Petty Officer 1st Class William Colclough - https://www.dvidshub.net/image/1088657
His Majesty's Canadian Ship (HMCS) Charlottetown returned to Halifax today, closing out a six-month deployment to the Indo-Pacific in support of Operations HORIZON and NEON.
Why it matters: The deployment is Canada's latest contribution to a near persistent naval presence in the region, and the numbers behind it, more than 150 days at sea and over 45,000 nautical miles, illustrate the scale of the commitment behind Canada's Indo-Pacific Strategy.
The deployment, by the numbers
Charlottetown left Halifax on February 1 and spent more than 150 days at sea, sailing over 45,000 nautical miles and visiting 13 ports in 10 countries. While deployed, the ship strengthened interoperability with 15 allied and partner nations through multinational exercises including KAKADU, BALIKATAN and VALIANT SHIELD, alongside cooperative engagements and maritime, aviation and diving operations.
A tour of the region
The frigate's route since February traced much of the Indo-Pacific. Early in the deployment, Charlottetown transited the Panama Canal and later prepared for a fleet review in Sydney, Australia. In April, the ship joined the Royal Australian Navy and the U.S. Navy for a joint operation in the South China Sea, then spent nearly three weeks in the Philippines for Exercise BALIKATAN.
In May, Charlottetown made a four-day goodwill visit to Da Nang, Vietnam, followed by a transit of the Taiwan Strait, an international waterway under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. The deployment's largest multinational exercise came in late June and early July, when Charlottetown joined the USS George Washington Carrier Strike Group for Exercise Valiant Shield 2026 in and around Hawaii and Guam.
What they're saying
Lieutenant-General Steve Boivin, commander of Canadian Joint Operations Command, said the deployment underscored the Canadian Armed Forces' ability to operate alongside allies and partners, strengthening cooperation and advancing Canadian interests both at home and abroad.
Rear-Admiral Pascal Belhumeur, commander of Maritime Forces Atlantic, welcomed the ship's company home, saying the crew represented Canada with distinction over six months in the Indo-Pacific and highlighting the deployment's role in Canada's Indo-Pacific Strategy.
Quick facts
HMCS Charlottetown is a Halifax-class frigate crewed by approximately 240 sailors and aviators, including an embarked CH-148 Cyclone helicopter detachment.
During the deployment, the ship conducted live-fire surface engagement exercises, anti-submarine warfare training, helicopter training and engineering diving operations.
Operation NEON is Canada's contribution to a multinational effort enforcing United Nations Security Council sanctions against North Korea; Canada has periodically deployed ships, aircraft and personnel under the operation since 2018.
Halifax-class frigates form the backbone of the Royal Canadian Navy's surface fleet.
