Defence Team News | Sailing into action at RIMPAC 2024
Video / October 01, 2024
Transcript
Commodore Kristjan Monaghan: RIMPAC 2024 is the world's largest combined joint international maritime exercise. It is a premier event where many nations come to Hawaii to exercise their national objectives and their proficiencies.
So, this year, this RIMPAC's theme is Partners, Integrated, Prepared. With 29 nations being represented, 25,000 personnel, 14 land forces, 40 ships, 3 submarines, and over 150 aircraft. The Canadian Armed Forces footprint here at RIMPAC is approximately 650 people. Our platforms consist of His Majesty's Canadian Ship Max Bernays, HMCS Vancouver with an embarked Cyclone helicopter, and the naval replenishment ship Motor Vessel Asterix. So, for the Royal Canadian Air Force contributions to RIMPAC, we have two long range patrol aircraft - two Aurora aircraft.
Commander Collin Forsberg: This is our opportunity to work with navies that we don't normally operate with, especially as an arctic offshore patrol vessel. We get to exchange ideas and even do cross pollination with bringing their officers or their sailors on board and our sailors for their ship to learn how they do business and that prepares us to work with them in the future. And we get to build on new capabilities for the Harry DeWolf-class. So we'll be doing Ship Without Air Det operations and embarking helicopters from Peru, Italy, and of course the American Army and Navy.
Master Sailor Brian Michalski: I think anybody here at RIMPAC 2024 will tell you that it's not just about what you do on the job, it's also what you do outside as an ambassador to Canada. So going around and enjoying the local lifestyle and getting to know other partner nations that you're working with and collaborate and expose a little bit about what Canada can do, but a bit of Canadian culture.
Commodore Kristjan Monaghan: I think every sailor, aviator and soldier understand that they are true ambassadors for our nation. They wear the cloth of our nation, the flag of our nation, and they know that they bring a unique skill set to exercise RIMPAC.