Canada’s Armed Forces continue to collaborate with our American partners to keep us safe. In Washington, we welcomed Major-General Paul Ormsby as the new Defence Attaché. He will be working to support Canadian military operations with our allies at home and around the world.
Working Together to Keep Shared Waters Safe
The Royal Canadian Navy will host ships from eight NATO nations for a submarine hunting exercise, Exercise Cutlass Fury 2019, from September 9-20 off Nova Scotia and Newfoundland. Every few years, Canada invites NATO Navies to practice anti-submarine operations in waters prone to icebergs, fog, and challenging conditions. This year’s exercise will include training on air defence, defence against attacks from enemy navy vessels, air-to-air combat, and defence against submarines. It is part of NATO’s Maritime Express initiative, which creates opportunities for NATO Allies to train together to further our collective security. “The North Atlantic is vital for the security of Europe,” said NATO Spokesperson Oana Lungescu. “It provides a crucial route for reinforcements and supplies from North America to Europe, and supports global trade and communications. Exercises like Cutlass Fury help our Allies to sharpen their skills at sea.” What better way to celebrate NATO’s 70th birthday?
Looking Toward Space With Our Allies
Earlier this summer, Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States gathered for Space Flag at Vandenberg Air Force Base, an Air Force Space Command-sponsored exercise focused on countering adversarial actions in space. Royal Canadian Air Force Brig. Gen. Kevin Whale, the Director General and Component Commander for Space, spoke on Canada’s lasting partnership with the U.S. and how he sees Canada’s future participation in Space Flag, explaining “Canada has a long history of collaboration with the U.S. in space under NORAD and, more recently, the expanding and multinational Combined Space Operations initiative … Our integrated participation in Space Flag this year is a welcomed evolution of our collaboration that directly contributes to our shared interests in space.”
Another space exercise, the Schriever Wargame, is in full swing at Maxwell Air Force Base in Alabama. The annual event looks ten years in the future to identify upcoming planning and integration requirements in space. This year’s exercise includes participants from Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States. France, Germany, and Japan.
A Partner in the Pacific
Canada is working with our United Nations’ partners to enforce sanctions against North Korea, contributing to global security. Through Operation Neon, the HMCS Ottawa and a Royal Canadian Air Force CP-140 Aurora joined allied forces, including the United States, to pressure North Korea to abandon its weapons of mass destruction programs. Canada’s participation in this coordinated effort is a demonstration of international solidarity in support of peace and security on the Korean Peninsula. From 2019 to 2021, Canada will periodically deploy military ships, aircraft, and personnel to conduct surveillance operations to identify suspected maritime sanctions evasion activities, in particular ship-to-ship transfers of fuel and other commodities banned by the United Nations Security Council resolutions, bolstering the resolutions’ effectiveness.
Follow @CAFinUS to learn more about CAF’s work in the U.S. and abroad.