“THE NORTH POLE IS THE CENTRE OF THE NORTHERN HEMISPHERE” – CONSIDERING AN OPERATIONAL FRAMEWORK FOR ARCTIC PATROL SHIP OPERATIONS Lieutenant-Commander R. Blair Saltel JCSP 37 PCEMI 37 Master of Defence Studies Maîtrise en études de la défense Disclaimer Avertissement Opinions expressed remain those of the author and do Les opinons exprimées n’engagent que leurs auteurs et not represent Department of National Defence or ne reflètent aucunement des politiques du Ministère de Canadian Forces policy. This paper may not be used la Défense nationale ou des Forces canadiennes. Ce without written permission. papier ne peut être reproduit sans autorisation écrite. © Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada, as represented by the © Sa Majesté la Reine du Chef du Canada, représentée par le Minister of National Defence, 2011. ministre de la Défense nationale, 2011. CANADIAN FORCES COLLEGE - COLLÈGE DES FORCES CANADIENNES JCSP 37 - PCEMI 37 MASTER OF DEFENCE STUDIES - MAÎTRISE EN ÉTUDES DE LA DÉFENSE “THE NORTH POLE IS THE CENTRE OF THE NORTHERN HEMISPHERE” – CONSIDERING AN OPERATIONAL FRAMEWORK FOR ARCTIC PATROL SHIP OPERATIONS By LCdr R. Blair Saltel This paper was written by a student La présente étude a été rédigée par un attending the Canadian Forces College stagiaire du Collège des Forces in fulfilment of one of the requirements canadiennes pour satisfaire à l'une des of the Course of Studies. The paper is a exigences du cours. L'étude est un scholastic document, and thus contains document qui se rapporte au cours et facts and opinions, which the author contient donc des faits et des opinions alone considered appropriate and que seul l'auteur considère appropriés et correct for the subject. It does not convenables au sujet. Elle ne reflète pas necessarily reflect the policy or the nécessairement la politique ou l'opinion opinion of any agency, including the d'un organisme quelconque, y compris le Government of Canada and the gouvernement du Canada et le ministère Canadian Department of National de la Défense nationale du Canada. Il est Defence. This paper may not be défendu de diffuser, de citer ou de released, quoted or copied, except with reproduire cette étude sans la permission the express permission of the Canadian expresse du ministère de la Défense Department of National Defence. nationale. Word Count: 20901 Compte de mots: 20901 1 TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF FIGURES ......................................................................................................................... 2 ABSTRACT ..................................................................................................................................... 2 INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................................... 3 ARCTIC OFFSHORE PATROL SHIP ....................................................................................... 7 CHAPTER 1 – THE ARCTIC THEATRE ...................................................................................... 9 CHAPTER 2 – ARCTIC COMMUNITIES................................................................................... 23 THE INUIT CULTURE ............................................................................................................ 32 INUIT CHALLENGES ............................................................................................................. 45 SUBSISTENENCE ACTIVITIES ......................................................................................... 45 POLLUTION ......................................................................................................................... 48 EDUCATION ........................................................................................................................ 49 EMPLOYMENT .................................................................................................................... 51 HEALTH ............................................................................................................................... 52 SUICIDE ................................................................................................................................ 53 HOUSING ............................................................................................................................. 55 CRIME ................................................................................................................................... 56 CHAPTER 3 – ICE OPERATIONS .............................................................................................. 61 LEGISLATION AND ENFORCEMENT ................................................................................. 64 NAVIGATION .......................................................................................................................... 70 CHARTS AND SURVEYS ....................................................................................................... 76 SEARCH AND RESCUE .......................................................................................................... 82 COAST GUARD COOPERATION AND ARCTIC RESEARCH ........................................... 90 SUBSURFACE MARITIME DOMAIN AWARENESS .......................................................... 93 COMBAT (OPERATIONAL) READINESS ............................................................................ 99 CHAPTER 4 – WHOLE OF GOVERNMENT APPROACH ..................................................... 106 ANALYSIS .................................................................................................................................. 109 CONCLUSION ............................................................................................................................ 114 BIBLIOGRAPHY ........................................................................................................................ 116 2 LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1 - Physical-Geographical characteristics associated with the Arctic region ..................... 17 Figure 2 - Canada's North .............................................................................................................. 17 Figure 3 - Canadian Forces Joint Task Force North Area of Responsibility ................................. 18 Figure 4 - Canadian Forces effectiveness framework highlighting Cultural Intelligence ............. 27 Figure 5 - Arctic Indigenous Peoples ............................................................................................. 34 Figure 6 - Inuit Nunaat, showing major communities ................................................................... 36 Figure 7 - Indigenous languages of the Arctic ............................................................................... 45 Figure 8 - Maritime jurisdiction and boundaries in the Arctic area ............................................... 66 Figure 9 - Canadian government jurisdictional boundaries ........................................................... 67 Figure 10 - Canadian Charting and Survey status (purple area shows hydrographically acceptable data) ............................................................................................................................................... 78 Figure 11 - Canada SAR Zones ..................................................................................................... 83 Figure 12 - Vessel Casualty Locations and Traffic Network, 1975 - 2008 ................................... 89 Figure 12 - Arctic RAS. HMCS Montreal receives fuel from CCGS Terry Fox ........................ 104 ABSTRACT Government policy statements place high importance in achieving regular presence in Canada’s Arctic. The main Naval contribution to this initiative is the Arctic Offshore Patrol Ship. With limited experience conducting missions in all Arctic seasons and conditions, the Navy will face many challenges in training and equipping crews and planning missions to effectively support higher government initiatives. Climate change, renewed private interests in the Arctic and capability gaps in surveillance and enforcement regimes will all require the Navy’s attention with a limited planning cycle to adequately prepare. Extensive Canadian Forces experience and success in overseas humanitarian and combat missions bring sufficient corporate knowledge to begin Arctic planning and avoid the inefficiencies of relearning old lessons. Whole of Government initiatives, developing broad spectrum Situational Awareness, understanding local cultures and coordinating actions in line with higher government direction all have the same effectiveness in Arctic operations as they did in Haiti or Afghanistan. To overcome frequent personnel and training cycles and focus on consistent engagement of northern communities and evolving northern naval skill sets, a robust operational framework championed by Canada Command is fundamentally necessary. Furthermore, as experience in regular, all-season Arctic operations permeates the Canadian Forces, relevant areas of expertise can then help in successful future missions overseas. 3 INTRODUCTION The Canadian Arctic is a vast and expansive area. Despite the proclivity of modern information-gathering satellites and other means, the Arctic remains largely unknown to present-day Canadians. Not necessarily centrally topical to the average Canadian public, it has been observed that “there may be more books on the Canadian Arctic than people who live there.”1 Arguments for successful achievement of concepts