Operation FOUNDATION
Under Operation FOUNDATION the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) works with the United States and other countries to counter terrorism. The CAF has personnel located in the Middle East, North Africa, and Southwest Asia as part of Operation FOUNDATION.
How many people are deployed?
There are approximately 18 CAF members deployed on Operation FOUNDATION. These personnel support a variety of United States headquarters:
- U.S. Central Command (USCENTCOM) in Tampa
- U.S. Air Forces Central (AFCENT) in Qatar
- U.S. Naval Forces Central (US NAVCENT) in Bahrain
- Combined Maritime Forces (CMF) in Bahrain
- U.S. Army Central (USARCENT) Combined Joint Operations Centre in Jordan
What are they doing?
CAF members serve as staff in the each of these host headquarters. They provide a link between the headquarters and the CAF.
The CAF members with AFCENT in Qatar serve in the Combined Aerospace Operations Centre (CAOC). They also serve in other AFCENT aerospace control units.
History and context of the operation
Operation FOUNDATION’s roots lie in Canada’s first military contribution to the global campaign against terrorism. It began with Operation APOLLO (October 2001 to December 2003). This was a major joint operation. Canada deployed:
- a large naval task group
- three air detachments to the Arabian Sea–Persian Gulf region
- a battle group to Afghanistan
These task forces were collectively known as Joint Task Force South West Asia. They were directed from a CAF headquarters set up at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Florida. The CAF headquarters shared a location with USCENTCOM Headquarters.
Canadian Armed Forces relationship with USCENTCOM
Operation APOLLO ended in December 2003. At that time, Canada’s operations with USCENTCOM were becoming larger and more complex. The Joint Task Force South West Asia headquarters stood down on August 16, 2003. Operation FOUNDATION began with a liaison team. It was tasked with maintaining the strong ties between the CAF and USCENTCOM.
Since that time, the CAF has conducted a number of operations in USCENTCOM’s area of responsibility. The most prominent have been Canada’s military engagements in Afghanistan, Canada’s contribution to the Global Coalition to degrade and defeat Daesh, and Canada’s support to maritime counter-terrorism operations.
USCENTCOM
USCENTCOM is a United States Department of Defense command. It is one of seven U.S. commands organized according to geography. It is responsible for the “central” area of the world, an area covering some 4.6 million square miles and 20 countries. Its AOR extends from Egypt’s western border to Pakistan’s eastern border. From north to south, it extends from Kazakhstan’s northern border to the Arabian Sea.
Operational units deployed in the USCENTCOM area of responsibility report directly to one of the following “service component” commands:
- U.S. Army Forces Central (ARCENT)
- U.S. Air Forces Central (AFCENT)
- U.S. Marine Forces Central (MARCENT)
- U.S. Naval Forces Central (NAVCENT)
- U.S. Special Operations Central (SOCCENT)
U.S. Air Forces Central
AFCENT is the air component of USCENTCOM, responsible for:
- running independent and coalition air operations; and
- developing contingency plans.
U.S. Naval Forces Central and Combined Maritime Forces
CMF is a 41-nation naval coalition headquartered in Bahrain. It aims to help make the international waters of the Middle East more secure and stable. A U.S. Navy vice-admiral commands CMF. The CMF Commander also commands U.S. NAVCENT and the United States Fifth Fleet. These are both also headquartered in Bahrain.
External Links
- United States Africa Command Home page
- United States Central Command Home page
- Combined Maritime Forces Home page
- U.S. Air Forces Central Home page
Social Media
Canadian Joint
Operations Command
Related links
Page details
- Date modified: