LEE BERTHIAUME
OTTAWA
THE CANADIAN PRESS
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has thrown cold water on suggestions the Liberal government wants to sign onto continental ballistic missile defence, or that it might send troops back into Afghanistan.
The question over whether Canada should be part of the U.S.'s continental missile-defence shield has been rekindled in recent days amid concerns about North Korea's growing nuclear arsenal.
Canada opted out of ballistic missile defence in 2005 following a divisive national debate, but many defence experts and parliamentarians, including some Liberals, want the issue reopened.
Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump's plan to send thousands more troops to Afghanistan has also resurrected questions about whether Canada will be asked to follow suit.
Speaking in Montreal on Wednesday, however, Trudeau appeared to close the door on both ideas.
"On those cases, we will always take the decisions in terms of what is the best interests of Canadians," Trudeau told reporters after meeting federal and provincial immigration officials.
"And our long-standing positions on those two issues are not going to be changed any time soon."
The comments on ballistic missile defence were the strongest yet from the Liberal government, which has largely sidestepped questions about its intentions in recent weeks.
Whether the prime minister has succeeded in finally putting the issue to rest is another question, however, particularly if tensions between Washington and Pyongyang continue to escalate.
At least one Liberal MP has said Canada should reconsider its decision not join the U.S. missile-shield system, as have both the House of Commons and Senate defence committees.
The Liberals had also said in their recent defence policy that they planned to discuss with the U.S. ways to improve North America's defences against, among other things, ballistic missiles.
Exactly what form those discussions will take – and what concrete measures will be taken to better protect the continent – remains unclear.
Trudeau's position on Afghanistan was less of a surprise, as he had previously ruled out a NATO request for Canada to send police trainers to the war-torn country.
The last Canadian troops left Afghanistan in 2014, and despite concerns about a resurgent Taliban, the Liberals have instead emphasized Canada's military contributions to Iraq and Latvia.
Still, it's uncertain how the comments will be received by the Trump administration and NATO, both of which have called on allies to redouble their efforts and help end the 16-year-old conflict there.
"We will ask our NATO allies and global partners to support our new strategy, with additional troop and funding increases in line with our own," Trump said Monday. "We are confident they will."
Thursday, August 24, 2017
Sajjan not keen on 2nd Hand Fighters to Fill Capability Gap
By: David Pugliese, The Ottawa Citizen
Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan continues to insist that the capability gap, supposed to be filled by the purchase of Boeing Super Hornets as an interim fighter, will still be dealt with.
The U.S. and Canadian governments are still talking about Super Hornets, although the Liberals have cut off Boeing from any discussions.
The Liberal government has taken that action in retaliation for a trade complaint that Boeing has filed with the Trump administration concerning what it claims is unfair subsidies awarded to Bombardier on its CSeries civilian aircraft production.
During his recent appearance at a defence and aerospace conference in Abbotsford, BC, Sajjan the Liberal government has “many other options, so that we can fill this capability gap.”
He, however, didn’t get into details.
“No decision has been made,” he added. “Discussions are still ongoing.”
But there have been suggestions in some quarters of the aerospace industry that the Liberals were considering the purchase of second-hand fighter jets to fill the gap.
Sajjan addressed that issue….somewhat.
“I’d prefer to buy brand new versus – versus used, but we are currently in the process, and we’ll make a decision to making sure that our members in the Canadian Armed Forces have the right tools necessary,” he said.
Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan continues to insist that the capability gap, supposed to be filled by the purchase of Boeing Super Hornets as an interim fighter, will still be dealt with.
The U.S. and Canadian governments are still talking about Super Hornets, although the Liberals have cut off Boeing from any discussions.
The Liberal government has taken that action in retaliation for a trade complaint that Boeing has filed with the Trump administration concerning what it claims is unfair subsidies awarded to Bombardier on its CSeries civilian aircraft production.
During his recent appearance at a defence and aerospace conference in Abbotsford, BC, Sajjan the Liberal government has “many other options, so that we can fill this capability gap.”
He, however, didn’t get into details.
“No decision has been made,” he added. “Discussions are still ongoing.”
But there have been suggestions in some quarters of the aerospace industry that the Liberals were considering the purchase of second-hand fighter jets to fill the gap.
Sajjan addressed that issue….somewhat.
“I’d prefer to buy brand new versus – versus used, but we are currently in the process, and we’ll make a decision to making sure that our members in the Canadian Armed Forces have the right tools necessary,” he said.
