A National Defence spokeswoman said two military members of the Asterix crew have been sent home to Canada.
The Canadian Forces has begun an investigation after an officer on board its leased supply ship allegedly threatened to execute fellow sailors because he was unhappy with their performance.
During the recent incident, the sailors on board Naval Replenishment Unit Motor Vessel Asterix were lined up in three rows at which point the officer allegedly told them he was going to have them shot.
Sailors are raising concerns about the incidents and other allegations of harassment and wrongdoing happening on board the refuelling vessel currently operating in the Indo-Pacific region, in the vicinity of the Philippine Sea.
The Canadian Forces has confirmed to this newspaper that it has launched two investigations into the alleged incidents.
National Defence spokeswoman Andrée-Anne Poulin said as a result two military members of the Asterix crew have been sent home to Canada.
“The Canadian Armed Forces is aware of a series of complaints that have been made against a member of NRU Asterix, which allege that this member has been making harmful and inappropriate comments towards his subordinates,” Poulin said of the alleged execution threat.
“A disciplinary investigation is ongoing and further comment would be inappropriate until that investigation concludes.”
She said the results of a unit investigation into that incident have not been made available, so it would be inappropriate to provide further comment until it concludes.
The Canadian Armed Forces takes all allegations of misconduct seriously, she added.
The 26,000-tonne MV Asterix is a commercial vessel that has been converted for naval resupply purposes by Davie Shipbuilding in Quebec and leased to the Canadian government by the firm’s affiliate Federal Fleet. Federal Fleet has a civilian crew of 37 who operate the vessel on a day-to-day basis.
The Canadian Forces has its own crew of 107 personnel on board who conduct resupply missions, providing fuel, water and various supplies to Canadian and allied warships. In addition, some military crew members on the supply ship provide medical support.
During their near five-months at sea, the ships will conduct a series of bilateral and multinational exercises and engagements with regional militaries and security partners, according to the Canadian Forces. HMCS Ottawa will focus on Southeast Asia, while HMCS Vancouver will focus on Northeast Asia. During its deployment, HMCS Vancouver will also contribute to the monitoring of the United Nations sanctions against North Korea, through Operation NEON.
The Royal Canadian Navy had at one time operated three supply ships of its own but by 2014 all had been retired from service. Ongoing delays in the construction of the two Joint Support Ships prompted the then Conservative Party government in 2015 to enter into the deal with Davie and Federal Fleet for Asterix.
The Liberal government originally tried to derail the $670 million Asterix project shortly after being elected in the fall of 2015. But the Liberals eventually backed down after much pushback from the Quebec government and the shipyard and its workers. The Asterix project continued and the converted ship was delivered on time and on budget.
David Pugliese is an award-winning journalist covering Canadian Forces and military issues in Canada. To support his work, including exclusive content for subscribers only, sign up here: ottawacitizen.com/subscribe
