After a four-day official visit to Peru, the Royal Canadian Navy’s Arctic patrol vessel HMCS Margaret Brooke departed from Callao Naval Base alongside the Peruvian Navy’s Lupo-class frigate BAP Bolognesi (FM-57) and 209/1200-class submarine BAP Angamos (SS-31), conducting joint exercises with the Peruvian Navy. These maneuvers aimed to strengthen interoperability between both navies, as part of the Canadian vessel’s first mission to the Antarctic continent.
The deployment of HMCS Margaret Brooke is part of Operation “PROJECTION,” a Canadian Armed Forces initiative aimed at demonstrating naval presence in various regions around the world, promoting international cooperation, and supporting scientific and humanitarian missions. On this occasion, the operation included a circumnavigation of South America, with stopovers and coordinated activities with allied navies.
On its journey south, the Canadian patrol vessel made a stop at the Buenos Aires Naval Station, subsequently conducting an exercise with the Argentine Navy’s destroyer ARA Almirante Brown (D-10). These bilateral activities served to strengthen ties with local armed forces and enhance cooperation in maritime security.
During its Antarctic deployment, HMCS Margaret Brooke also visited the Chilean Air Force’s Presidente Frei Antarctic Base, located on King George Island (25 de Mayo Island). In this phase of the mission, the ship transported a group of scientists conducting research on the White Continent, reaffirming its logistical and scientific support role in polar environments—one of the main purposes for which this class of patrol vessel was designed. The ship, part of the Harry DeWolff class, was built to operate in extreme climates, with a length of 103.6 meters, a displacement of over 6,000 tons, and the ability to operate helicopters or drones from its flight deck.
Before visiting Peru, HMCS Margaret Brooke made a logistical stop at the port of Valparaíso, Chile, where its crew of 65 carried out resupply and operational rest activities, with no official engagements scheduled. This last stop marked one of the final legs of a lengthy circumnavigation of South America, highlighting the Royal Canadian Navy’s commitment to regional cooperation and the projection of its naval capabilities on the global stage.
*Image credits: Peruvian Navy.
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