Tuesday, August 22, 2017
Saudi Arabia Defends use of Canadian-made armoured vehicles against civilians
By: Steven Chase, The Globe and Mail
OTTAWA
AUGUST 17, 2017
The Saudi Arabian government is defending the recent deployment of Canadian-made armoured vehicles against residents of the kingdom's Eastern Province, saying security forces found it necessary to use "military equipment" to fight terrorists who threatened the safety of its population.
Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland recently launched an investigation into this Saudi conflict, which escalated in late July, saying she was "deeply concerned" over videos and photos showing Canadian-made Terradyne Gurkha armoured vehicles taking part in a clash in al-Qatif, a predominately Shia region of Sunni-ruled Saudi Arabia.
The Saudi embassy in Canada, however, is trying to explain to Canadians what happened in terms it hopes this country will understand.
In a statement provided to The Globe and Mail, the embassy likened Riyadh's use of force in this case to the October, 2014, incident in Ottawa where Canadian authorities killed a lone gunman who stormed Parliament Hill after fatally shooting a soldier at the National War Memorial.
"It is the right of the Government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to use its military equipment to fight the terrorist groups of Awamiyah to protect the civilians," the Saudi embassy said.
The embassy reminded Canadians that on October 22, 2014: "Canadian authorities did fight the attacker and killed him on the spot to protect Canadian civilians. Fighting terrorism and protecting innocent civilians are not human-rights violations."
The House of Saud's use of combat machines against its Shia population goes to the very heart of the controversy over whether the Trudeau government is violating Canada's weapons export control rules by allowing arms exports to Saudi Arabia – in particular a $15-billion General Dynamics sale of weaponized armoured vehicles it just authorized last year.
These rules call for restrictions on arms exports to countries with a "persistent record of serious violations of the human rights of their citizens." Shipments are supposed to be blocked unless there is "no reasonable risk" the buyer could turn arms against its own population.
In late July, even before Ms. Freeland announced she would probe the matter, the Canadian government issued a statement criticizing Saudi Arabia's handling of what it called "escalating violence in eastern Saudi Arabia" and cautioning that while Ottawa recognizes Riyadh has "security challenges," these "must be addressed in a manner that abides by international human-rights law."
The Globe and Mail asked the Saudi embassy recently whether the kingdom had in fact made any promises to Canada about not using Canadian-made military equipment against Saudi civilians.
In reply, the embassy argued that Saudi Arabia was fully justified in deploying its military equipment in Eastern Province.
"The terrorist groups in Awamiyah are equipped with military equipment and they are attacking civilians in the area," the embassy said in a statement.
Cesar Jaramillo, the executive director of Project Ploughshares, a disarmament group that tracks military exports, said the Saudi explanation for what took place merits skepticism.
"The Saudi government's depiction of military operations in civilian areas as being part of its war on terrorism has become routine, and increasingly suspect," he said.
"The fact is that there are too many red flags. A country consistently found to be among the very worst human-rights violators on the planet is now categorically denying any human-rights violations in the siege of Awamiyah. The Canadian public needs to know how much credence Ottawa gives to this claim and whether it is consistent with its own findings."
Al-Qatif has long been described by experts as an area under lockdown. It's a hotbed of opposition to the reigning House of Saud and the Saudis frequently cite terror threats when they go after the area's militants. The best-known resident from the area may be Sheik Nimr al-Nimr, the populist dissident Shia cleric whom the Saudi government killed in January, 2016, during a wave of mass executions.
Some Shia dissidents have become militant in recent years, wielding guns or Molotov cocktails, after facing a harsh crackdown by the Saudis during protests that coincided with Arab Spring uprisings across the Middle East in 2011.
The most recent conflict in Eastern Province began to flare up in early 2017, when Saudi Arabia began to raze a minority Shia Muslim neighbourhood in al-Qatif. Riyadh said it wanted to redevelop the ancient neighbourhood of Al-Masora for health and safety reasons. Shia activists, however, said the Saudis wanted to eliminate a hideout for militants.
The Saudi embassy told The Globe that the latest clash began when workers preparing the area for redevelopment came under heavy fire and attacks by "explosive devices" – incidents they blamed on "terrorist groups from within the neighbourhood."
The embassy said these attacks killed two Saudis and injured 10 civilians, including one woman and two children.
Shia activists, for their part, have told Human Rights Watch that the recent violence took the lives of more than a dozen people, in addition to five armed militants who clashed with the Saudi authorities.
