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HMCS Charlottetown (FFH 339)
Encyclopedia
HMCS Charlottetown (FFH 339) is a that has served in the Royal Canadian Navy
since 1995.
Charlottetown is the tenth ship in her class which is based on the Canadian Patrol Frigate Project
. She is the third vessel to carry the designation .
Charlottetown was laid down on 18 December 1993 at Saint John Shipbuilding Ltd.
, Saint John
and launched on 1 October 1994. She was officially commissioned into the CF on 9 September 1995 and carries the hull classification symbol
339.
She is assigned to Maritime Forces Atlantic
(MARLANT) and is homeported at CFB Halifax
.
and enforcing Canadian laws in its territorial sea and Exclusive Economic Zone
.
Charlottetown has also been deployed on missions throughout the Atlantic and to the Indian Ocean
; specifically the Persian Gulf
and Arabian Sea
on anti-terrorism operations.
(SNMG1).
during the 2011 Libyan civil war
.
The Charlottetown is working in conjunction with an American carrier battle group led by the USS Enterprise
. The stated mission was to help restore peace, evacuate Canadian citizens in Libya
and provide humanitarian relief.
On Friday March 18th the Canadian government expanded the mission by announcing that HMCS Charlottetown, in addition to six CF-18 fighter aircraft and two CC-177s transport aircraft, would constitute Canada's contribution to the enforcement. of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1973
, aimed to protect Libya's civilian population(Operation MOBILE
).
By March 21, the CBC reported that the Charlottetown was patrolling the waters off north Libya. Since then, the Charlottetown has seen military action at least twice:
Royal Canadian Navy
The history of the Royal Canadian Navy goes back to 1910, when the naval force was created as the Naval Service of Canada and renamed a year later by King George V. The Royal Canadian Navy is one of the three environmental commands of the Canadian Forces...
since 1995.
Charlottetown is the tenth ship in her class which is based on the Canadian Patrol Frigate Project
Canadian Patrol Frigate Project
The Canadian Patrol Frigate Project was a procurement project undertaken by the Department of National Defence beginning in 1975 to find a replacement for the , , , and destroyers.-Contract award:...
. She is the third vessel to carry the designation .
Charlottetown was laid down on 18 December 1993 at Saint John Shipbuilding Ltd.
Saint John Shipbuilding
Saint John Shipbuilding was a Canadian shipbuilding company located in Saint John, New Brunswick. It operated from 1923-2003.-History:Numerous shipyards were located on the shores of Courtney Bay in the east end of Saint John Harbour where extensive mud flats dried at low tide.In 1918 it was...
, Saint John
Saint John, New Brunswick
City of Saint John , or commonly Saint John, is the largest city in the province of New Brunswick, and the first incorporated city in Canada. The city is situated along the north shore of the Bay of Fundy at the mouth of the Saint John River. In 2006 the city proper had a population of 74,043...
and launched on 1 October 1994. She was officially commissioned into the CF on 9 September 1995 and carries the hull classification symbol
Hull classification symbol (Canada)
The Royal Canadian Navy uses hull classification symbols to identify the types of its ships, which are similar to the United States Navy's Hull classification symbol system...
339.
She is assigned to Maritime Forces Atlantic
Maritime Forces Atlantic
In the Canadian Forces, Maritime Forces Atlantic is responsible for the fleet and operations of the Royal Canadian Navy in the Atlantic Ocean and Arctic Ocean. The Commander of MARLANT is a two-star Rear Admiral....
(MARLANT) and is homeported at CFB Halifax
CFB Halifax
Canadian Forces Base Halifax is Canada's east coast navy base and home port to the Atlantic fleet, known as Maritime Forces Atlantic....
.
Command Team
- Commanding Officer:Commanding officerThe commanding officer is the officer in command of a military unit. Typically, the commanding officer has ultimate authority over the unit, and is usually given wide latitude to run the unit as he sees fit, within the bounds of military law...
Commander Craig Skjerpen, CDCanadian Forces DecorationThe Canadian Forces Decoration is a Canadian award bestowed upon members of the Canadian Forces who have completed twelve years of military service, with certain conditions. By convention, it is also given to the Governor General of Canada upon his or her appointment as viceroy, which includes the... - Executive Officer:Executive officerAn executive officer is generally a person responsible for running an organization, although the exact nature of the role varies depending on the organization.-Administrative law:...
