Shortly after HMCS Ottawa transitioned from shore to sea, the Canadian crew on board quickly learned their ship was being closely watched.

Less than 12 hours after leaving the south of Japan, a Chinese warship appeared on radar. Then, it emerged with the sun along the horizon. The large vessel then made its way closer to the Canadian warship.

We soon learned that the vessel shadowing the Canadian Navy’s every move is called the Binzhou, a Chinese Navy-guided missile warship.

HMCS Ottawa had just slipped from its port in the southern city of Sasebo, Japan towards the open waters of the East China Sea in the Royal Canadian Navys first international deployment of 2025.

Armed navy officers surveyed the open waters. Commanding Officer Adriano Lozer was expecting the company of a Chinese warship while on this deployment.

“That (Chinese) vessel basically asked us a question, who are you? Where are you going? We let them know who we are and let them know that were operating in international waters in accordance with international law,” said Commander Lozer.

“That (Chinese Navy) vessel, because we are in these regional waters, has decided to stick around us and is currently seven miles on our beam and has been in and out between two to seven miles all day” noted Lozer.

During its first days at sea, HMCS Ottawa is flying the flag of the United Nations, as it participates in Operation NEON, enforcing UN sanctions against North Korea.

Though the roughly 250-person crew on board HMCS Ottawa will soon transition to Operation Horizon, a multi-nation effort to promote peace and rules based-order in the Indo-Pacific. A region that has increasingly become more volatile as China tries to rewrite maritime boundaries and international laws that promote free passage on the open sea.

Commander Lozer, notes that “one of the biggest things Canadians should be focused on is that we have free and unfettered use of the worlds oceans in accordance with international law because its something that sustains our peace, security, and our prosperity. We are (as Canadians) a maritime nation. We have the biggest coastline in the world.”

On this deployment, HMCS Ottawa will be joining allied naval vessels while at sea, they’ll then be working together on the operation.