The Saudi embassy said Riyadh is determined to fight terrorism regardless of whether the threat comes from the Islamic State, the radical Sunni Islamist militant group or Shia terrorists that Riyadh alleges are funded by Iran.
Ali Adubisi, director of the Berlin-based European-Saudi Organization for Human Rights, said the Saudi government criminalizes any form of dissent. Many civilians were targeted and killed in Awamiyah, he said, while the government is saying it's fighting armed men. "Portraying themselves as the protectors of civilians in Awamiyah is a mockery."
Human Rights Watch said in a statement this week that residents in Awamiyah told them Saudi security forces fired into populated areas from Al-Masora, killing residents, occupying a public school, closing clinics and pharmacies and preventing essential services such as ambulances from reaching the area. The group called for an investigation into whether Saudi authorities "used excessive force in Awamiyah."
OTTAWA
AUGUST 17, 2017
The Saudi Arabian government is defending the recent deployment of Canadian-made armoured vehicles against residents of the kingdom's Eastern Province, saying security forces found it necessary to use "military equipment" to fight terrorists who threatened the safety of its population.
Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland recently launched an investigation into this Saudi conflict, which escalated in late July, saying she was "deeply concerned" over videos and photos showing Canadian-made Terradyne Gurkha armoured vehicles taking part in a clash in al-Qatif, a predominately Shia region of Sunni-ruled Saudi Arabia.
The Saudi embassy in Canada, however, is trying to explain to Canadians what happened in terms it hopes this country will understand.
In a statement provided to The Globe and Mail, the embassy likened Riyadh's use of force in this case to the October, 2014, incident in Ottawa where Canadian authorities killed a lone gunman who stormed Parliament Hill after fatally shooting a soldier at the National War Memorial.
"It is the right of the Government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to use its military equipment to fight the terrorist groups of Awamiyah to protect the civilians," the Saudi embassy said.
The embassy reminded Canadians that on October 22, 2014: "Canadian authorities did fight the attacker and killed him on the spot to protect Canadian civilians. Fighting terrorism and protecting innocent civilians are not human-rights violations."
The House of Saud's use of combat machines against its Shia population goes to the very heart of the controversy over whether the Trudeau government is violating Canada's weapons export control rules by allowing arms exports to Saudi Arabia – in particular a $15-billion General Dynamics sale of weaponized armoured vehicles it just authorized last year.
These rules call for restrictions on arms exports to countries with a "persistent record of serious violations of the human rights of their citizens." Shipments are supposed to be blocked unless there is "no reasonable risk" the buyer could turn arms against its own population.
In late July, even before Ms. Freeland announced she would probe the matter, the Canadian government issued a statement criticizing Saudi Arabia's handling of what it called "escalating violence in eastern Saudi Arabia" and cautioning that while Ottawa recognizes Riyadh has "security challenges," these "must be addressed in a manner that abides by international human-rights law."
The Globe and Mail asked the Saudi embassy recently whether the kingdom had in fact made any promises to Canada about not using Canadian-made military equipment against Saudi civilians.
In reply, the embassy argued that Saudi Arabia was fully justified in deploying its military equipment in Eastern Province.
"The terrorist groups in Awamiyah are equipped with military equipment and they are attacking civilians in the area," the embassy said in a statement.
Cesar Jaramillo, the executive director of Project Ploughshares, a disarmament group that tracks military exports, said the Saudi explanation for what took place merits skepticism.
"The Saudi government's depiction of military operations in civilian areas as being part of its war on terrorism has become routine, and increasingly suspect," he said.
"The fact is that there are too many red flags. A country consistently found to be among the very worst human-rights violators on the planet is now categorically denying any human-rights violations in the siege of Awamiyah. The Canadian public needs to know how much credence Ottawa gives to this claim and whether it is consistent with its own findings."
Al-Qatif has long been described by experts as an area under lockdown. It's a hotbed of opposition to the reigning House of Saud and the Saudis frequently cite terror threats when they go after the area's militants. The best-known resident from the area may be Sheik Nimr al-Nimr, the populist dissident Shia cleric whom the Saudi government killed in January, 2016, during a wave of mass executions.
Some Shia dissidents have become militant in recent years, wielding guns or Molotov cocktails, after facing a harsh crackdown by the Saudis during protests that coincided with Arab Spring uprisings across the Middle East in 2011.