Lieutenant-Commander Matthew Coates, CD - Coxswain:CoxswainThe coxswain is the person in charge of a boat, particularly its navigation and steering. The etymology of the word gives us a literal meaning of "boat servant" since it comes from cox, a coxboat or other small vessel kept aboard a ship, and swain, which can be rendered as boy, in authority. ...
CPO1 Alistair Skinner, CD
Service
Charlottetown serves on MARLANT missions protecting Canada's sovereignty in the Atlantic OceanAtlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
and enforcing Canadian laws in its territorial sea and Exclusive Economic Zone
Exclusive Economic Zone
Under the law of the sea, an exclusive economic zone is a seazone over which a state has special rights over the exploration and use of marine resources, including production of energy from water and wind. It stretches from the seaward edge of the state's territorial sea out to 200 nautical...
.
Charlottetown has also been deployed on missions throughout the Atlantic and to the Indian Ocean
Indian Ocean
The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's oceanic divisions, covering approximately 20% of the water on the Earth's surface. It is bounded on the north by the Indian Subcontinent and Arabian Peninsula ; on the west by eastern Africa; on the east by Indochina, the Sunda Islands, and...
; specifically the Persian Gulf
Persian Gulf
The Persian Gulf, in Southwest Asia, is an extension of the Indian Ocean located between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula.The Persian Gulf was the focus of the 1980–1988 Iran-Iraq War, in which each side attacked the other's oil tankers...
and Arabian Sea
Arabian Sea
The Arabian Sea is a region of the Indian Ocean bounded on the east by India, on the north by Pakistan and Iran, on the west by the Arabian Peninsula, on the south, approximately, by a line between Cape Guardafui in northeastern Somalia and Kanyakumari in India...
on anti-terrorism operations.
NATO
Charlottetown has also participated in several NATO missions, patrolling the Atlantic Ocean as part of Standing Naval Force Atlantic (STANAVFORLANT) and its successor Standing NATO Response Force Maritime Group 1Standing NRF Maritime Group 1
Standing NATO Maritime Group One is one of NATO's standing maritime Immediate Reaction Forces. Prior to 1 January 2005 it was known as Standing Naval Force Atlantic...
(SNMG1).
Libyan conflict
On Wednesday March 2, 2011, the Charlottetown left its home port of Halifax to join the NATO-led air-sea Operation Unified ProtectorOperation Unified Protector
Operation Unified Protector was an NATO operation enforcing United Nations Security Council resolutions 1970 and 1973 concerning the 2011 Libyan civil war and adopted on 17 February and 17 March respectively...
during the 2011 Libyan civil war
2011 Libyan civil war
The 2011 Libyan civil war was an armed conflict in the North African state of Libya, fought between forces loyal to Colonel Muammar Gaddafi and those seeking to oust his government. The war was preceded by protests in Benghazi beginning on 15 February 2011, which led to clashes with security...
.
The Charlottetown is working in conjunction with an American carrier battle group led by the USS Enterprise
USS Enterprise (CVN-65)
USS Enterprise , formerly CVA-65, is the world's first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier and the eighth US naval vessel to bear the name. Like her predecessor of World War II fame, she is nicknamed the "Big E". At , she is the longest naval vessel in the world...
. The stated mission was to help restore peace, evacuate Canadian citizens in Libya
Libya
Libya is an African country in the Maghreb region of North Africa bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Sudan to the southeast, Chad and Niger to the south, and Algeria and Tunisia to the west....
and provide humanitarian relief.
On Friday March 18th the Canadian government expanded the mission by announcing that HMCS Charlottetown, in addition to six CF-18 fighter aircraft and two CC-177s transport aircraft, would constitute Canada's contribution to the enforcement. of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1973
United Nations Security Council Resolution 1973
United Nations Security Council Resolution 1973, on the situation in Libya, is a measure that was adopted on 17 March 2011. The Security Council resolution was proposed by France, Lebanon, and the United Kingdom....
, aimed to protect Libya's civilian population(Operation MOBILE
Operation Mobile
Operation Mobile was the name given to Canadian Forces activities in the 2011 military intervention in Libya. The United States' counterpart to this was Operation Odyssey Dawn, the French counterpart was Opération Harmattan and the British counterpart was Operation Ellamy...
).
By March 21, the CBC reported that the Charlottetown was patrolling the waters off north Libya. Since then, the Charlottetown has seen military action at least twice:
- on May 12, the frigate engaged several small boats involved in an attack on the port city of Misrata.
- on May 30, the frigate came under fire from a dozen BM-21 rockets while patrolling off the Libyan coast, but no damage or injuries were reported.