Pacific Fleet Flagship Arrives In Vancouver

07.11.2011 Pacific Fleet (PF) flagship Guard missile cruiser Varyag and tanker Irkut arrive at the port of Vancouver on Nov 7.

According to Senior Protocol Officer James Webb, Royal Canadian Navy's Maritime Forces Pacific, destroyer HMCS Algonquin will meet the Russian ships 50 miles westward Vancouver port at 7 am (local time); rendezvous point coordinates 49 grad 15' north, 127 grad 40' west.

At first, the ships will get on USW radio contact, and then exchange English- and Russian-speaking sailors, Webb said. HMCS Algonquin will escort Russian ships up to the Strait of Juan de Fuca, and when a pilot gets on board the ships will head for Vancouver.

That would be the first visit of Russian warship to Vancouver, recalls Webb. Sailing ships Kruzenshtern and Pallada did visit Vancouver recently, but warships will do that for the first time.

The Russian ships will moor downtown Vancouver on Nov 8 at 9 am near Canada Place, a location of international press center during Winter Olympics 2010. Residents of Vancouver will be allowed to visit the ships on Nov 9-10; Russian sailors are going to play a number of sport games with Canadian servicemen.

Accompanied with HMCS Algonquin, on Nov 11 the Russian task unit will leave Vancouver port and enter the ocean passing by southern end of Vancouver Island, reports ITAR-TASS.