The most recent conflict in Eastern Province began to flare up in early 2017, when Saudi Arabia began to raze a minority Shia Muslim neighbourhood in al-Qatif. Riyadh said it wanted to redevelop the ancient neighbourhood of Al-Masora for health and safety reasons. Shia activists, however, said the Saudis wanted to eliminate a hideout for militants.
The Saudi embassy told The Globe that the latest clash began when workers preparing the area for redevelopment came under heavy fire and attacks by "explosive devices" – incidents they blamed on "terrorist groups from within the neighbourhood."
The embassy said these attacks killed two Saudis and injured 10 civilians, including one woman and two children.
Shia activists, for their part, have told Human Rights Watch that the recent violence took the lives of more than a dozen people, in addition to five armed militants who clashed with the Saudi authorities.
The Saudi embassy said Riyadh is determined to fight terrorism regardless of whether the threat comes from the Islamic State, the radical Sunni Islamist militant group or Shia terrorists that Riyadh alleges are funded by Iran.
Ali Adubisi, director of the Berlin-based European-Saudi Organization for Human Rights, said the Saudi government criminalizes any form of dissent. Many civilians were targeted and killed in Awamiyah, he said, while the government is saying it's fighting armed men. "Portraying themselves as the protectors of civilians in Awamiyah is a mockery."
Human Rights Watch said in a statement this week that residents in Awamiyah told them Saudi security forces fired into populated areas from Al-Masora, killing residents, occupying a public school, closing clinics and pharmacies and preventing essential services such as ambulances from reaching the area. The group called for an investigation into whether Saudi authorities "used excessive force in Awamiyah."
Monday, August 21, 2017
CAF wraps up three year mission in Poland
DND Press Release
On August 17, the Land Task Force (LTF) in Poland completed its successful three-year mission on Operation Reassurance with an end of mission parade in Drawsko Pomorskie, Poland.
Various rotations of troops have served on Canada’s LTF in Poland since May 2014, and have participated in military exercises throughout the region to improve interoperability with Allies and demonstrate NATO’s resolve to protect Alliance territories and partners. Op Reassurance refers to the military activities undertaken by the CAF since 2014 to support NATO assurance and deterrence measures in Eastern and Central Europe with the aim of reassuring nations in the region of NATO’s commitment to support their stability and security.
Canada will continue to support NATO Allies in Europe by leading the enhanced Forward Presence battlegroup (eFP BG), which was stood up in June 2017 at Camp Adazi, Latvia. Canada is one of four Framework Nations supporting NATO’s aim to preserve peace and prevent conflict in Eastern and Central Europe.
“Canada is a strong supporter of NATO and is committed to doing its part as a member of the Alliance. Over the last three years, the Land Task Force in Poland has demonstrated Canada’s commitment to security and stability in Central and Eastern Europe, and that commitment continues through our many activities under Operation Reassurance, ” said Lieutenant-General Stephen Bowes, Commander Canadian Joint Operations Command.
The last rotation of the LTF, which served in Poland for about six months, is comprised of about 200 CAF soldiers mainly from 3rd Battalion, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry out of Canadian Forces Base Edmonton, Alberta.
Following the LTF’s mission completion in Poland, the troops will redeploy to Canada while some of the equipment will be transferred to Latvia in support of the CAF led eFP BG.
CAF soldiers from the last rotation of the LTF took part in Exercise Allied Spirit VI in Hohenfels, Germany, from March 7 to March 30, 2017, working closely with soldiers from Allied countries and Partners for Peace.
From April 24 to May 4, 2017, an infantry company from the LTF participated in Exercise Platinum Eagle 17-2 hosted by the Romanian Land Forces in the Babadag Training Area, Romania.
A small team of snipers from the LTF took part in Exercise Spring Storm in Estonia from May 9 to 24, 2017. They trained with soldiers from France, Germany, and the United Kingdom under the lead of the Estonian Defence Forces.
The LTF took part in Exercise Sabre Strike from June 4 to 15, 2017, in Orzysz, Poland, which was hosted by the Polish Armed Forces. Units from Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Germany, and the United States, among others, also took part.
From July 13 to 24, 2017, the LTF participated in Exercise Saber Guardian. Under the US Army’s lead, troops from Canada, Greece, Italy, and Romania trained in air mobile and air assault operations in a global context.
On August 17, the Land Task Force (LTF) in Poland completed its successful three-year mission on Operation Reassurance with an end of mission parade in Drawsko Pomorskie, Poland.
