HMCS Iroquois (DDG 280) is an that has served the Canadian Forces

Canadian Forces

The Canadian Forces , officially the Canadian Armed Forces , are the unified armed forces of Canada, as constituted by the National Defence Act, which states: "The Canadian Forces are the armed forces of Her Majesty raised by Canada and consist of one Service called the Canadian Armed Forces."...

 since 1972.

Iroquois is the lead ship

Lead ship

The lead ship or class leader is the first of a series or class of ships all constructed according to the same general design. The term is applicable military ships and larger civilian craft.-Overview:...

 of her class which is sometimes referred to as the Tribal-class or simply as the 280-class. She is the second vessel to use the designation . She carries the hull classification symbol

Hull classification symbol (Canada)

The Royal Canadian Navy uses hull classification symbols to identify the types of its ships, which are similar to the United States Navy's Hull classification symbol system...

 280.

She is assigned to Maritime Forces Atlantic

Maritime Forces Atlantic

In the Canadian Forces, Maritime Forces Atlantic is responsible for the fleet and operations of the Royal Canadian Navy in the Atlantic Ocean and Arctic Ocean. The Commander of MARLANT is a two-star Rear Admiral....

 (MARLANT) and is homeported at CFB Halifax

CFB Halifax

Canadian Forces Base Halifax is Canada's east coast navy base and home port to the Atlantic fleet, known as Maritime Forces Atlantic....

.

She is also the unofficial flagship of the Royal Canadian Navy

Royal Canadian Navy

The history of the Royal Canadian Navy goes back to 1910, when the naval force was created as the Naval Service of Canada and renamed a year later by King George V. The Royal Canadian Navy is one of the three environmental commands of the Canadian Forces...

.

Command Team

• Captain
  Captain (nautical)
  A sea captain is a licensed mariner in ultimate command of the vessel. The captain is responsible for its safe and efficient operation, including cargo operations, navigation, crew management and ensuring that the vessel complies with local and international laws, as well as company and flag...
  
  : Commander Jeff Hamilton
• Executive Officer
  Executive officer
  An executive officer is generally a person responsible for running an organization, although the exact nature of the role varies depending on the organization.-Administrative law:...
  
  : Lieutenant-Commander David Patchell
• Coxswain
  Coxswain
  The coxswain is the person in charge of a boat, particularly its navigation and steering. The etymology of the word gives us a literal meaning of "boat servant" since it comes from cox, a coxboat or other small vessel kept aboard a ship, and swain, which can be rendered as boy, in authority. ...
  
  : Chief Petty Officer First Class Gerald Chapadeau

Service

Iroquois serves on MARLANT missions protecting Canada's sovereignty in the Atlantic Ocean

Atlantic Ocean

The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...

 and enforcing Canadian laws in its territorial sea and Exclusive Economic Zone

Exclusive Economic Zone

Under the law of the sea, an exclusive economic zone is a seazone over which a state has special rights over the exploration and use of marine resources, including production of energy from water and wind. It stretches from the seaward edge of the state's territorial sea out to 200 nautical...

.

Iroquois has also been deployed on missions throughout the Atlantic and to the Indian Ocean

Indian Ocean

The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's oceanic divisions, covering approximately 20% of the water on the Earth's surface. It is bounded on the north by the Indian Subcontinent and Arabian Peninsula ; on the west by eastern Africa; on the east by Indochina, the Sunda Islands, and...

; specifically the Persian Gulf

Persian Gulf

The Persian Gulf, in Southwest Asia, is an extension of the Indian Ocean located between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula.The Persian Gulf was the focus of the 1980–1988 Iran-Iraq War, in which each side attacked the other's oil tankers...

 and Arabian Sea

Arabian Sea

The Arabian Sea is a region of the Indian Ocean bounded on the east by India, on the north by Pakistan and Iran, on the west by the Arabian Peninsula, on the south, approximately, by a line between Cape Guardafui in northeastern Somalia and Kanyakumari in India...

 on anti-terrorism operations.

Iroquois has also participated in several NATO missions, patrolling the Atlantic Ocean as part of Standing Naval Force Atlantic (STANAVFORLANT) and its successor Standing NATO Response Force Maritime Group 1

Standing NRF Maritime Group 1

Standing NATO Maritime Group One is one of NATO's standing maritime Immediate Reaction Forces. Prior to 1 January 2005 it was known as Standing Naval Force Atlantic...

 (SNMG1).

Timeline

• 1969, Jan 15: laid down at Marine Industries Ltd., Sorel PQ

• 1970, Nov 28: launched

• 1972, Jul 29: officially commissioned into the CF

• 1972 - 1992: Participates in more than 40 major exercises and 6 Standing Naval Force Atlantic Deployments.

• 1983, Dec 4: Destroyer HMCS Iroquois responded to assist HO MING 5, Panamanian-registered-freighter, 11 crew removed by Sea King, and 9 by Zodiac in high seas and gale force winds. 12 crewmembers awarded Star of Courage, and 6 others Medal of Bravery

• 1989, Nov 1: Destroyer HMCS Iroquois commenced TRUMP refit Marine Industries Ltd Sorel PQ.

• 1992, Jul 3: Completed Tribal Class Update and Modernization Project(TRUMP) refit. At this time her classification changed from Destroyer Helicopter (DDH) to Destroyer Guided Missile (DDG).

