Trident Feb 6 2006 - Tridentnews.ca

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2 TRIDENT, FEBRUARY 6, 2006 Sea King ditched off the coast of Denmark CPL KEVIN DURLING The ship’s crew is trained for situations like this and was able to respond effectively to the emergency. “In a situation like this, the ship would go to emergency flying stations, which brings the ship to a higher degree of damage control. They launched the Zodiac rescue craft with a crew, and they rescued the survivors of the crash by boat,” stated Captain(N) Bruce Belliveau, Assistant Chief of Staff, Plans and operations. The aircraft sank in 16 meters of water, and is currently marked by a buoy. Athabaskan is anchored in the area, and the rest of the task group continued operations. Athabaskan is the flagship for the Standing NATO Maritime Group 1 (SNMG1). Commander Chris Dickenson, Squadron Public Affairs for SNMG1, stated during an interview with CTV News that the ship would continue to be the flagship with or without a helicopter. As a result of the accident, a flight safety investigation team flew to Denmark last weekend to gather information about the incident. The team will observe the area, retrieve statements and look at tapes from the ship to find out the cause of the incident. A heavy lift vessel is conducting recovery operations. It is not known whether Sea King 438 will be returned to flying duties. The rest of the task group continued with the operation and went into port in Aarhus, Denmark, for the weekend as scheduled. This was the 14th crash involving Canadian Sea King helicopters. The last incident occurred on February 27, 2003, when a Sea King hit the flight deck of Iroquois as they were south of the Grand Banks while en route to OP APOLLO. Col Allan Blair, Commander of 12 Wing Shearwater, gives a news briefing after a Sea King Helicopter ditched off the coast of Denmark. By A/Slt Stephan Boivin Public Affairs On February 3, Sea King 438 ditched in the Kattegat Strait, 50 kilometres off the coast of Denmark, during a night landing on HMCS Athabaskan. All five crewmembers were rescued within a short period of time by the ship’s rescue team and were brought onboard safely. “The aircraft was returning to HMCS Athabaskan from a training flight ashore and was making a standard night approach to the ship. It contacted the water and rolled inverted. HMCS Athabaskan immediately went to rescue stations and launched its two Zodiacs. All the crew members were safely recovered,” said Colonel (Col) Allan Blair, Commander of 12 Wing Shearwater, during a media conference held at 12 Wing Shearwater’s D Hangar. A Canadian doctor deployed with the task group checked the crew, and all crewmembers appeared to be fine. SNMG1 sails in close formation during exercises in early February. IMAGE TECH
TRIDENT, FEBRUARY 6, 2006 3 MCPL CHARLES BARBER Cmdre Rouleau shakes hands with his predecessor, RAdm Kalahne, at the change of command ceremony. To the right is Capt(N) Dave Gardam, the CO of HMCS Athabaskan. By Virginia Beaton Trident staff During a change of command ceremony in Kiel, Germany on Thursday January 26, Commodore (Cmdre) Denis Rouleau took command of the Standing NATO Maritime Group 1 (SNMG 1). Cmdre Rouleau succeeded Admiral Wolfgang Kalahne of the German navy. Under Cmdre Rouleau, HMCS Athabaskan will be flagship for the Standing Element of the maritime component of the NATO Response Force Rotation 7 (NRF7) until July 2006, at which time Iroquois will succeed it as flagship. In a teleconference after the ceremony, Cmdre Rouleau described the SNMG1 as “a unique asset” within NATO. “We can be called upon to deploy at short notice,” he stated, adding that SNMG1 can deploy within five days. During 2006, Cmdre Rouleau and the 21 members of his international staff will head up a squadron of NATO ships from the navies of Canada, the United States, Germany, Poland, Portugal, Denmark, and Spain. Cmdre Rouleau stated that the Commodore Rouleau takes command of SNMG1 true strength of SNMG1 comes not only from the ships and their weapons, but also from the shared commitment to NATO and its guiding principles. In response to a question concerning the way that the international navies cooperate while deployed on such operations, Cmdre Rouleau pointed out “NATO units have been operating together for a long time. We’re talking decades here.” He further stated “The commonality of operating procedures allows them to be interoperable.” Immediate plans for SNMG1 included sailing to Denmark, “and operating in the Baltic Sea... My job is to get them to work well together.” Following this, the ships sail to the coast of Norway, where they will be