A CP-140 Aurora long-range patrol aircraft from 407 Maritime Patrol Squadron has left 19 Wing Comox to be part of anti-submarine and anti-aircraft warfare training off the west coast of Vancouver Island.Canadian Ships HMCS Ottawa and Regina departed Esquimalt Harbour on Monday to join HMC Submarine Victoria to participate in Task Group Exercise 1-12 (TGEX).One highlight of the exercise will be landing soldiers from ship to shore. Soldiers from two of B.C.’s infantry regiments, the Canadian Scottish Regiment of Victoria and the Rocky Mountain Rangers of Kamloops will land on the beach at Rocky Point. Delivering troops ashore safely is a complex military operation that includes coordinating sea, land and air forces.“The importance of interoperability between our three armed services and also with our allies cannot be overstated,” said Commodore Peter Ellis, commander of the Canadian Fleet Pacific. “It is evident in our shared coastline, shared challenges, and shared goals for emergency readiness. A Task Group Exercise accomplishes this, serving also to hone skills at the individual and unit levels.”The U.S. Navy ships Ford and Rentz from Everett, Wash., and San Diego, Calif., respectively and a P-3C Orion Anti-Submarine Warfare Aircraft from Naval Air Station Whidbey Island are set to join the TGEX. More than 1,000 personnel from Canada and the United States will participate in the exercise, which concludes March 16.— Marine Forces Pacific