Canadian officials confirmed Wednesday that they have lost contact with a military helicopter deployed on board Canadian frigate HMCS Fredericton off the coast of Greece.
“There is a developing situation regarding one of our helicopters, deployed on board HMCS Fredericton, which is currently contributing to Op REASSURANCE,” the Canadian Armed Forces said in a brief statement.
“Contact was lost with the aircraft as it was participating in Allied exercises off the coast of Greece.”
Search and rescue efforts are currently underway, the statement said.
“As this is evolving, we have no further information to provide at this time,” the statement said.
Greek TV reported earlier the helicopter, which is believed to have been one of the Royal Canadian Air Force’s new CH-148 Cyclones, went missing in the sea between Greece and Italy.
The HMCS Fredericton CH-148 Cyclone helicopter air detachment, deployed on Operation REASSURANCE. (Cpl Simon Arcand/Formation Imaging Services, MARLANT)
HMCS Fredericton left Halifax for a six-month deployment around Europe in January with a Cyclone on board, which included a port call in Italy in March.
The military’s 18 Cyclone helicopters carry four-person crews and first began flying real missions in late 2018 after more than a decade of developmental challenges and delays.
There have been other incidents with Cyclone helicopters, which came to replace the ageing SeaKing helicopters in 2018.
In February 2019, a Cyclone helicopter operating from HMCS Regina made a hard landing on supply ship Asterix while operating off the coast of Hawaii in the Pacific.
With files from The Canadian Press
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