Tag Archives: HMCS St. John’s

Halifax 57 Art

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Below we see the Royal Canadian Navy Halifax-class frigate HMCS Vancouver (FFH 331) arriving at Busan, South Korea last week as part of the RCN’s continuing Operation Neon— Canada’s contribution to the monitoring of United Nations Security Council sanctions designed to pressure North Korea to abandon its weapons of mass destruction programs. Note the art on the rear of Vandy’s Bofors 57mm L/70 Mk3 naval gun.

Canadian Forces image by Sgt Ghislain Cotton

The dozen Halifaxes all have similar gun shield art as a matter of pride.

Royal Canadian Navy Halifax class frigate 57mm Bofors Gunshield art HMCS VILLE DE QUEBEC 332

HMCS ST JOHN’S, on Op Reassurance

Royal Canadian Navy Halifax class frigate 57mm Bofors Gunshield art HMCS FREDERICTON 337 departs Den Helder 17 Oct 2021

HMCS CHARLOTTETOWN,OP REASSURANCE

HMCS CALGARY 335 honors her namesake, the WW2 corvette HMCS CALGARY K231(left), with her gunshield art

HMCS CALGARY departs Sasebo Japan

57mm Bofors old lion gunshield art Canadian navy frigate Halifax class HMCS St.Johns Mediterranean Sea Operation Assurance

Royal Canadian Navy Halifax class frigate 57mm Bofors Gunshield art HMCS Winnipeg.

Royal Canadian Navy Halifax class frigate 57mm Bofors Gunshield art HMCS Montreal

Royal Canadian Navy Halifax class frigate 57mm Bofors Gunshield art HMCS Halifax

Royal Canadian Navy Halifax class frigate 57mm Bofors Gunshield art HMCS Ottawa carrying the legacy shield art of HMCS GRIFFIN

More on the art, here.

So long Canuck Sea Kings

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The Sikorsky S-61, best known as the iconic SH-3 Sea King, first flew on 11 March 1959. Besides its use as the U.S. Navy’s standard SAR and ASW helicopter until it was finally replaced by the SH60/MH-60 (although the Marines of HMX-1 still use it for Marine One duties), at least 15 countries flew the big Sea King. The Royal Navy finally put the bird to pasture in 2015, leaving Canada as one of the last front-line operators.

The Canadians picked up 41 early SH-3s in 1963 as kits assembled by United Aircraft of Canada as their primary ship-borne maritime helicopter and have kept them running for 55 years. The fleet has flown in excess of 550,000 combined hours which at cruising speed of an SH-3 is roughly equivalent to flying 7,200 times around the Earth, or the equivalent of the distance from Earth to Mars.

The Canadian Armed Forces gave a final salute to the type, which they term the CH-124, in a parade held last week at CFB Esquimalt in Victoria, B.C., flown by 443 Squadron, the last operational Sea King unit the country.

“The Royal Canadian Navy has been well served by the Sea King – our longest range weapon and sensor – for decades,” said VADM M. F. Ron Lloyd, Commander of the RCN. “It was an honour to fly with the crew of Black Horse, the helicopter deployed with HMCS St. John’s, during the Sea King’s last operational deployment supporting NATO assurance measures this summer. Canada’s Navy and the Royal Canadian Air Force continue to forge ahead with an exciting new chapter, marked by the first operational deployment of Avalanche, the Cyclone helicopter currently deployed on NATO operations with HMCS Ville de Quebec.”

The last overseas deployment for the Sea King came during the first half of 2018 aboard HMCS St. John’s as part of Operation Reassurance.