HMCS Winnipeg sets off this morning from Esquimalt to contribute to the NATO-led Operation Reassurance in central and eastern Europe.
The multi-purpose warship with modern sensors and weapons systems was scheduled to leave at 8:40 a.m. for eastern Europe to help counter the Russian-backed unrest in Ukraine.
The warship is expected to sail past Clover Point off Dallas Road in Victoria at 10:30 a.m. The navy is encouraging the public to gather and wave goodbye.
On the way, HMCS Winnipeg will take part in Operation CARIBBE for about three weeks, a multinational drug trafficking effort to combat organized crime in the Caribbean sea and eastern Pacific Ocean.
The warship can contribute to a range of missions while in central and eastern Europe, including surveillance and monitoring, regional defence, diplomatic engagement, and capacity-building, the navy says.
HMCS Winnipeg will replace HMCS Fredericton, which has been part of the mission since January.