Vanguard Magazine

www.vanguardcanada.com AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2018 15 ArCtiC North (JTFN), raised the alarm about the future security impact of global warming and the increasing access to transportation routes and natural resources at a time when the limited Canadian Forces assets were be- ing reduced. Much has changed since then, and there is more change on the way. First, let us review the major strategic assets that the Canadian government presently has to meet its sovereignty responsibilities in terms of security. These assets are not limited to those of the Canadian Forces. The Canadian Forces has improved its ability to better monitor activities in the Arctic through its headquarters based in Yellowknife. The JTFN headquarters is responsible for the coordination of many military activities in the Arctic. Headquar- ter detachments in Whitehorse and Iqaluit, the Area Support Unit (North), the reserve company of the Loyal Edmonton Regiment in Yellowknife, the 1st Canadian Ranger Patrol Group and 440 Squadron provide JTFN a permanent physical presence in the Arctic. The Arctic Security Working Group, which was formed in 2000 by CFNA, con- tinues to provide an excellent vehicle to share information and coordinate some of the efforts of the federal departments in the true fashion of the "whole of government" approach, which is essential in the Arctic given the cost of operation and the paucity of federal infrastructure. Over the years, the JTFN headquarters has seen a solid growth in its ability to monitor activities in its area of responsi- bility, coordinate operations and support training of southern units such as the Ar- my's Arctic Response Company Groups. Through various annual exercises under the umbrella of Operation NANOOK, JTFN maintains its planning and com- mand and control capabilities, while at the same time contributing to the federal gov- ernment's presence throughout the Arctic Archipelago. There is also the Canadian Armed Forces Arctic Training Centre in Resolute Bay that provides a good support base for operations in the High Arctic, the Canadian Forces Station Alert which provides weather data and signals intelligence, and the North Warning System which provides alert to the Canadian Air Defence Sector and forms part of NORAD. There are three For- ward Operation Locations (FOL) for the CF-18 in Yellowknife, Inuvik and Iqaluit. These FOLs support air defence operations by CF-18 based in Canadian Forces bases Cold Lake and Bagotville. In a significant decision reinforcing our sovereignty, the Royal Canadian Air Force has recently modified the Canadian Air Defence Sector Identification Zone to in- clude that portion of the Arctic Archipel- ago above the line of radars of the North Warning System. Until now, the northern tip of the Arctic Archipelago had received little attention in terms of monitoring air activity north of the North Warning Sys- tem. Our capability to monitor such ac- tivity is still limited, but this is about to change through the modernisation of the North Warning System. MacDonald Dettwiler and Associates Ltd. (MDA) RADARSAT 2 provides a rea- Joint task Force North Headquarters in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories CF Photo. (Image: Taken from a JTFN PowerPoint presentation) RADARSAT 2 Photo: The Canada Space Agency

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