Various rotations of troops have served on Canada’s LTF in Poland since May 2014, and have participated in military exercises throughout the region to improve interoperability with Allies and demonstrate NATO’s resolve to protect Alliance territories and partners. Op Reassurance refers to the military activities undertaken by the CAF since 2014 to support NATO assurance and deterrence measures in Eastern and Central Europe with the aim of reassuring nations in the region of NATO’s commitment to support their stability and security.
Canada will continue to support NATO Allies in Europe by leading the enhanced Forward Presence battlegroup (eFP BG), which was stood up in June 2017 at Camp Adazi, Latvia. Canada is one of four Framework Nations supporting NATO’s aim to preserve peace and prevent conflict in Eastern and Central Europe.
“Canada is a strong supporter of NATO and is committed to doing its part as a member of the Alliance. Over the last three years, the Land Task Force in Poland has demonstrated Canada’s commitment to security and stability in Central and Eastern Europe, and that commitment continues through our many activities under Operation Reassurance, ” said Lieutenant-General Stephen Bowes, Commander Canadian Joint Operations Command.
The last rotation of the LTF, which served in Poland for about six months, is comprised of about 200 CAF soldiers mainly from 3rd Battalion, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry out of Canadian Forces Base Edmonton, Alberta.
Following the LTF’s mission completion in Poland, the troops will redeploy to Canada while some of the equipment will be transferred to Latvia in support of the CAF led eFP BG.
CAF soldiers from the last rotation of the LTF took part in Exercise Allied Spirit VI in Hohenfels, Germany, from March 7 to March 30, 2017, working closely with soldiers from Allied countries and Partners for Peace.
From April 24 to May 4, 2017, an infantry company from the LTF participated in Exercise Platinum Eagle 17-2 hosted by the Romanian Land Forces in the Babadag Training Area, Romania.
A small team of snipers from the LTF took part in Exercise Spring Storm in Estonia from May 9 to 24, 2017. They trained with soldiers from France, Germany, and the United Kingdom under the lead of the Estonian Defence Forces.
The LTF took part in Exercise Sabre Strike from June 4 to 15, 2017, in Orzysz, Poland, which was hosted by the Polish Armed Forces. Units from Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Germany, and the United States, among others, also took part.
From July 13 to 24, 2017, the LTF participated in Exercise Saber Guardian. Under the US Army’s lead, troops from Canada, Greece, Italy, and Romania trained in air mobile and air assault operations in a global context.
Thales awarded 35-year RCN ISS contract
DND Press Release
Canada has chosen Thales as the prime contractor for In-Service Support (ISS), refit, repair, maintenance and training to both Arctic and Offshore Patrol Ships (AOPS) and Joint Support Ships (JSS).
Known as AJISS, the contract includes an initial service period of eight years for up to C$800 million with options to extend services up to 35 years – for a total value of C$5.2 Billion, making it the largest ISS contract in Canadian history.
(As part of its 2017 order intake, Thales will book the management portion for the 1st phase of this contract at less than C$60 million.)
This contract builds on Thales’ experience in providing in-service support to every major Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) platform for the past 50 years, including ISS for systems onboard Victoria-class submarines, Kingston-class maritime coastal defence vessels, Iroquois-class destroyers, and Halifax-class frigates.
Thales will leverage its Canadian expertise in project management, systems engineering and integrated logistics support to lead the development of a new Canadian supply chain that will offer comprehensive in-service support for all systems and equipment of these fleets over their operational lifetime, ensuring they are mission-ready, on time, every time, from coast to coast to coast.
This in-service support contract will create an important collaboration with RCN staff. With such a contract, Thales will work closely with the Navy's support facilities and personnel.
Over its 35-year duration, this contract will generate economic benefit of more than $250 Million CAD in Research & Development for Canada, leveraging the creativity of both industry and academia and sparking innovation in areas such as predictive maintenance, life-cycle management and logistics support analysis.
With over 16 years of performance-based ISS experience with the Royal Australian Navy in a relational contracting model, Thales will also transfer knowledge of existing and innovative ISS-ready solutions from Australia to Canada. Since 1989, the Australian Government, with the Royal Australian Navy and industry, have trusted Thales to manage, maintain and upgrade its naval assets at the most important ship repair facility in the Southern Hemisphere, the Garden Island Naval Base in Sydney.
Thales’ proven and award-winning ship service and maintenance model has consistently exceeded material readiness requirements and exceeded operational availability targets by as much as 30 per cent. Thales has provided ISS to navies in Singapore, New Zealand, USA, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain, Papua and New Guinea, and Tonga.
