31 August 2010 By Rick Rozoff The government of Prime Minister Stephen Harper
recently concluded the largest of a series of
so-called Canadian sovereignty exercises in the
Arctic, Operation Nanook, which ran from August 6-26. Harper, Minister of National Defence Peter MacKay
and Chief of the Defence Staff of the Canadian Forces
General Walter Natynczyk visited the nation’s 900
troops participating in the “Canadian Forces’ largest
annual demonstration of Canada’s sovereignty in the
Arctic” [1] which included “Canada’s air force, navy,
coast guard…testing their combat capabilities in the
frigid cold.” [2] Nanook military exercises were commenced in 2007
when Russia renewed its claims to parts of the Arctic
and resumed air patrols in the region after an almost
20-year hiatus. They are complemented by two other
Canadian military drills in the region, Operation
Nunalivut in the High Arctic and Operation Nunakput in
the western Arctic. Canada is formally involved in territorial disputes
with two other Arctic claimants: The United States
over the Beaufort Sea lying between Canada’s Northwest
Territories and Yukon Territory and the American state
of Alaska, and Denmark over the Hans Island between
Canada’s Ellesmere Island and Denmark’s Greenland
possession on the other end of the Arctic. Four of the five nations with Arctic claims, all
except Russia, are founders of the North Atlantic
Treaty Organization whose charter commits member
states to mutual military assistance. With the melting of the polar ice cap and the
opening of the fabled Northwest Passage from the
Atlantic to the Pacific Oceans for the first time in
recorded history, the scramble for the Arctic –
reported to contain 30 percent of the world’s
undiscovered natural gas and 13 percent of
undiscovered oil according to last year’s U.S.
Geological Survey – is under way in earnest. The
military value of the navigability of the passage is
of even greater and more pressing significance. The George W. Bush administration’s National
Security Presidential Directive 66 of January 12, 2009
states: “The United States has broad and fundamental
national security interests in the Arctic region and
is prepared to operate either independently or in
conjunction with other states to safeguard these
interests. These interests include such matters as
missile defense and early warning; deployment of sea
and air systems for strategic sealift, strategic
deterrence, maritime presence, and maritime security
operations; and ensuring freedom of navigation and
overflight.” [3] The U.S. insists that the Northwest Passage is open
to international navigation while Canada claims it as
solely its own. Yet Ottawa has accommodated Washington
at every turn while persisting in saber-rattling
comments and actions alike vis-a-vis Russia. Sixteen days after the release of the White House’s
Arctic directive of last year NATO conducted a two-day
Seminar on Security Prospects in the High North in
Iceland attended by the military bloc’s secretary
general, its two top military commanders and the
chairman of its Military Committee, and stated that
“Clearly, the High North is a region that is of
strategic interest to the Alliance.” [4] Although Canada’s territorial disputes in the
Arctic are with fellow NATO members the U.S. and
Denmark, the three nations have recently coordinated
their strategies and in this year’s Operation Nanook
have for the first time collectively participated in
military exercises in the Arctic region. In mid-July NATO’s chief European military
commanders, Admiral James Stavridis, Supreme Allied
Commander Europe, and General Sir John McColl, Deputy
Supreme Allied Commander Europe, arrived in the
Canadian capital at the invitation of the nation’s
military chief, General Walter Natynczyk. The three
consulted on “how to take the Alliance forward” and
Stavridis “conveyed his latest appraisal of NATO’s
progress in Afghanistan and commended Canada on its
contributions to NATO’s efforts around the world.” [5] Canadian Defence Minister MacKay stated almost two
years ago: “We are concerned about not just Russia’s
claims through the international process, but Russia’s
testing of Canadian airspace and other
indications…(of) some desire to work outside of the
international framework. That is obviously why we are
taking a range of measures, including military
measures, to strengthen our sovereignty in the North.”
[6] A year ago Canada and the U.S. conducted a 42-day
joint Arctic expedition to survey the continental
shelf for future bilateral demarcation, following a
more modest effort along the same lines in 2008 and
followed this year by one with U.S. and Canadian ships
from August 7 to September 3. The latter was announced
two weeks after a Russian research vessel left St.
