Election 2015: Kenney - Conservatives to Increase CANSOFCOM

In an election promise that was made about 2 weeks ago - but went unnoticed by many - Defence Minister Jason Kenney who is running for re-election in Calgary-Midnapore announced in Regina that if the Conservatives are re-elected, they will increase the size of the Canadian Armed Forces Special Forces by 35% over the next several years.

CAF JTF2 Members in Jamaica; helpin train the Jamaican Military on counter-insurgency engagement. Photo: Ottawa Citizen December 2014

The Canadian Armed Forces Special Operations Command (CANSOFCOM) is currently made up of five units; composed of just over 1,900 personnel. The Conservatives want to increase the Special Forces community by some 665 members by 2022. 

Such a plan, according to Kenney would require $75 million over the next four years. Kenney said that the Conservatives would invest $10 million in 2016-17, increasing to $30 million in 2019-20. Once the expansion was complete, the new CANSOFCOM would require $50 million a year to maintain the troop levels. 

Increasing the Special Forces community would help the CAF meet all its operational requirements, within Canada and Internationally. "Expansion of the Special Forces units will ensure that our Armed Forces are prepared to respond to the terror threat posed by groups such as the so-called Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS)," Kenney said. 

Operation CARIBBE 2015

January 30, 2015

It has been announced that HMCS Winnipeg is patrolling the Eastern Pacific as part of Operation CARIBBE 2015. For now HMCS Winnipeg is Canada's contribution to the multinational campaign against international criminal organizations located in the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean.

The deployment of the HMCS Winnipeg is just the beginning of Canada's planned deployments under CARIBBE that are scheduled for the 2015 calendar year. This year marks the 9th year Canada has contributed to CARIBBE,  the first deployment beginning in November 2006. This year the CAF will deploy Royal Canadian Navy vessels from both the East and West coasts to the campaign, while the RCAF will provide CP-140 Aurora aircraft from various squadrons.

During the 2014 Operation CARIBBE, Canada contribution was, four CP-140 Aurora aircraft; seven Maritime Coastal Defence Vessels (HMCS's Nanaimo, Whitehorse, Kingston, Glace Bay, Summerside, Brandon, and Yellowknife); one Halifax-class Frigate (HMCS Calgary); one Iroquiois-class destroyer (HMCS Athabaskan, with two CH-124 Sea King helicopters). The CAF directly contributed the seizure of more than 4 metric tons of cocaine and 500 kilograms of marijuana.

Operation CARIBBE 2015

HMCS Winnipeg (Forefront) in the Indian Ocean in 2009 as part of the Standing NATO Maritime Group 1. Image: DND WO. Carole Morissette CF Combat Camera