HMCS Calgary - FFH 335

A Multi-Role Patrol Halifax-class frigate, the Calgary was commissioned 12 May 1995 and is homeported at CFB Esquimalt. She carries extensive anti-submarine and anti-surface weapons and sensors to complement its anti-air defences, with a top speed of 29 knots and a Sea King helicopter.
She is the second ship named after the city of Calgary, the first being the Flower-class corvette K-231 from the revised 1940-41 program. Her peacetime roles include search and rescue, training deployments, sovereignty patrols, and combined operations with allies, with 225 personnel onboard.
On 10 July 1995, she sailed to the Arabian Gulf to assist in enforcing sanctions against Iraq. On her way homebound that December, she went to the aid of Mount Olympus as she was sinking 1,500km south of Halifax- all 30 of the crew were rescued. Returning to Esquimalt on 22 December 1955, she was the first Canadian Patrol Frigate to circumnavigate the globe.

HMCS Calgary returned to the Arabian Gulf on 20 June 2000 for five months, once again enforcing United Nations sanctions against Iraq. In 2003, she left Esquimalt to participate in Operation APOLLO, a Canadian Forces operation in support of Operation ENDURING FREEDOM, allied military operations in Afghanistan against terrorism.

In June 2012 she received the FELEX (Frigate Equipment Life Extension) refit, which involved updating the ship’s combat systems with upgrades to various radar systems, the introduction of the MASS (Multi-Ammunition Soft Kill System) DUERAS decoy system, replacing the ship’s obsolete guns and missiles.

Since refit she has participated in the 2014 and 2016 RIMPAC exercises and TGEX (Task Group Exercise) 2014 and 2015 with the US Navy. She continues to conduct operations in support of Canada’s domestic and international policies. 

The gold of the ship’s badge represents grain fields and the wavy strips across the middle represent the Bow River. The bow and arrow acknowledge the First Nations of the area. Her colours are blue and gold, and her motto is “ONWARD.”

Reference Links:
Government of Canada - HMCS Calgary
For Posterity's Sake - HMCS Calgary