Operation Nanook

Operation Nanook is an annual sovereignty operation and manoeuvre warfare exercise conducted by the Canadian Armed Forces in the Arctic. Sovereignty patrols in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago and northern Canada are conducted by the Canadian Rangers, Canadian Coast Guard in tandem with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. The exercise portion is intended to train the different elements of the Canadian Armed Forces (Canadian Army, Royal Canadian Air Force and Royal Canadian Navy) to operate in the Arctic environment.

For the American operation, see Operation Nanook (1946).

The following is a list of annual exercises that comprise Operation Nanook:

2007

Operation Nanook 2007 was the 2007 joint exercise of the Royal Canadian Navy and the Canadian Coast Guard to train for disaster and sovereignty patrols in the Arctic.[1][2] Similar exercises have been conducted every year since.

Elements of the Canadian Coast Guard and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police joined with elements of the Canadian Forces in the exercise.[2] The Halifax-class frigate HMCS Fredericton, the Kingston-class coastal defence vessel HMCS Summerside, the Victoria-class submarine HMCS Corner Brook, CP-140 Aurora maritime patrol aircraft, reservists from the local Canadian Rangers, and Primary Reserve soldiers from across Canada composed the Canadian Forces component.

During the exercise Summerside played a drug smuggling vessel, nicknamed MV Rusty Bucket.[2]

2008
HMCS Toronto, CCGS Pierre Radisson, and an iceberg in Frobisher Bay during Operation Nanook 2008

Operation Nanook 2008 was a joint exercise of Canada's Maritime Command and the Canadian Coast Guard, held in August 2008.[3] Canada conducted a similar joint exercise, also named Operation Nanook, in 2007.

The exercise was held from 11 to 25 August 2008. Two Canadian warships and two air force planes, a CC-138 Twin Otter and a CP-140 Aurora, took part in the exercises in Canada's Arctic. The frigate HMCS Toronto, the minesweeper HMCS Shawinigan and the Canadian Coast Guard icebreaker CCGS Pierre Radisson travelled along the Hudson Strait. The operation extended to Davis Strait and Frobisher Bay.

There have been 18 such humanitarian operations since 2002. As more Arctic ice melts, the ships sail through uncharted waters. Emergency response times were tested for such potential disasters as oil spills, or rescue operations such as responding to cruise ship emergencies.

General Walter J. Natynczyk, Canada's chief of Defence staff, Peter MacKay, Defence Minister as well as Minister of the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, and Steven Fletcher, Member of Parliament for Charleswood–St. James–Assiniboia and Parliamentary Secretary for Health, flew to Iqaluit, Nunavut, to officially launch the exercise on 19 August 2008 and observe the process.

2009

Operation Nanook 2009 was the 2009 joint exercise of Canada's Maritime Command and the Canadian Coast Guard to train for disaster and sovereignty patrols in the Arctic. Similar exercises were held in 2007, 2008, 2010 and 2011.

The operation ran from 6 to 28 August 2009.[4][5] In addition to CCGS Pierre Radisson the operations had the participation of elements of the Canadian Rangers, Primary Reserve soldiers from across Canada, a force of reservists composed of local residents of Nunavut, the frigate HMCS Toronto and the submarine HMCS Corner Brook, and Canadian Forces aircraft.

General Walter J. Natynczyk, Chief of Canada's Defence Staff attended the exercise.[6] On 23 August 2009, Natynczyk met in Iqaluit with Admiral Tim Sloth Jørgensen, Chief of Denmark's Defence staff.

2010
HDMS Vædderen, HMCS Montréal, and USS Porter proceed abreast during Operation Nanook in 2010
HDMS Knud Rasmussen participating in Operation Nanook 2010

Operation Nanook 2010 was the 2010 annual joint exercise of Canada's Maritime Command and the Canadian Coast Guard to train for disaster and sovereignty patrols in the Arctic.[7][8][9][10] Similar exercises were held in 2007, 2008 and 2009. The operation ran from 6 to 26 August 2010.[7][9] Members of the Canadian Forces Primary Reserve took part in ground exercises in conjunction with Canadian Rangers. Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper traveled to the Arctic to observe the exercise.[7][8] Unlike previous exercises, foreign services participated.

Participating forces

The Royal Danish Navy sent HDMS Vædderen and HDMS Knud Rasmussen.[10][11] Vædderen is a frigate-sized Thetis-class ocean patrol vessel, launched in 1996. Knud Rasmussen was commissioned in 2008, the lead ship of a class specifically designed to patrol Baffin Bay.

The United States sent USS Porter and USCGC Alder. USS Porter is a United States Navy guided missile destroyer commissioned in 1999. USCGC Alder is a United States Coast Guard buoy tender homeported in Duluth, Minnesota, on the Great Lakes.