Mark Halinaty, Thales' Country Director in Canada, remarked that the company is committed to "empowering Canadian industry to support this program for decades to come." He noted that through this contract, Thales "will create jobs across Canada and will ensure that the ships are mission-ready.”
Canada has chosen Thales as the prime contractor for In-Service Support (ISS), refit, repair, maintenance and training to both Arctic and Offshore Patrol Ships (AOPS) and Joint Support Ships (JSS).
Known as AJISS, the contract includes an initial service period of eight years for up to C$800 million with options to extend services up to 35 years – for a total value of C$5.2 Billion, making it the largest ISS contract in Canadian history.
(As part of its 2017 order intake, Thales will book the management portion for the 1st phase of this contract at less than C$60 million.)
This contract builds on Thales’ experience in providing in-service support to every major Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) platform for the past 50 years, including ISS for systems onboard Victoria-class submarines, Kingston-class maritime coastal defence vessels, Iroquois-class destroyers, and Halifax-class frigates.
 |
| Artists Rendering of a RCN Arctic and Offshore Patrol Vessel of the Harry DeWolf Class © Irving Shipbuilding Inc. 2015 |
This in-service support contract will create an important collaboration with RCN staff. With such a contract, Thales will work closely with the Navy's support facilities and personnel.
Over its 35-year duration, this contract will generate economic benefit of more than $250 Million CAD in Research & Development for Canada, leveraging the creativity of both industry and academia and sparking innovation in areas such as predictive maintenance, life-cycle management and logistics support analysis.
With over 16 years of performance-based ISS experience with the Royal Australian Navy in a relational contracting model, Thales will also transfer knowledge of existing and innovative ISS-ready solutions from Australia to Canada. Since 1989, the Australian Government, with the Royal Australian Navy and industry, have trusted Thales to manage, maintain and upgrade its naval assets at the most important ship repair facility in the Southern Hemisphere, the Garden Island Naval Base in Sydney.
Thales’ proven and award-winning ship service and maintenance model has consistently exceeded material readiness requirements and exceeded operational availability targets by as much as 30 per cent. Thales has provided ISS to navies in Singapore, New Zealand, USA, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain, Papua and New Guinea, and Tonga.
Mark Halinaty, Thales' Country Director in Canada, remarked that the company is committed to "empowering Canadian industry to support this program for decades to come." He noted that through this contract, Thales "will create jobs across Canada and will ensure that the ships are mission-ready.”
CAF divers clear explosive remnants in the Baltic Sea
DND Press Release
Eleven Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) clearance divers and support personnel are participating in Operation Open Spirit 2017 in Latvia from August 18 to 31, 2017.
These CAF members come from the Fleet Diving Units (Atlantic and Pacific) in both Halifax, Nova Scotia and Esquimalt, British Columbia. They are working alongside personnel from the Latvian Naval Flotilla and 13 other partner nations. Their mission is to clear explosive remnants of the First and Second World Wars in the Baltic Sea.
Operation Open Spirit is a multinational naval mine clearance and ordnance disposal mission. It is hosted on a yearly rotational basis since 1997 by one of three Baltic nations – Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. It aims to reduce the threat of unexploded ordnance throughout the Baltic Sea region, including seabed communications lines, international shipping routes, and fishing areas.
Although the CAF’s participation in Operation Open Spirit 2017 is not part of Operation Reassurance, this deployment of Canadian experts in disposing sub-surface munitions demonstrates the CAF’s reinforced role in NATO and commitment with Allies and defence and security partners in the region. CAF members were previously sent to Latvia as part of Operation Open Spirit 2014.
Operation Open Spirit 2017 is taking place in the Territorial Waters and Exclusive Economic Zone of Latvia. The CAF members are operating from the naval base in Mikeltornis.
Lieutenant-Commander William Barter, Commanding Officer of Fleet Diving Unit (Atlantic), is the Task Force Commander of Operation Open Spirit 2017.
Fleet Diving Units (Atlantic and Pacific) members are fully-trained in mine countermeasures, routine and emergency underwater repairs, seabed searches, dive equipment repair and maintenance, submarine rescue, dive training, and support to other government agencies.
Fourteen nations are participating in Operation Open Spirit 2017, including Belgium, Canada, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Netherlands, New Zealand, Poland, Sweden, United Kingdom and the United States. The Latvian Naval Flotilla is the lead for this year’s Open Spirit.