News Release

HMCS Athabaskan to receive replacement Sea King

CEFCOM NR–06.002 - February 20, 2006

OTTAWA – On February 23, a Sea King helicopter will be loaded at Halifax harbour onto a civilian ship, the Roxanne, which will deliver the Sea King to HMCS Athabaskan. The helicopter will replace the one that ditched off the coast of Denmark on Feb 2. The Roxanne, owned by a German company, will arrive in Malaga, Spain, on or around March 4.

HMCS Athabaskan is the flagship for the Standing NATO Maritime Group 1 (SNMG 1) and is scheduled to conduct a port visit to Malaga between March 8 and 11 where the replacement Sea King will join the ship.

Background

Canadian Commodore Denis Rouleau took command of the SNMG 1 on Jan 26. SNMG 1 consists of a squadron of destroyers and frigates from the NATO alliance nations. HMCS Athabaskan is commanded by Captain (Navy) Dave Gardam, and is one of four standing elements of NATO Response Force Rotation 7 (NRF 7). Canada’s contribution to the SNMG 1 and NRF 7 is called Operation SEXTANT.

HMCS Athabaskan carries a crew of about 300 Officers and non-commissioned members, including flight crew and maintenance technicians.

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NOTE: Media interested to attend the loading manoeuvres are invited to contact Capt Dave Devenney, 12 Wing Shearwater Public Affairs Officer, at (902) 720-1996.