Op Hestia 2010_1

The RCN and HADR Operations

One of the roles that the RCN has played in recent years is humanitarian assistance/disaster relief (HADR). The navy has been asked to respond a number of times in past years – for example, assistance to the US Gulf Coast in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, and support to the Bahamas and Florida after hurricanes. A great example of an RCN HADR operation is Operation Hestia, the Canadian response to the earthquake that struck Haiti in January 2010. A naval task group comprising HMCS Athabaskan, with a helicopter air detachment, and HMCS Halifax – with approximately 500 sailors, soldiers and airmen/women in total – was sent very quickly out of Halifax. This operation illustrated the utility of naval ships in HADR operations.

If you want to know more about how the RCN and HADR operations, take a look at the Naval Association of Canada Briefing Note on the topic at https://www.navalassoc.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/BN30-HADR.pdf

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