OTTAWA: Two Canadian ships departed for a four-month deployment in the Baltic Sea and North Atlantic region on Operation Reassurance to enhance NATO readiness, the Defence Ministry said.

In a statement, the Ministry said HMCS Kingston and Summerside are deployed to contribute to NATO assurance and deterrence measures in Central and Eastern Europe, adding that the Canadian Armed Forces is maintaining a presence in European waters on a persistent rotational basis since 2014, reports Xinhua news agency.

According to the statement, between July and October 2022, HMCS Kingston and Summerside will join Standing NATO Mine Countermeasures Group One.

During Operation Reassurance, the ships will participate in NATO’s high readiness on sea, which can quickly and effectively respond in support of any military alliance’s operations. HMCS Halifax and Montreal, currently on station as part of Operation Reassurance, will return to Canada in July.

This will be the first deployment on Operation Reassurance for both ships. HMCS Summerside will deploy with an embarked Royal Canadian Navy clearance diving team, supported by mine countermeasure search capabilities using autonomous underwater vehicles aboard HMCS Kingston, the statement added.