China has dismissed concerns about a Canadian frigate sailing through the Taiwan Strait om Sinday, saying the vessel posed “zero military threat.”The Canadian frigate HMCS Ottawa is in the Indo-Pacific region as part of Operation Horizon.
Operation HORIZON expands Canada’s mission of playing an active role in the Indo-Pacific.
Taiwan’s foreign affairs office reported that a Canadian frigate sailed through the Taiwan Strait on Sunday. On the same day, Taiwan’s defence department observed 24 Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) aircraft conducting joint drills with PLA naval vessels.
According to Taiwan’s statement, the Royal Canadian Navy’s Halifax-class frigate HMCS Ottawa made its passage through the Taiwan Strait on Sunday. During the transit, the PLA Navy radioed the Canadian ship, warning it to alter its course.
Song Zhongping, a military analyst based in mainland China, told the Global Times that HMCS Ottawa has been operating near Chinese waters since early this year. He added that PLA vessels have been tracking the frigate’s movements in the East and South China Seas since its operations began.
Song emphasized that a single Canadian warship poses minimal military risk to China, and it is standard practice for PLA forces to monitor such activity near their territory.
On February 6, 2025, the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) announced that the commanding officer of HMCS Ottawa, Commander Adrian Lozer, was removed from his role due to a loss of confidence in his leadership.
Vice Admiral Angus Topshee, Commander of the RCN, made the decision to relieve Commander Lozer to maintain effective leadership during the ship’s deployment in the Indo-Pacific.
The RCN clarified in a statement that the decision was unrelated to any misconduct but was necessary for the mission’s success. Commander Lozer will assume new responsibilities within Maritime Forces Pacific upon returning to Canada.
The RCN also assured that all related administrative processes will follow procedural fairness. As this involves personnel matters, no additional information will be provided.
To ensure continuity, Vice Admiral Angus Topshee appointed Commander Landon Creasy, a former commanding officer of HMCS Regina, to take over as HMCS Ottawa’s commanding officer. Commander Creasy will remain in command until the ship returns to Esquimalt, BC, in late March 2025.
In 2023, the Royal Canadian Navy’s Vice-Admiral warned that Canada’s navy is severely understaffed and underfunded, calling its condition “critical.” He expressed concerns about the navy’s ability to handle its core responsibilities both domestically and internationally.
Approximately 250 navy personnel aboard HMCS Ottawa were deployed to the South China Sea. The crew faced staffing shortages and constant surveillance by Chinese warships, which shadowed their movements.
The marine systems engineering team on HMCS Ottawa, responsible for keeping the ship operational, typically includes 60 members. However, for Operation Horizon, the team was reduced to 47.
Shortly after leaving a port in southern Japan, HMCS Ottawa experienced mechanical problems. A faulty valve caused issues with cooling essential fluids, and one of the ship’s two diesel-powered fire pumps, used for emergencies like power outages, broke down and seized.
Commissioned in 1996, HMCS Ottawa is the youngest of Canada’s 12 frigates. However, like the rest of the fleet, it’s showing its age. Keeping the warships functional has become a constant challenge due to the difficulty of sourcing replacement parts.
