Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered to start a six-day snap inspection of combat readiness across the country's military districts. The maneuvers have drawn widespread attention amid increasing NATO military actions near Russian borders.