Adventures of an Icebreaker: Passing exercises with American and Canadian vessels

The larger vessel 430 is a Canadian Arctic Patrol vessel. The smaller P131 is ARM "HOLZINGER". The  HMCS Harry DeWolf 430 just transited the Canadian Northwest Passage east to west and is headed for the Panama Canal and Atlantic Ocean and north to Nova Scotia 

Look who the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Healy met up with while transiting the Pacific on their way back home to Seattle!

Healy (WAGB 20) performed a Passing Exercise (PASSEX) with crews aboard the Royal Canadian Navy HMCS Harry DeWolf (AOPV 430) and Secretaría de Marina (SEMAR) ARM Holzinger (PO-131) last week in the Pacific Ocean.

A PASSEX is an opportunity for crews to work with partner sea services through at-sea training scenarios like bridge-to-bridge communication drills or maneuvering exercises. Rendezvous at sea with other navies and coast guards increase the performance and effectiveness of our crews and support joint-operation partnerships.

Photos by SEMAR and Coast Guard Cutter Healy crew members BM2 Michael Martini, MK1 Michael Underwood, and U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary CGPA1 Deborah Cordone. North American Aerospace Defense Command

USS Jason Dunham

In October 2021, the U.S. Navy 2nd Fleet and U.S. Coast Guard participated in a different passing exercise (PASSEX).

Helicopter coming in for a landing on the Healy

The USS JASON DUNHAM and Coast Guard Cutter HEALY (WAGB 20) conducted passing and helicopter operations with an HH60R as an opportunity to strengthen maneuvering and communication interoperability between the services.

U.S. Coast Guard photos by Deborah Heldt Cordone, AUXPA1, and Petty Officer First Class Michael Underwood.