Canada sent HMCS Montréal, HMCS Goose Bay, HMCS Glace Bay, and CCGS Henry Larsen. Montréal is a Halifax-class frigate, commissioned in 1993. Goose Bay and Glace Bay are Kingston-class coastal defence vessels, commissioned in 1996 and 1998. Henry Larsen was the only icebreaker among the vessels.

Commentary

The Russian newspaper Pravda described the exercise as "saber rattling".[7]

2011
HMCS Summerside and USCGC Willow during Operation Nanook 2011

Operation Nanook 2011 was a military training exercise held in Canada's Arctic in August 2011.[12] [13] It was the fifth such annual exercise. Vessels from the United States Navy, United States Coast Guard and the Royal Danish Navy participated in the exercise.

Two scenarios in the exercise had military and civilian personnel simulate reacting to air and maritime emergencies.[14] While the exercise was being conducted, a commercial airplane (First Air Flight 6560) crashed while approaching Resolute Bay Airport, a short distance away from where the exercise was being held. The military personnel involved in the exercise assisted in rescue and recovery operations.[15]

2012
HDMS Knud Rasmussen and USCGC Juniper, during Operation Nanook 2012

Operation Nanook 2012 was a military training exercise held in Canada's Arctic in August 2012.[16] It was the sixth annual exercise. Vessels from the United States Navy, United States Coast Guard and the Royal Danish Navy participated in the exercise.

One scenario simulated intercepting a "vessel of interest" in Baffin Bay.[16] Another scenario had Canadian Armed Forces simulate being dispatched to a northern community, Tsiigehtchic, to assist the Royal Canadian Mounted Police with a "security event".

2014

Operation Nanook 2014 was the eighth annual Arctic joint training exercise run by the Canadian Armed Forces and the Canadian Coast Guard.[17][18]

Royal Danish Navy and the United States Navy vessels participated. The Canadian Rangers also participated. Overall approximately 1,000 people took part in the exercise, including local officials.

The training involved several scenarios, including sending boarding parties to an uncooperative vessel, and the simulation of rescuing the complement of a grounded cruise ship.[17][18]

2016

Operation Nanook 2016 was the tenth annual Arctic joint training exercise run by the Canadian Armed Forces and the Canadian Coast Guard.[19][20][21][22][23][24][25]

Most previous iterations of Operation Nanook took place mainly in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, while this one's events were set farther west, around Rankin Inlet, Nunavut, and Whitehorse, Yukon.[24]

HMCS Moncton visited Churchill, Manitoba, North America's only deepwater port on the Arctic Ocean connected to the North American railway grid.[25]

Mieke Coppes noted that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was on a state visit overseas during the 2016 Operation Nanook, while previous Prime Minister Stephen Harper had attended all previous operations. Coppes pointed out that the cruise ship Crystal Serenity was transitting the Northwest Passage with a thousand tourists, asserting this sign of global warming should put a greater priority on the exercises.[19]

2017

Operation Nanook 2017 took place from 12 to 27 August 2017. The training exercise took place in parts of Labrador and Nunavut and incorporated more than 720 military and civilian personnel. The Nunavut exercise focused on sealift disaster preparation and simulated the destruction of a barge carrying supplies to the Rankin Inlet community. Canadian Rangers and military personnel from 38 Canadian Brigade Group based in Winnipeg, Manitoba, participated in the Nunavut operation, along with civilians from several government departments. The Labrador operation, based out of Goose Bay, Labrador, focused on northern defence and security.[26] It was the first time Labrador hosted Operation Nanook. The beginning of the Labrador operation was delayed a couple of days due to inclement weather and a damaged helicopter.[27]

The Royal Canadian Navy deployed the Halifax-class frigate Montréal and the Kingston-class coastal defence vessels Kingston and Goose Bay.[28] The Royal Canadian Air Force dedicated three CC-138 Twin Otter aircraft, three CH-146 Griffon helicopters and two CH-147 Chinook helicopters, as well as a CC-130 Hercules and CC-177 Globemaster cargo aircraft to the entire operation.[26]

2018

Operation Nanook 2018 took place from 12 August to 4 September 2018.[29]

2020

Operation Nanook 2020 took place from July to August 2020. It was scaled down due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and resulted in a ban on port visits. Participating ships included, USS Thomas Hudner (DDG-116), USCGC Tahoma (WMEC-908), HMCS Ville de Quebec (FFH 332), HMCS Glace Bay (MM 701), MV Asterix, HDMS Triton (F358), & the FS Fulmar[30]

