OTTAWA, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- Canadian warships Her Majesty's Canadian Ships (HMCS) Winnipeg and Ottawa returned to port in Esquimalt Tuesday after a five-month deployment in the Asia-Pacific for operation POSEIDON CUTLASS 17, the Canadian Ministry of National Defense said.
"With the successful completion of POSEIDON CUTLASS 17, our sailors of the Royal Canadian Navy have once again demonstrated proficiency and professionalism operating in the Asia-Pacific region, while fostering defense relationships and diplomacy with partner nations," said Canadian Defense Minister Harjit S. Sajjan.
POSEIDON CUTLASS 17 included numerous exercises with navies of the region at sea as well as participation in key events and engagements in port visits across the Asia-Pacific region to foster friendship and trust and to demonstrate Canada's commitment to the Asia-Pacific as outlined in Canada's new defense policy "Strong, Secure, Engaged."
During the past five months, HMCS Winnipeg and Ottawa worked with navies including the Royal Australian Navy, the Chilean Navy, the Chinese People's Liberation Army (Navy), the Republic of Korea Navy, the Royal Malaysian Navy, the Royal New Zealand Navy, the Pakistan Navy, the Russian Federation Navy and other partner navies in the region.
During their deployment, the two Canadian warships visited 14 different ports in 10 countries including China, India, Sri Lanka and the United States.
HMCS Winnipeg and Ottawa are Halifax-class frigates with crews of 227 and 209 personnel respectively. This includes a CH-124 Sea King helicopter and air detachment on HMCS Winnipeg.
