Canada has never deployed a submarine to the Asia-Pacific before, but sometime in mid-September the HMS Chicoutimi quietly slipped out of Esquimalt harbour. The Navy has not said why, or even exactly where the crew is headed in that part of the world.
But Ken Christie, Head of the Human Security and Peace building Program at Royal Roads University, says it's most likely to do with Canada's membership in NATO and the rising tensions in North Korea.
"It's the first time they've ever deployed this Victoria class submarine to Asia. So that's telling you something in itself you know. And the fact it went out fairly quietly, there was no, I don't know, celebration event going out for this submarine. That's not the way the Navy operates. They're not going to give us these operational details until maybe after the fact."
The HMCS Ottawa and HMCS Winnipeg were also deployed to the Asia-Pacific between March and September. According to the Navy it was to participate in operation Poseidon Cutlass 17, described as a partnership strengthening exercise.