Further info about the Ottawa

Hmmm. According to the Lookout:

As HMCS Ottawa slipped from A jetty yesterday with an embarked Sea King and air detachment, it set a course for Hawaii where it will join the USN amphibious ships USS Boxer, USS Comstock and USS Dubuque for the voyage to the Arabian (Persian) Gulf.

These are all marine craft, with the Boxer carrying over 2,000 marines and helicopters to move them. What's interesting is that the Comstock seems to be specifically a landing craft, with the capacity for 4 hovercraft or 21 conventional landing craft. It does not, from what I can find, carry helicopters. Some questions present themselves:

What is the Comstock's mission? Is there a requirement for marine landing craft in Iraq? Is there a reason for an amphibious landing vessel like the Comstock that doesn't imply a limited Marine offensive in Iran? Given the chance of a conflict with Iran, I would think Navy planners would want to keep any non-essential assets out of harm's way.

Many of these ships have plenty of helicopters - especially the Boxer - implying that part of the ESG's mission is going to be landing marines on vessels in the Gulf, something the Americans do regularly outside of any military adventures. This could be just a normal force - this is implied by the addition of the Coast Guard Cutter Midgett. (My understanding is that Coast Guard cutters are allowed to board foreign vessels - even in waters outside the US - without it technically being an act of war.) But the presence of the Comstock seems weird to me. Does anyone know about previous ESGs in the Gulf? Do they always have landing boats, and if so why?

Even if this is just a normal ESG, we shouldn't be complacent - interdicting Iranian vessels would be likely in any attack on Iran, and if the Ottawa is playing a role in that mission, or defending US ships that are, then Canadian sailors are going to be in harm's way.

Further miscellaneous questions: A quick read suggests the Ottawa will be part of the American command in the Gulf. What happens if the Ottawa is ordered to support US engagements against Iran? From the above article:

If an operation requires U.S. marines to land, the strike group will reconstitute in theatre, and if sanctioned by the Canadian government, Ottawa will participate, providing screening support to the amphibious ships as they disembark equipment and personnel.

The Americans recently put the crew of the Ottawa through a training excercise in Hawaii where the Ottawa repulsed simulated fighter-bomber and cruise missile attacks. Again, the Lookout:

At just before 11 a.m. local time, Ottawa came to Action Stations and successfully defended an attack by an enemy fighter-bomber simulated by a drone. As the opposing force sortied more aircraft and surface units, further increasing tensions, the ship prepared for action, and the multi-threat surface and air battle suddenly came to a head.

Ottawa came to Action Stations yet again to conduct a simulated Harpoon surface-to-surface engagement against an enemy surface unit threatening a UN humanitarian relief supply ship. In response, the enemy fired a single anti ship cruise missile, again simulated by a drone, against Ottawa. Once again, sound tactics and a ready technical system enabled the ship to defeat the threat.

Throughout the prolonged threat window, the complex tactical scenario and the challenging atmospheric conditions, Ottawa successfully defeated both attacks.

So we've got a Canadian frigate, recently brushing up on their missile- and aircraft-defense skills, escorting approximately 3,000 Marines and about 2,000 other US sailors in to the Persian Gulf at a time of a major US Naval buildup and rumours of war.

I'm really, really not trying to be alarmist here, but I think these are serious questions.