Joint Task Force (North) Forces opérationnelle interarmées (Nord) CAF and The Arctic BGen Mike Nixon Commander JTFN CDA Institute 13 Apr 2018 Joint Task Force (North) Forces opérationnelle interarmées (Nord) Agenda • The Organization & Strategic Context • The Canadian Northern Environment • Whole of Government • Northern Operations 2 Joint Task Force (North) Forces opérationnelle interarmées (Nord) Canada’s Defence Policy 3 Joint Task Force (North) Forces opérationnelle interarmées (Nord) Canadian Arctic Context Increased Regional Interest and Opportunities Challenges Activity 4 Joint Task Force (North) Forces opérationnelle interarmées (Nord) CAF Presence in Canada’s North • Includes +400 buildings at over 60 sites. • CAF, including through NORAD, operates from a number of locations in the North. • Permanent presence includes JTFN, 1 CRPG, 440 Squadron, ASU(N), LER, CAF-ATC • Southern-based CAF elements operate in the Arctic on activity- basis 5 Joint Task Force (North) Forces opérationnelle interarmées (Nord) Joint Task Force (North) Mission Statement JTFN, in collaboration with Arctic partners, enables safety, security and defence operations while demonstrating sovereignty in support of broader government priorities in Canada’s North. 6 Joint Task Force (North) Forces opérationnelle interarmées (Nord) Royal Canadian Navy 7 Joint Task Force (North) Forces opérationnelle interarmées (Nord) Canadian Army 8 Joint Task Force (North) Forces opérationnelle interarmées (Nord) Royal Canadian Air Force 9 Joint Task Force (North) Forces opérationnelle interarmées (Nord) 10 Joint Task Force (North) Forces opérationnelle interarmées (Nord) Junior Canadian Rangers The aim of the Junior Canadian Ranger Program is to provide a structured youth program, which promotes traditional cultures and lifestyles, in remote and isolated communities of Canada. ~1300 total. 11 Joint Task Force (North) Forces opérationnelle interarmées (Nord) The Canadian Northern Environment 12 Joint Task Force (North) Forces opérationnelle interarmées (Nord) People of the North Yukon • Population: 35,874 NWT • Population: 41,786 Nunavut • Population: 35,944 First Nations Inuit Total Population: 113,604 Metis Non-Indigenous 13 Joint Task Force (North) Forces opérationnelle interarmées (Nord) Treaties & Land 14 Joint Task Force (North) Forces opérationnelle interarmées (Nord) Political Organization Nunavut - Consensus NWT - Consensus Yukon – Party System 15 Joint Task Force (North) Forces opérationnelle interarmées (Nord) Infrastructure McGill Arctic Research Ward Hunt Island Station (PCSP) (PCSP) • Infrastructure in the North is difficult to Isachsen (former US/CAN Alert DND/CAF facility Weather Station) maintain Eureka Weather Mould Bay (former Station • The structures that US/CAN Weather Station) Gascoyne Inlet exist are often Polar Bear Pass (PCSP) (DRDC) remnants of old Nanisivik berthing & military facilities or refueling facility (2018) scientific research stations • New stations such NWS DRDC’s Northern Watch station are under construction • NORAD’s Forward Operating Locations (FOLs) are located in Resolute Bay Cambridge Bay Iqaluit, Yellowknife and PCSP/CAFATC CHARS – Opening 2018 Inuvik Primary Highway Secondary Highway/Road Ice road NORAD FOL Site 16 Joint Task Force (North) Forces opérationnelle interarmées (Nord) Distances/Airfields Whitehorse – 1107 km Alert – 2660 km Iqaluit – 2260 km Resolute – 1560 km 17 Joint Task Force (North) Forces opérationnelle interarmées (Nord) Shipping Activity 18 Joint Task Force (North) Forces opérationnelle interarmées (Nord) Power Sources 19 Joint Task Force (North) Forces opérationnelle interarmées (Nord) Communications Nunavut – 26 communities: • reliant on satellite communication • Fibre upgrade underway NWT – 34 communities: • northern are reliant on microwave towers • southern are reliant on fibre • 8 are reliant on satellite Yukon – 15 communities: • northern are reliant on microwave towers • southern are reliant on fibre • Old Crow, is reliant on satellite 20 Joint Task Force (North) Forces opérationnelle interarmées (Nord) Natural Disaster Risk in the North 21 Joint Task Force (North) Forces opérationnelle interarmées (Nord) 22 Joint Task Force (North) Forces opérationnelle interarmées (Nord) Potential Maritime Routes 23 Joint Task Force (North) Forces opérationnelle interarmées (Nord) Adventurers 24 Joint Task Force (North) Forces opérationnelle interarmées (Nord) CAF Activities in the North 25 Joint Task Force (North) Forces opérationnelle interarmées (Nord) Search and Rescue in the Arctic • CAF mandate is aeronautical SAR, and maritime SAR on federal waters in collaboration with the Canadian Coast Guard. • CAF also provides assistance to provinces and territories on ground SAR (GSAR) incidents when requested, to the best of our capabilities and with the resources we are given. • If/when a call comes in to a Joint Rescue Coordination Centre (JRCC) for assistance with a GSAR event, this may trigger the tasking of a SAR Cormorant or Hercules aircraft, or any other CAF asset considered as a secondary SAR resource. • The JRCCs may also task a local ship or local airline to perform the rescue. • The JRCCs do not fall under the command of JTFN. • The Canadian Rangers are considered a secondary asset for GSAR. 26 Joint Task Force (North) Forces opérationnelle interarmées (Nord) Search and Rescue Regions 27 Joint Task Force (North) Forces opérationnelle interarmées (Nord) Operation NANOOK – A Persistent Northern Operation TATIGIIT NUNAKPUT Op LIMPID NUNALIVUT NEVUS 28 Joint Task Force (North) Forces opérationnelle interarmées (Nord) Operation NANOOK – TATIGIIT 2018: North Slave Region, NT 29 Joint Task Force (North) Forces opérationnelle interarmées (Nord) Operation NANOOK - NUNALIVUT 2018 Resolute, NU 2018 Cambridge Bay, NU 30 Joint Task Force (North) Forces opérationnelle interarmées (Nord) Operation NANOOK - NUNKAPUT 31 Joint Task Force (North) Forces opérationnelle interarmées (Nord) Operation LIMPID (JTFN AOR) A D B C E F 32 Joint Task Force (North) Forces opérationnelle interarmées (Nord) Whole of Government and Importance of Relationships 33 Joint Task Force (North) Forces opérationnelle interarmées (Nord) Domestic Collaboration 34 Joint Task Force (North) Forces opérationnelle interarmées (Nord) International Collaboration 35 Joint Task Force (North) Forces opérationnelle interarmées (Nord) Arctic Security Working Group ASWG brings together other federal departments and agencies, territorial governments, international partners, and academics to examine issues of shared interest and concern. 36 Joint Task Force (North) Forces opérationnelle interarmées (Nord) New and Future Capabilities Maritime • Arctic/Offshore Patrol Ships • Nanisivik Refueling Facility Land • Canadian Ranger Modernization • Over Snow Vehicles Air • North Warning Sites (NORAD) • Air Defence Identification Zones 37 Joint Task Force (North) Forces opérationnelle interarmées (Nord) A ‘whole-of-government’ effort to maintain and expand Canada’s access to a domestic source of space-based Earth observation data. 38 Joint Task Force (North) Forces opérationnelle interarmées (Nord) Questions?.