• 1993, Sep 25: Destroyer HMCS Iroquois departed Halifax for Operation Sharp Guard off Yugoslavia

• 1994, Apr 15: Frigate HMCS Halifax commenced blockade duties off Yugoslavia relieving HMCS Iroquois.

• 2000, Oct 8: Norfolk

• 2001, Oct 17: HMC ships Preserver, Iroquois and Charlottetown depart Halifax for anti-terrorism duty in Arabian Sea

• 2001, Oct 29: Gibraltar

• 2001, Nov 20: HMCS Preserver, Iroquois and Charlottetown arrive in Arabian Sea for Operation Apollo

• 2002, Jan 18: Bahrain

• 2002, Apr 10: Suez Canal

• 2002, Apr 27: Supply ship HMCS Preserver and destroyer HMCS Iroquois returned to Halifax from Operation Apollo, Arabian Sea deployed for 193 days during which she spent 171 days at sea, including 51 days consecutively. Traveled approx 44,000 n/m, transferred 1,380 cargo pellets, or 203,192 kg and almost 27m liters of fuel. Conducted 120+ RAS with ships from Canada, US, France, Australia, UK, Netherlands and Italy. Carried more than 1,000 hailings and two boardings.

• 2002: CTF 150 established
• 2002, Nov 7: Halifax

• 2003, Feb 24: 2003 - HMCS Iroquois departs Halifax to assume duties as flagship of Task Force 151, the multi-national maritime intercept force in the Persian Gulf region.

• 2003, Feb 27: Sea King helicopter crashes on flight deck of HMCS Iroquois three days after departing Halifax to become flagship of multi-national Task Force 151 in Persian Gulf region. Two of the four helicopter crewmembers sustained minor injuries in the crash. Iroquois forced to return to Halifax.

• 2003, Mar 1: Halifax

• 2003, Mar 5: Destroyer HMCS Iroquois and frigate Fredericton depart Halifax for Persian Gulf.

• 2003, Mar 13: Gibraltar
• 2003, Mar 20: Augusta
• 2003, Jul 12: Valletta

• 2003, Jul 19: Gibraltar
• 2003, Jul 26: St. John's
• 2003, Jul 27: Destroyer HMCS Iroquois arrived St. John's from Operation Apollo. 1,200 vessels were stopped and 44 were inspected.

• 2003, Jul 29: Halifax
• 2003, Sep 26: Halifax

• 2003, Dec 5: Halifax

• 2004, Jan: Operation Altair starts
• 2005, Oct 29: Boston

• 2006, Aug 24: Brest (International Squadron)

• 2006, Sep 1: Aarhus (International Squadron)

• 2006, Sep 20: Solent (International Squadron)
• 2006, Sep 20: Plymouth Sound (International Squadron)
• 2006, Sep 28: Rota (International Squadron)
• 2006, Oct 10: Souda Bay (International Squadron)

• 2006, Nov 22: Palma de Majorca (International Squadron)

• 2006, Nov 30: The rudder fell off Mayport-based frigate USS Boone
  USS Boone (FFG-28)
  USS Boone is the twentieth ship in the United States Navy's Oliver Hazard Perry class of guided missile frigates.The frigate was named for Vice Admiral Joel Thompson Boone, M.D. . FFG-28, the first U.S. ship to bear the admiral's name, was ordered January 23, 1978, launched 16 January 1980 by...
  
  while on deployment in the western Mediterranean. The mishap forced the ship to send out a call for help to which Canadian destroyer HMCS Iroquois responded, providing divers who inspected the ship’s underside.

• 2006, Dec 10: Casablanca

• 2006, Dec 17: Halifax
• 2007, Apr: Morrison arrives as Coxswain
• 2007, May 5: Boston

• 2007, Jun: Captain Brendan Ryan assumes command

• 2007, Oct 18: Sydney NS

• 2007, Dec 6: Boston

• 2008, Apr 19: Embarks on way to Caribbean

• 2008, Apr 27: Caribbean transit

• 2008, Apr 30: arrives in San Juan, Puerto Rico

• 2008, Apr 30: rendezvous with Calgary, Protecteur
• 2008, May 13: Malaga

• 2008, May 13-18: trains with several allied nations, transiting through Mediterranean Sea

• 2008 May 17: in multinational ASW scenario

• 2008 May 23: delegation visits Croatian hospital

• 2008 June 3: Canada's Commodore Bob Davidson takes over CTF 150. Iroquois becomes CTF 150's flagship.
• 2008, Jun-Sep: CTF 150 make 190 visits to vessels, carry out 4 operations, involved in 9 rescue efforts.
• 2008, Jun 23: Gulf of Oman, off the coast of Iran

• 2008, Aug 4 - Sep 5: In Theater

• 2008 Aug 6-8: stopover in Karachi, Pakistan

• 2008 Aug 22: Operationg as part of CTF 150

• 2008 Sep 15: Iroquois helps disrupt pirate attack

• 2008, Sep 15: Manama (CTF Change Command)

• 2008 Sep 16: Denmark's Commodore Chirstensen takes over CTF 150. Iroquois docked at Mina Salman.
• 2008 Sep: Iroquois, Calgary, Protecteur begin journey back to Canada. Iroquois travels via Strait of Hormuz, Gulf of Aden, Suez Canal while the other ships continue East, visiting India and Malaysia en route to Victoria.
• 2008 Oct 20: Iroquois visits St. John's, NL.
• 2008 Oct 23: Iroquois returns home
• 2009, Jan: Commander Réal Brisson assumes command
• 2009, July: Iroquois visits Bermuda.