Thursday, April 30, 2015
Current CAF Deployments Around the World (2014)
This map was released in late 2014 to show the stretch of the Canadian Armed Forces around the World. The number of troops deployed on Op IMPACT has increased from 100 to closer to 670 (including Spec. Forces and Air Crew in Kuwait). The CAF will be deploying 200 troops to the Ukraine, and an unknown number will be headed to Jordan in the coming months. There are also now close to 250 CAF members in Nepal. These numbers also do not include NATO/NORAD exercises (such as OP CARIBBE) or the current deployment of HMCS Fredericton.
Wednesday, April 29, 2015
1st of 2 RCAF C-17s Arrives in Kathmandu
The CAF announced today that an RCAF C-17 Globemaster transport aircraft has arrived in Kathmandu, Nepal to help with Earthquake relief. It was carrying 31 CAF members and supplies for the region. The plane will be reconfigured to take 100 passengers to New Delhi before it leaves the region.
A second RCAF C-17 will be in the region by Thursday, loaded with more supplies and personnel.
A second RCAF C-17 will be in the region by Thursday, loaded with more supplies and personnel.
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| RCAF C-17 Globemaster takes off from 8 Wing Trenton, heading to Kathmandu, Nepal with supplies and the DART Unit. Photo: CF Combat Camera: Cpl Dan Strohan, 8 Wing Imaging. |
Canadian Forces Trainers to head to Jordan
Prime Minister Stephen Harper will announce today that Canada will send Canadian Forces trainers to Jordan, in an effort to help one of the biggest Arab allies in the fight against ISIS. The announcement will come with the visit of King Abdullah II to Ottawa on Wednesday.
Canada will help train the Jordanian Special Forces in an effort to prevent ISIS from spilling over the Jordanian boarder. The training mission will be for the next two years, into 2017 - depending on the start date - which is expected to be announced today.
The two year commitment in military training, and equipment from 2015 to 2017 will give Jordan the ability to prevent terrorist activities, as well as increase the overall response to such activities. Training will also include chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear threat assessments and prevention of such attacks.
The exact location of the training is being kept a secrete for security reasons, but Canadian Special Forces were in Jordan last year as part of Exercise Eager Lion.
More News after the announcement.
More from the Globe and Mail news release:
Canada will help train the Jordanian Special Forces in an effort to prevent ISIS from spilling over the Jordanian boarder. The training mission will be for the next two years, into 2017 - depending on the start date - which is expected to be announced today.
The two year commitment in military training, and equipment from 2015 to 2017 will give Jordan the ability to prevent terrorist activities, as well as increase the overall response to such activities. Training will also include chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear threat assessments and prevention of such attacks.
The exact location of the training is being kept a secrete for security reasons, but Canadian Special Forces were in Jordan last year as part of Exercise Eager Lion.
More News after the announcement.
More from the Globe and Mail news release:
Tuesday, April 28, 2015
Canada in Iraq: Six CF-18s attack ISIS
It was announced early this morning that the RCAF CF-18s have been hard at work attacking ISIS positions in Iraq this week.
On April 25, two CF-18s attacked ISIS staging positions near Kharbani, Iraq.
On April 26, early in the day two CF-18s bombed an ISIS fighting position west of Fallujah. Later in the afternoon two CF18s bombed ISIS fighting positions east of Fallujah.
On April 25, two CF-18s attacked ISIS staging positions near Kharbani, Iraq.
On April 26, early in the day two CF-18s bombed an ISIS fighting position west of Fallujah. Later in the afternoon two CF18s bombed ISIS fighting positions east of Fallujah.
- No more news was given about the expanded campaign in Syria.
Monday, April 27, 2015
Navy's Kingston-Class Vessels getting new Nav. Systems
The Royal Canadian Navy confirmed today that it's twelve Kingston-Class coastal defence vessels will be getting new navigation systems, in a contract awarded to SNC-Lavalin Defence Programs.
The new upgrades will include new gyrocompass systems, heading management systems, and a complete suite of heading repeaters according to Northrop Grumman's news release who will work with SNC-Lavalin.
Six of the vessels will be upgraded in Esquimalt, BC while the other six will be upgraded in Dartmouth, NS, where field tests will begin this summer.
The new upgrades will include new gyrocompass systems, heading management systems, and a complete suite of heading repeaters according to Northrop Grumman's news release who will work with SNC-Lavalin.
Six of the vessels will be upgraded in Esquimalt, BC while the other six will be upgraded in Dartmouth, NS, where field tests will begin this summer.
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| HMCS Glace Bay (inner) and HMCS Shawinigan (outer) refuel in Hamilton, Ontario during refueling. |
Lt. Gen. Jonathan Vance Announced as New CDS
Ottawa confirmed today what has been speculation - as Prime Minister Stephen Harper appointed Lt. Gen. Jonathan Vance (will become General) to the position of Chief of Defence Staff.
Vance led the Canadian task force twice in Kandahar, during the countries thirteen year engagement in Afghanistan.
Vance is currently Canada's Joint-Operations Commander - and has been the face of many of the countries international operations.
Vance led the Canadian task force twice in Kandahar, during the countries thirteen year engagement in Afghanistan.
Vance is currently Canada's Joint-Operations Commander - and has been the face of many of the countries international operations.
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| Photo: Canadian Press - April 27 2015, Ottawa. |
UPDATED: DART en-route to Nepal With 200 CAF members
Late last night, an assessment team and elements of the CAF's Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART) departed 8 Wing Trenton for Kathmandu, Nepal. The deployment is part of the Canadian Governments international support for Nepal following the devastating earth quake last week and sizeable after shocks that have continued to affect the region.
The C-17 trasnport left 8 Wing Trenton last night, and according to Maj.Gen. Dean Milner, the troops deployed as part of the DART unit are trained in urban search and rescue and medical personnel.
Travelling with the DART unit is a smaller group of soldiers and civilians, who will assess how Canada can effectively aid Nepal in the short, medium, and long term. The DART unit was last deployed in 2013 after Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines. The Unit is designed to be deployed for up to 40 days until local and international humanitarian aid resources can be put in place.
Ottawa announced late Sunday that it has committed $5 million in initial relief aid.
UPDATE: April 28 2015
Ottawa announced today that 200 additional members of the CAF have been placed on standby, and will deploy to Nepal to help with the disaster relief. They will join the 40 members ( including the 18 members of the DART) who are already on the group in the coming days.
The C-17 trasnport left 8 Wing Trenton last night, and according to Maj.Gen. Dean Milner, the troops deployed as part of the DART unit are trained in urban search and rescue and medical personnel.
Travelling with the DART unit is a smaller group of soldiers and civilians, who will assess how Canada can effectively aid Nepal in the short, medium, and long term. The DART unit was last deployed in 2013 after Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines. The Unit is designed to be deployed for up to 40 days until local and international humanitarian aid resources can be put in place.
Ottawa announced late Sunday that it has committed $5 million in initial relief aid.
UPDATE: April 28 2015
Ottawa announced today that 200 additional members of the CAF have been placed on standby, and will deploy to Nepal to help with the disaster relief. They will join the 40 members ( including the 18 members of the DART) who are already on the group in the coming days.