The Canadian Armed Forces ships HMCS Ottawa and HMCS Vancouver departed from Canadian Forces Base Esquimalt, west of Victoria, on Monday.

The ships will be accompanied by the supply ship "Asterix" and two CH-148 Cyclone helicopters from the Royal Canadian Air Force during their deployment, which is expected to last nearly five months.

Former Defence Minister Anita Anand announced in June that Canada would enhance its presence in the Indo-Pacific region by deploying one additional warship to the area annually as part of Operation Horizon, which replaces the long-standing Operation Projection.

This deployment follows the deployment of HMCS Montreal to the Indo-Pacific region from Halifax, marking the first time a Canadian warship has been deployed to the Indo-Pacific region from the east coast.

HMCS Montreal is also scheduled to return to Halifax in September.

Last fall, the federal government announced it would invest nearly $2.3 billion over five years to establish closer ties with countries in the region as part of its Indo-Pacific strategy.

The funding includes $493 million to enhance Canadian naval presence by deploying a third ship and increasing participation in regional military exercises.

For his part, National Defence Minister Bill Blair stated in a statement on Monday that "the Indo-Pacific region is vital to global security, and its importance will only grow in the coming years." "Through our Indo-Pacific strategy, Canada is significantly increasing its military presence in the region to support a free, open, and inclusive Indo-Pacific where international rules prevail."

Each naval ship carries a crew of approximately 240 personnel, while Asterix has a crew of about 150 civilian and military personnel.

The ships are also expected to participate in a series of bilateral and multilateral exercises, with HMCS Ottawa operating in Southeast Asia while HMCS Vancouver focuses on Northeast Asia.

HMCS Vancouver will also contribute to Operation Neon, Canada's long-term contribution to the enforcement and monitoring of United Nations sanctions against North Korea.