Canadain warships visit Chennai Port

Chennai, Sep 10 (UNI) Two Canadian warships arrived at the Chennai Port here today on a three-day goodwill mission and for participating in a joint military exercise with the Indian Navy.

The ships-- ''Her Majesty's Canadian Ships (HMCS) Calgary'' and ''HMCS Protecteur''-- were on their return journey around the globe after a four-month long counter-terrorism deployment to the Arabian Sea as part of the multi-national coalition called Combined Task Force 150.

Talking to newspersons on board the ship, Commanding Officer of the multi-purpose frigate Calgary, Commander Kelly Larkin said the main purpose of the ship's visit to Chennai was to strengthen the ties between two navys.

During their visit, the crew members of the ships would take up charity works in a school and at the M S Swaminathan Research Foundation for Agricultural Research.

The last Canadian warship visit to India dates back to 2006 when Calgary's sister ship ''HMCS Ottawa'' stopped in Goa while returning home from the same mission. Calgary, Iroquosis and Protecteur were the 22nd, 23rd and 24th Canadian ships respectively to serve in the Arabian Sea region since the 9/11 terrorist attacks in 2001.

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