Arctic Security – CAF Operations and Exercises

Details

CAF Footprint in the Arctic

• The CAF exercises surveillance and control in the Arctic, maintains a visible and persistent presence, responds to aeronautical search and rescue (SAR) incidents, assists provinces and territories with ground SAR operations and natural disaster emergencies when required, supports Arctic and Northern peoples and communities, and contributes to whole of government priorities in the region.
• The CAF’s permanent presence in the North is anchored by Joint Task Force North (JTF-N) in Yellowknife, along with 440 Transport Squadron RCAF, 1 Canadian Ranger Patrol Group Headquarters and a Company of reserve infantry. Team North has approximately 300 personnel, including two JTF-N detachments in Whitehorse and Iqaluit.
• The Canadian Army’s Arctic Response Company Groups are regionally-focused units capable of projecting to Canada’s North to conduct sovereignty operations, facilitate disaster response support, and provide general assistance to other Governmental departments.
• The CAF’s footprint in the North also includes:
  • Canadian Forces Station Alert, the northernmost CAF outpost; and
  • Canadian Armed Forces Arctic Training Centre (CAFATC) in Resolute Bay, Nunavut, which provides a permanent location for training and operations in the High Arctic. The Canadian Army runs an annual Northern Exercise (NOREX) at CAFATC.
• National Defence also has a number of assets used by NORAD, including the North Warning System, and three Forward Operating Locations in Yellowknife, Inuvik, and Iqaluit, which can accommodate fighter aircraft and other assets supporting NORAD operational requirements and exercises on a temporary basis.
• Through NORAD modernization, National Defence is investing in upgrading the Forward Operating Locations, as well as Goose Bay. This will support a more robust NORAD and CAF presence when needed, with potential opportunities for multipurpose infrastructure at these sites that could benefit local communities, including Indigenous partners.

Operation NANOOK

• Op NANOOK is the Canadian Armed Forces’ signature northern operation designed to enhance and expand the Canadian Armed Forces’ capabilities, footprint, and readiness, safeguard Canada’s Arctic sovereignty, and develop interagency, intergovernmental, Indigenous, and multinational partnerships.
• Operation NANOOK-NUNALIVUT 2023. Between March 1 and 20, 2023, more than 200 CAF personnel worked together with armed forces members from Norway, Belgium, France, and the UK to conduct activities including joint long-range patrols, complex logistical support, and under-ice diving activities;
• Operation NANOOK-TATIGIIT 2022. A disaster response rehearsal that encompassed a Whole of Government scenario tailored to meet the objectives of CJOC and our northern partners at the federal, territorial, and municipal levels. The Government of NWT Emergency Management community guided the exercise development in 2022, and the last iteration occurred June 21 to 23, 2022.
• Operation NANOOK-TUUGAALIK 2022. A maritime event intended to build capability in Canada’s northern regions, ensuring CAF readiness to operate in the North within a comprehensive context and improving interoperability with mission partners. The exercise occurred from August 2 to 12, 2022, and participants included HMCS Margaret Brooke, HMCS Goose Bay, USCGC Bear, HDMS Triton, FS Rhone, and a US Navy medical team.
• Operation NANOOK-NUNAKPUT 2022. An all-domain, combined joint activity focused on defence and security in the Arctic and integrating northern partners in a series of presence and surveillance activities. The exercise occurred August 15 to 29, 2022 in and around Cambridge Bay, Nunavut, with the maritime component extending until September 30, 2022.
• Additional northern operations include Operation LIMPID, the Canadian Armed Forces’ ongoing surveillance and presence mission, Operation BOXTOP, the mission to supply Canadian Forces Station (CFS) Alert, and Operation NEVUS, the annual maintenance operation for the High Arctic Data Communications System.

International Cooperation

• As outlined in Strong, Secure, Engaged, and the Arctic and Northern Policy Framework, the Defence Team will work to enhance cooperation with Arctic Allies and partners to strengthen domain awareness and information sharing and will also look to increase participation in multinational exercises in the region.
• National Defence is also deepening strategic-level collaboration with like-minded Arctic Allies and partners:
  • May 2022: Minister Anand convened a Virtual Northern Defence Dialogue to share perspectives on the evolving threat environment with her counterparts from like-minded Arctic nations.
  • January 2023: Director of Staff, Strategic Joint Staff attended the Deputy Arctic Chiefs of Defence meeting in Copenhagen.
• Defence Research and Development Canada is an active participant in the International Cooperative Program for Polar Research (ICE-PPR) with several Arctic nations, excluding the Russian Federation, to advance National Defence’s scientific knowledge of the evolving Arctic environment (e.g., sea ice, temperature, salinity, ambient noise levels); and to ensure continued effectiveness in defence capabilities, systems and platforms, and their adaptation for future Canadian Armed Forces operations.
• Arctic Security Forces Roundtable (ASFR) is an annual event co-chaired by Norway and the United States through USEUCOM, to promote regional understanding, dialogue, and cooperation among Arctic Security Forces, and enhance multilateral Arctic security and safety operations.
  • ASFR includes representatives from France, Germany, the U.K., the Netherlands, and the eight Arctic Council states. Russia has not been invited since 2014. The next meeting will take place in Turku, Finland on 25-27 April 2023, with Commander Joint Task Force North attending as Canada’s senior representative.

Cooperation with the United States in the Arctic

• JOINT PACIFIC MULTINATIONAL READINESS CENTER (JPMRC) is a regularly scheduled exercise that focuses on operations in cold weather with the U.S. Army units in Alaska and last ran from March 14 to 23, 2022. JPMRC strengthens the lines of communication between Alaskan units and our forces.
• Exercise ARCTIC EAGLE-PATRIOT is a regularly scheduled exercise that involves the response to a natural disaster with small task Arctic warfare events and last ran from February 23 to March 2, 2022, in Alaska. The Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) exercised Light Urban Search and Rescue capabilities and Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear defence capabilities during this exercise.
• ICE EXERCISE (ICEX) was a submarine under/through the ice operation, which took place last winter in Alaska. ICEX 2022 was the 98^th iteration of the exercise. The Royal Canadian Air Force worked with the U.S. Navy with the construction of a temporary ice camp by providing two CC-138 Twin Otter to transport supplies and personnel into and out of austere locations on sea ice.
• Operation NOBLE DEFENDER is a recurring NORAD defensive operation that takes place throughout the year, and has been ongoing since 2019. This winter's Op NOBLE DEFENDER took place from January 15-31, 2023, and involved a series of Arctic activities demonstrating allied collaboration and integration to defend North America's northern approaches. The prior iteration of Op NOBLE DEFENDER was conducted from October 25 to 27, 2022, to exercise NORAD’s layered defence off the northeast coast of the U.S.
• Exercise ARCTIC EDGE is a biennial joint exercise that fosters interoperability and the sharing of cold weather warfare expertise in the Arctic. The CAF and Defence Research and Development Canada last participated in this exercise between February 28 and March 17, 2022.