References
  1. "HMCS Fredericton participates in Iqaluit Community Days" (PDF). The Maple Leaf. 5 September 2007. Archived from the original (PDF) on 9 June 2011. Retrieved 23 October 2009.
  2. Frank, Robert (5 September 2007). "Canada Command completes largest deployment to date in the North" (PDF). The Maple Leaf. Archived from the original (PDF) on 9 June 2011. Retrieved 23 October 2009.
  3. "News and events: January 2008 – 31 December 2008". Department of National Defence. 20 August 2009. Archived from the original on 3 September 2009.
  4. Thompson, Elizabeth (20 August 2009). "Military takes Arctic trip: Operation Nanook 09 let Canadian Rangers, regular Forces members exchange skills". Edmonton Sun. Archived from the original on 3 September 2009.
  5. Grychowski, Jeri (September 2009). "CF exercise in the Arctic—OP Nanook 09". Trident News. Archived from the original on 12 September 2009.
  6. "The Danish Chief of Defence, Admiral Jørgensen, pays a visit to Nunavut and Greenland to plan for future defence of the region". Canadian American Strategic Review. 20 August 2009. Archived from the original on 3 September 2009.
  7. Bancroft-Hinchey, Timothy (31 August 2010). "Arctic: Canada's Sabre-Rattling and Russia's Strategic Interests". Pravda. Archived from the original on 22 September 2010. Retrieved 22 September 2010. The recently completed Operation Nanook (August 6 to 26), an operation which Canada began after Russia made claims to Arctic territories in 2007, involved an unprecedented degree of collaboration among military forces from Canada, the USA and Denmark: NATO member states. Yet is there not a commercial interest behind the sabre-rattling?
  8. Nuttall, Anita Dey (28 August 2010). "Canada stakes a claim to Arctic power, influence: Military operation, policy announcements show Ottawa's resolve". Edmonton Journal. Archived from the original on 22 September 2010. Retrieved 20 September 2010. As the Canadian military exercise Operation Nanook 10 drew to a close this week and Prime Minister Stephen Harper travelled in Canada's North, the federal government made two key announcements that sum up the country's main Arctic priorities.
  9. Woodman, Jordan (26 August 2010). "The CH-146 Griffon makes its debut at Op Nanook". Aviation.ca. Archived from the original on 22 September 2010. Retrieved 20 September 2010. This year the CH-146 Griffon helicopter took part in Operation Nanook for the first time, providing a tremendous boost to the air component of this annual Canadian Forces (CF) northern sovereignty operation.
  10. "Canada Command - OP Nanook". Canadian Forces. August 2010. Archived from the original on 30 November 2010. Retrieved 22 September 2010.
  11. "100816-G-4702D-012 Operation Nanook". Ninth District Public Affairs, US Coast Guard. Archived from the original on 22 September 2010. Retrieved 22 September 2010.
  12. Young, Stephanie (23 August 2011). "Operation Nanook 2011". Coast Guard Compass. Retrieved 18 August 2017. While Operation Nanook trained arctic operators it also focused on the partnerships that are so critical in performing missions in the cold, ice-infested environment. The international operation, designed to enhance maritime interoperability, featured the Canadian navy, army and air force, Danish military components, Royal Canadian Mounted Police and numerous other forces.
  13. "Operation Nanook". Arctic Journal. 15 September 2011. Archived from the original on 21 August 2014. Retrieved 21 August 2014. Since 2006, the federal government continues to increase its capabilities and operational expertise and capacity in affirmation of its Arctic Sovereignty strategy. This summer, Canada Command (Canadian Military headquarters in Ottawa) with the assistance of Joint Task Force North, based in Yellowknife, again conducted one of three annual Arctic safety and security exercises. This year, Operation Nanook 2011 patrolled the air, land and seas Since 2006, the federal government continues to increase its capabilities and operational expertise and capacity in affirmation of its Arctic Sovereignty strategy. This summer, Canada Command (Canadian Military headalong the extensive coastlines of Labrador, Baffin Island, and in the central High Arctic on and off Cornwallis Island.
  14. "Evolution of Operation NANOOK". Prime Minister's Office (Canada). 24 August 2012. Archived from the original on 21 August 2014. Retrieved 21 August 2014. Operation NANOOK 11 took place in the vicinity of Resolute Bay, Nunavut, from August 5 to 26, 2011, and consisted of two parts. The first, a sovereignty and presence patrolling exercise, was conducted in cooperation with the United States Coast Guard and the Royal Danish Navy. The second, a Canadian exercise that included simulated air disaster and maritime emergencies, demonstrated our country’s ability to respond to emergency situations in the North. The largest and northernmost Canadian Arctic military operation in history, Operation NANOOK 11 involved the participation of more than 1,100 CAF personnel and 180 members of the CCG.