near Bergen. The next stage will involve sailing to the Mediterranean for OPERATION ACTIVE ENDEAVOUR, “which takes them into March,” according to Cmdre Rouleau. The first six months of the 12- month NRF commitment are a preparation phase, which will be followed by a six-month standby phase. SNMG1 is a permanent naval squadron that trains and operates as a group in the North Atlantic, the North Sea and the Mediterranean Sea, in order to test NATO’s current maritime procedures and tactics. SNMG1 comprises destroyers, frigates and on occasion, auxiliary oiler replenishment ships. NRF is a high readiness force including land, sea, air and special forces components that NATO may deploy on short notice as a standalone force to prevent conflicts from escalating. Deployed as an initial entry force, NRF can facilitate the arrival of follow-on units, join a larger force, and contribute to the full range of NATO military operations. New SNMG1 flagship completes its first port visit By Cdr Chris Dickinson Squadron Public Affairs Officer SNMG1 Between January 23 and 30, 2006, the Canadian destroyer HMCS Athabaskan conducted a port visit to Kiel, Germany where it assumed its new role as the flagship of Standing NATO Maritime Group One (SNMG1). As of this week, the Force consists of HMCS Athabaskan, FGS Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, ORP General Kazimierz Pulaski, NRP Vasco Da Gama, and USS Simpson. The visit to Kiel was special in many ways. It was the point of reassembly for the Force after Christmas dispersal; it was the first port of call for ORP General Kazimierz Pulaski, the first Polish ship to join the Force on a fulltime basis; it was the homeport of the out-going Commander of the Force, Rear Admiral Wolfgang Kalahne; and the spot chosen for the turnover of the Force to its new Canadian Commander, Commodore Denis Rouleau. It was an extremely busy week for the 1000-plus sailors, marines, soldiers and airmen of SNMG1. After arriving alongside on Monday the German and Canadian Staffs started their turnovers. Meanwhile, the five international staff officers, representing Germany, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain and the United Kingdom made themselves comfortable in their new home onboard Athabaskan. By Thursday, January 26, 2006 everything had been prepared for the operational change of command ceremony held in the Gym of Kiel Naval Station. The ceremony was attend by many dignitaries including General Wolfgang Schneiderhan, the Chief of Staff German Armed Forces and and Vice Admiral Glenn Davidson, Canadian Military Representative to NATO. The parade opened with a surprise, as the Squadron Operations Officer, Commander Gunnar Wolff, was promoted to his new rank in front of the assembly. In his address to the parade General Schneiderhan highlighted the importance of NATO in maintaining peace in Europe during the Cold War. As a native of Kiel, the outgoing Commander, Rear Admiral Kalahne, recognized the importance of the Kiel, and thanked his crew and staff for their magnificent work over the past 10 months of his command. After taking over the Force officially, Cmdre Rouleau commenced his address with a strong statement that summed up his commitment to ensuring that SNMG1 was ready to respond to its tasks within the concept of NATO Reaction Force 7. “As I assume command of this naval formation of multinational units, I do so with the firm intention of bringing it to its highest level of operational capabilities, and to stand ready to respond to the multitude of possible tasks likely expected of us.” Cmdre Rouleau went on to praise the fact that only the Standing Maritime Groups of the NATO Response Force can claim historically to have proven and demonstrated a real capability over the decades. Finally, Cmdre Rouleau completed his speech with a tribute to his crews and the loved ones they leave behind when sailing with the Force. On the weekend the Force took the opportunity to open to visitors, attracting several hundred interested guests. On Sunday afternoon, Commodore Rouleau visited the German Naval Memorial at Laboe with his staff. After a wreath laying and a short service, in the Commemorative Hall, the group was given a tour by Dr Dieter Hartwig of the German Naval Association (Deutsche Marinebund). On Monday, January 30, the Force joined a Danish naval exercise (SQUADEX 05-06), which will give the new ships of the Force their first opportunity to integrate into the SNMG1 environment through a series of maritime warfare exercises.
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Trident Feb 6 2006 - Tridentnews.ca

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