National Defence / Royal Canadian Navy
SPARTAN WARRIOR 2016 is a Canadian-led training event taking place from October 24 to November 16, 2016, off the east coast of Nova Scotia and along the eastern seaboard of North America, going as far south as the Bahamas.
Participants include Her Majesty’s Canadian Ships (HMCS) Fredericton, St John’s, Athabaskan, Montreal, and Spanish replenishment ship (ESPS) Patino, with embarked Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) personnel. Additional participating units include a destroyer, replenishment vessel, and submarines from the United States Navy (USN). Aircraft from the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) and USN will also participate.
Exercise SPARTAN WARRIOR provides experience in modern naval operations, allowing a higher level of overall readiness to deploy on missions at sea around the world. Furthermore, working with partner navies allows for collaboration that often becomes critical to the success of any international mission.
Quote
“SPARTAN WARRIOR 2016 was devised to provide sailors of the Atlantic Fleet, maritime aviation crews from the Royal Canadian Air Force, and participants from allied nations advanced experiential development in modern naval operations.
Enhancing skill levels and cooperation with like-minded nations strengthens our shared confidence in modern combat systems, wide-area surveillance abilities, information sharing, and ultimately, mission accomplishment and the defence of the naval task force and our respective countries.”
Rear Admiral J. Newton, Commander Maritime Forces Atlantic
Quick Facts
· SPARTAN WARRIOR 2016 is a RCN-led training opportunity that begins off the east coast of Canada in late October. Participants will transit down the eastern seaboard of the U.S. and will end their training in the Caribbean Sea. The Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) is committed to enhancing and promoting interoperability with partner countries.
· SPARTAN WARRIOR 2016 brings together approximately 1,500 participants from Canada, the U.S., and Spain and includes seven surface vessels, submarines, and numerous aircraft, including helicopters and maritime patrol aircraft.
· Canadian participants include HMC ShipsFredericton, Athabaskan, Montreal, St. John’s, and ESPS Patino. From the RCAF, three CH-124 Sea Kings from 12 Wing Shearwater and one CP-140 Aurora from 14 Wing Greenwood will also support the training. They will be joined by U.S. and Spanish surface ships and subs.
· SPARTAN WARRIOR 2016 will focus on tactical training within the context of a geopolitical scenario, and will facilitate training in a joint environment and develop interoperability with allies and joint partners. SPARTAN WARRIOR 2016 will culminate in an advanced war-at-sea scenario.
· HMCS Montreal, as the RCN experimental ship, will conduct key trials related to crew size during SPARTAN WARRIOR 2016.
· A CH-148 Cyclone helicopter will be involved in its first RCN exercise, continuing to test and evaluate its operational capability throughout SPARTAN WARRIOR 2016.
· SPARTAN WARRIOR 2016 has been designed to provide advanced training opportunities across the full-spectrum of maritime operations: deterrence, combat, security operations, and planning for stability operations within a joint, multinational context. Also included will be several live-fire gunnery events for surface and air participants.
· SPARTAN WARRIOR 2016 is designed to support the training demands of the RCN, and will support the deployment certification of HMCS St John’s.
· SPARTAN WARRIOR 2016 will be conducted primarily off the East Coast of Halifax, N.S., in the Maritime Atlantic Operation Areas (MARLOAS) along the eastern seaboard of North America and in the vicinity of the Bahamas.
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Source: Media Release
