CF to do live firing at RIMPAC

Canada.com has an article about the Canadian Forces involvement in the RIMPAC exercise which is held every other year off Hawaii.

Canada has sent frigates HMCS Regina and HMCS Ottawa, along with 150 soldiers, six CF-18 jets, two Aurora patrol planes, a refuelling tanker and a Sea King helicopter to the exercise.

A big feature of the exercise will be live firing of weapons.

For some of Canada's newest CF-18 Hornet fighter pilots, it means their first chance to fire live missiles and fly in skies with more than 50 to 60 other airplanes at a time.

"Being able to shoot a missile is a big deal," said Canadian air force Brig.-Gen. Yvan Blondin, who will be deputy force air commander of the exercise, and who is Deputy Commander Force Generation at 1 Canadian Air Division in Winnipeg.