Sunday, August 16, 2009

Operation Nanook 09

The Government of Canada has taken a proper and invigorated interest in maintaining sovereignty and territory in the Arctic in recent years, even more so during the Harper administration. The latest exercises are getting some attention in the media outside Canada including this less-than-flattering BBC News comment:
Canada is launching a series of military exercises in the Arctic far-north region of the country.

The so-called sovereignty operation is designed to show a visible presence in the resource-rich area, amid competing claims among other nations.
Nothing "so-called" about it. It *is* an exercise of sovereignty, and a worthy one.

What does that really entail? Here's the official workup on the Operation from Canada's National Defense.

Note the exercise is in the Eastern Arctic, focused on Baffin Island.

It is one of three such operations run annually, alongside Operation Nunakput in the Western Arctic and Operation Nunalivut in the High Arctic.

Given the rapacious tone of certain claimants to Arctic territory and transit rights, such exercises are a most proper thing.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I've always been really impressed with Canadian Forces troops. What they can do with microscopic budgets and shitty equipment is nothing short of astounding. The only army on the planet that can make us look bad. :-)