Royal Canada Navy's frigate HMCS Ottawa visits Malaysia.

According to information published by Free Malaysia Today on October 11, 2023, the Royal Canadian Navy's (RCN) frigate, HMCS Ottawa, made its arrival at the Royal Malaysian Navy’s (RMN) Teluk Sepanggar base.
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Canadian Halifax class frigate HMCS Ottawa. (Picture source: Canadian DoD)

Wayne Robson, the Canadian high commissioner to Malaysia, emphasized the significance of this visit, noting that it marks the continuation of a defense partnership that has spanned over 65 years.

He highlighted the memorandum of understanding on security cooperation signed in 2013, which has since seen both nations collaborate on various fronts, including military capacity building, counterterrorism, and threat reduction related to weapons of mass destruction.

Robson also shared that the HMCS Ottawa, since its deployment in August, has made stops in Japan, the Philippines, and Thailand before reaching Malaysia. It is scheduled to remain in the region until November and will then head back to its home port in December.

This visit marks the third RCN ship visit to Malaysia in the past seven years, with previous visits by HMCS Winnipeg in January 2016 and September 2022, reflecting Canada's commitment to maintaining peace and security in the Indo-Pacific region.

Canada's contributions to Malaysia's security efforts were highlighted, including training over 1,000 Malaysian first responders and donating equipment such as two rigid hull fender boats to the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency in 2014.

Technical data

The HMCS Ottawa is a vessel in the Royal Canadian Navy's fleet with a displacement ranging from 3,995 tonnes when light to 5,032 tonnes at its deep load.

She has a length of 134.2 meters, a beam of 16.5 meters, and a draught of 7.1 meters. The ship's propulsion system is powered by two LM2500 gas turbines and a SEMT Pielstick diesel engine, allowing it to reach speeds of up to 30 knots and a range of 9,500 nautical miles.

The vessel can accommodate a complement of 225 personnel, including its air detachment. Its armament includes 24 Honeywell Mk 46 torpedoes, 16 Evolved Sea-Sparrow surface-to-air missiles, 8 RGM-84 Harpoon surface-to-surface missiles, a 57 mm Bofors Mk2 gun, a 20 mm Vulcan Phalanx close-in weapon system, and six .50 caliber machine guns. Additionally, the HMCS Ottawa has the capability to carry the CH-148 Cyclone aircraft.