HMCS Fredericton to sail

Canadian Press via Globe and Mail ^ | February 28, 2003

[Clive]

Ottawa — The crash of a Sea King helicopter on the deck of the Iroquois could delay its arrival in the Persian Gulf by one to two weeks, Vice-Admiral Ron Buck said Friday.

Canada is also shipping the Fredericton out to the Gulf soon, Admiral Buck said.

The Iroquois was on its way to the region to take command of the Allied support fleet in the event of war with Iraq. It was damaged Thursday when a Sea King helicopter crashed on the ship's deck.

The navy has said repairs to the vessel would take a few days. It was expected to be back in port within two days, Admiral Buck said Friday.

He provided the update in a speech to the Conference of Defence Associations annual meeting in Ottawa.

[Clive]

Fredericton is a Halifax Class multi-role patrol frigate (FFN).

Iroquois is an Iroquois Class guided-missile area air defence destroyer (DDH).

Fredericton's despatch to the Persian Gulf had been postponed by the need to deploy HMCS Iroquois to act as flag for Task Force 151 shich has just been put under the command of a Canadian and he needed something more than a frigate for his flag.

Fredericton was delayed because Iroquois needed its helicopter and crew and a replacement was not immediately available for deployment.

[Clive]

-

[Clive]

Pardon my typos:
Iroquois is a DDG,
Fredericton is a FFH

[GoAhead-Make My Day]

Unfortunately, you're just setting yourself up for a whole bunch of stupid comments from my fellow countrymen, who don't appreciate the fact that the Canadian government is fronting the expense to send this ship out, in order to help us in the war against terror. So I apologise beforehand. This mudslinging across the border is getting extremly stupid.

God bless those who sail on the Fredricton.

[N. Theknow]

GOOD NEWS!

Canada has offered to help the U.S. in the war on terrorism! They have pledged 2 battleships, 6000 troops and 10 fighter jets.

THE BAD NEWS!

With the current exchange rate, that comes out to 2 canoes, a mountie and a couple of flying squirrels. >

[N. Theknow]

Got that from a friend of mine who lives in BC(Native of Saskatoon) just moments ago.

That said, thanks for the HMCS Fredericton and to her crew.

[pabianice]

FFH-337

HMCS Fredericton

[GoAhead-Make My Day]

I saw on discovery channel on of those Frigates - they apparently are extremely high tech. I can't remember which one, but it was on a training excersise with some of our boys in the gulf somewhere. The frigate went off alone, and our ships fired 5 tomahawk missiles at her (duds of course). Within 13 seconds, the Canuck frigate had tracked and destroyed all 5 missiles with it's sparrow missiles.

[norton]

Those high tech sparrow missiles are US made (and probably not sparrows which I believe are air to air).

Anyway, I'm glad they got their other helicopter up and running, hope honest uncle sam's used airplane lot has a third at discount to get them back up to TO&E.

That said, safe sailing and good hunting.

[larryjohnson]

Thanks from Maine.

[drc43]

God bless the crew and thank you Canada.

From Michigan.

[Oztrich Boy]

Yes they are sparrows. the Sea Sparrow is pretty much the world standard intermediate range naval SAM.

Fredericton is probably still armed with vertical launch NATO Sea Sparrows although Canada was part of the consortium of nations developing the ESSM (the first round of which was delivered to the USN in September)

[norton]

Standing corrected here boss.

[norton]

On the other hand,
"Sea Sparrow"
is not
"Sparrow"
& I think that "Sparrow" remains an air to air missile.