  15. George, Jane (28 September 2011). "Training, luck guided Resolute Bay air disaster response: military". Nunatsiaq News Online. Retrieved 18 August 2017.
  16. "Evolution of Operation NANOOK". Prime Minister's Office (Canada). 24 August 2012. Archived from the original on 21 August 2014. Retrieved 21 August 2014. As in previous years, this year’s Operation NANOOK will aim to provide a visible presence in the Arctic and demonstrate Canada’s ability to respond to situations and emergencies in the region. Operation NANOOK 12 is centred on two scenario-driven events in two separate locations in Canada's high North. The first involves the deployment of land and air forces to the Western Arctic to assist the RCMP in a security event in Tsiigehtchic, Northwest Territories. The second involves the deployment of CAF land, sea, air and special operations forces to the East to the Hudson Bay/Hudson Strait and Churchill, Manitoba, to intercept a vessel of interest.
  17. "Operation NANOOK 14". Arctic Journal. 20 August 2014. Archived from the original on 21 August 2014. Retrieved 20 August 2014. Operation NANOOK 14, the premier annual Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) operation held in Canada’s North, will take place in Nunavut from August 20–29. This operation showcases CAF personnel working in close partnership with other federal, provincial, territorial, and municipal governments and agencies as well as aboriginal communities and the militaries of other Arctic nations.
  18. "Op Nanook gets underway Wednesday near Iqaluit: Exercises to include simulated search and rescue of fishing boat, cruise ship grounding". CBC North. 19 August 2014. Archived from the original on 20 August 2014. About 800 military personnel are expected to take part. The military plans to use up to 35 ATVs and eight helicopters. Other aircraft will include C-17 Globemasters and C-130 Hercules, as well as Twin Otters from 440 Transport Squadron in Yellowknife.
  19. Coppes, Mieke (5 September 2016). "Analysis: Questioning the Relevance of Canada's Operation Nanook". NewsDeeply. Archived from the original on 5 February 2017. Retrieved 22 January 2017.
  20. Rudyk, Mike (2 September 2016). "Operation Nanook comes to a close for another year". CBC News. Retrieved 22 January 2017.
  21. Pugliese, David (21 August 2016). "Operation Nanook 2016 now underway". Ottawa Citizen. Retrieved 22 January 2017.
  22. "Troops arrive in Rankin Inlet Aug. 9 to start Operation Nanook 2016". Nunatsiaq News Online. 9 August 2016. Retrieved 22 January 2017. If you're planning to go out on the land near the Nunavut communities of Rankin Inlet or Chesterfield Inlet later this month, be prepared to encounter warring soldiers, helicopters, all-terrain-vehicles, Twin Otters and Royal Canadian Navy vessels.
  23. "Operation Nanook 2016 underway in Canada's North". National Defence and Canadian Armed Forces. 23 August 2016. Retrieved 22 January 2017. The operation comprises two scenarios. In one scenario, Canadian Armed Forces members will conduct Arctic security exercises in and around Rankin Inlet, Nunavut, from August 24 to 29 which will include patrols, search and rescue training, and simulated combat exercises. The other scenario, in the Whitehorse and Haines Junction areas of Yukon, from August 21 to September 2, 2016, will see a whole-of-government response to a simulated earthquake.
  24. "Operation NANOOK". National Defence and Canadian Armed Forces. 19 September 2016. Retrieved 22 January 2017.
  25. "Royal Canadian Navy's HMCS Moncton pays visit to Port of Churchill: Churchill mayor says navy ship a positive sight after port shuts down". CBC News. 8 September 2016. Retrieved 22 January 2017. HMCS Moncton was one of two navy vessels patrolling the Hudson Bay over the last week as part of the operation said Rear-Admiral John Newton, commander of Joint Task Force Atlantic and Maritime Forces.
  26. Brown, Beth (9 August 2017). "Military plans mock sealift disaster in Rankin Inlet". Nunatsiaq News. Retrieved 18 August 2017.
  27. Barker, Jacob (23 August 2017). "Operation Nanook hits Labrador: An inside look as soldiers train for the north". CBC News. Retrieved 24 August 2017.
  28. Pugliese, David (15 August 2017). "Royal Canadian Navy ships to conduct operations in Canada's northern waters". Ottawa Citizen. Retrieved 16 August 2017.
  29. Brown, Beth (28 August 2018). "Navy for a day: Iqaluit ship tour wraps up Op Nanook". Nunatsiaq News. Retrieved 3 September 2018.
  30. https://www.navy.mil/Press-Office/News-Stories/display-news/Article/2299799/us-forces-participate-in-canadian-operation-nanook/
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