Operation LIMPID

From: National Defence

Operation LIMPID is the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) mission to detect threats to Canada’s security as early as possible. The CAF keeps a routine watch over Canada’s air, maritime, land, and aerospace domains. It also maintains a physical presence in some areas.

The Task Force

Each of Canada’s regions has a distinct geography and environment. As a result, Operation LIMPID makes use of CAF task forces and agreements that are already in place in each area.

Operation LIMPID makes use of the following CAF services and groups:

Sea: The Royal Canadian Navy provides maritime domain awareness.
Air: The Royal Canadian Air Force provides aerospace domain awareness in coordination with the Canadian NORAD Region.
Land: The Canadian Joint Operations Command’s Regional Joint Task Forces provide land domain awareness. They link up with Provincial emergency services. The Canadian Rangers also provide support.
Space: The Canadian Space Operations Centre coordinates space domain awareness data.
Cyber: The Canadian Forces Network Operations Centre coordinates cyber domain awareness.

Areas of Surveillance

North

Joint Task Force North (JTFN) Surveillance Area

JTFN leads CAF operations in the North. This region includes:

Yukon;
Northwest Territories; and
Nunavut.

JTFN’s surveillance area for maritime operations extends to the North along Greenland’s territorial borders. It reaches north to the pole. In the west it extends to the border of Yukon and Alaska. JTFN’s maritime region also includes:

Hudson Bay;
Ungava Bay; and
James Bay.

JTFN’s total surveillance area covers nearly 8.8 million square kilometres.

Pacific

Joint Task Force Pacific (JTFP) Surveillance Area

JTFP leads CAF operations in the province of British Columbia (B.C.). It also covers:

the western air approach to B.C.;
the southern air approach to B.C.;
the western sea approach to B.C.; and
the southern sea approach to B.C.

JTFP’s total surveillance area covers more than 4.4 million square kilometres. It reaches far into the Pacific Ocean. It extends out to 2075 kilometres west of Vancouver Island.

West

Joint Task Force West (JTFW) Surveillance Area

JTFW’s total surveillance area covers more than 1.9 million square kilometres. It leads CAF operations in the provinces of:

Alberta;
Saskatchewan; and
Manitoba.

This includes their territorial waterways. JTFW also helps support maritime operations in Hudson Bay.

Central

Joint Task Force Central (JTFC) Surveillance Area

The JTFC region includes the Province of Ontario. It also covers the National Capital Region in Quebec. This area is serviced by the Gatineau Police. The JTFC maritime region is:

the Canadian portion of the Great Lakes; and
the St. Lawrence River Valley. This covers up to and including Cornwall. It extends to the Seaway International Bridge.

JTFC’s total surveillance area covers 1.9 million square kilometres.

East

Joint Task Force East Surveillance (JTFE) Area

JTFE leads CAF operations throughout the Province of Quebec. This includes its territorial waterways. Quebec is Canada’s largest province in terms of landmass. It is second largest in terms of population. JTFE’s total watch area covers nearly 1.5 million square kilometres.

Atlantic

Joint Task Force Atlantic (JTFA) Surveillance Area

JTFA leads CAF operations across Atlantic Canada. This includes:

Newfoundland and Labrador;
Nova Scotia;
New Brunswick;
Prince Edward Island;
the region’s contiguous waters; and
the region’s airspace.

JTFA’s total surveillance area covers more than 4.2 million square kilometres. The area reaches out into the Atlantic Ocean. It extends to 1224 kilometres east of Gander, Newfoundland.