Petersburg on a mission to delimit the borders of
Russia’s Arctic continental shelf. The U.S. State Department described the purpose of
this year’s expedition: “The mission will help
delineate the outer limits of the continental shelf in
the Arctic Ocean for the U.S. and Canada, and will
also include the collection of data in the disputed
area where the U.S. and Canada have not agreed to a
maritime boundary.” [7] It is being held in the Canada
Basin, the Beaufort Shelf, and the Alpha Mendeleev
Ridge. The last, along with the Lomonosov Ridge, is
the basis of Russian Arctic claims. On May 14 Canada and Denmark signed a military
agreement, a memorandum of understanding pledging to
collaborate more closely in the Arctic “through
enhanced consultation, information exchange, visits,
and exercises,” according to the Canadian Forces. [8]
The preceding month Denmark deployed a unit to
participate in the Operation Nunalivut exercise in the
High Arctic. The Royal Danish Navy sent the HDMS Vaedderen ocean
patrol vessel and the HDMS Knud Rasmussen offshore
patrol vessel to join the recently concluded Nanook 10
exercises, where they were joined by the U.S. Second
Fleet’s naval destroyer USS Porter and the U.S. Coast
Guard Cutter Alder “for the purpose of exercising and
increasing…interoperability with Arctic allies.” As for the Canadian contribution, “The Air Force
[provided] air movement and mission support through
the CC-177 Globemaster III, CC-130 Hercules, CP-140
Aurora, CH-146 Griffon, and CC-138 Twin Otter
aircraft. “The maritime component [included] Her Majesty’s
Canadian Ships (HMCS) Montreal, Glace Bay and Goose
Bay; and Canadian Coast Guard Ships CCGS Des
Groseilliers and CCGS Henry Larsen.” [9] Military personnel involved included “About 900
Canadian troops [who patrolled] parts of the Eastern
and Northern Arctic by air, land and sea.” Another
“600 military personnel from the Danish Royal Navy,
the U.S. Navy and the U.S. Coast Guard are also [took]
part in the operation.” [10] In the words of Lieutenant Commander Albert Wong of
Canada Command, “They’re our allies. Collaboration is
part of what Canada does.” [11] This year’s exercise was based in Resolute Bay in
the Nunavut federal territory where the Harper
government is building a new army Arctic warfare
training center in Resolute and a deep-sea port for
the Nanisivik Naval Facility to be constructed on
Baffin Island. Canadian Navy Lieutenant Commander
Robert Houle said before the event that “2010′s
military operation will push further north than in
past years.” [12] That is, north of the Arctic Circle
for the first time. “The US Navy 2nd Fleet, the US Coast Guard and the
Royal Danish Navy…joined in the war games in an effort
to enhance the allies’ capabilities to cooperate in
Arctic waters.” [13] In fact the NATO allies collaborated to an
unprecedented degree, as “Danish and American vessels”
conducted “ocean exercises throughout eastern
Nunavut.” [14] After visits by Canada’s defense and military
chiefs to inspect the multinational war games, Prime
Minister Harper arrived in Resolute on August 25, the
penultimate day of the 20-day military maneuvers, to –
in the words of one of the nation’s main news agencies
– rally the 1,500 Canadian, American and Danish troops
present. [15] Harper’s visit to inspect the exercise occurred
only hours after another – potentially dangerous –
publicity stunt by his government: Dispatching CF-18
fighter jets (variants of the American F/A-18 Hornet)
to allegedly ward off two Russian Tupolev Tu-95 (Bear)
strategic bombers patrolling off Canada’s northern
border, “something the Russian military does
frequently.” [16] Harper’s press secretary, Dimitri Soudas, “said the
two CF-18 Hornet fighters visually identified the two
Russian aircraft approximately 120 nautical miles
north of Inuvik in Northwest Territories,” [17] over
international waters. The timing of the Canadian action, as that of its
announcement, was calculated. As was a comparable
incident in February of 2009 when then recently
installed U.S. President Barack Obama paid his first
visit abroad to Ottawa, to meet with Harper, and his
host scrambled warplanes to intercept a Russian Tu-95
bomber – on a routine mission thousands of kilometers
from the Canadian capital – in a show of bravado and
of loyalty to his ally south of the border. “The Russians said then the plane never encroached
on Canadian airspace and that Canada had been told
about the flight beforehand.” [18] Last year Canada’s prime minister and defence
minister made the following comments: Harper: “We have scrambled F-18 [CF-18] jets in the
past, and they’ll always be there to meet them.” MacKay: “When we see a Russian Bear [Tu-95]
approaching Canadian air space, we meet them with an
F-18.” [19] A few days before Operation Nanook began, July 28,
Canada also deployed CF-18 fighters against Russian
Tu-95 bombers “as debate rage[d] over whether Canada
needs the next generation of fighter jets to replace
the nearly 30-year-old CF 18s. The Harper government
has committed to buying 65 F-35 stealth fighters at a
cost of $9 billion. Critics have said such Cold
War-type jets are no longer needed.” [20] The same source provided background information
concerning what is being fought over: “Canada is in a race with Russia and other Arctic
nations to lay claim to the frozen territory that may
hold untold treasures. “Geologists believe the Arctic shelf holds vast
stores of oil, natural gas, diamonds, gold and
minerals. A 2007 Russian intelligence report predicted
that conflict with other Arctic nations is a distinct
possibility, including military action ‘in a
competition for resources.’” [21] Regarding the later occurrence on August 24, “The
Prime Minister’s Office used the incident to promote
Ottawa’s plan to buy 65 stealth fighter jets for $16
billion.” [22] The discrepancy in (Canadian) dollar amounts is
attributable to Ottawa’s attempt in May to
underestimate the actual cost of the purchase when
Defence Minister MacKay said “There is eye-watering
technology now available, and a fifth-generation
fighter aircraft will be brought to Canada after the
year 2017.” [23], but failed to disclose the total
cost. When in-service support and other additional
outlays are included, the total package will be $16
billion, according to a major Canadian newspaper “one
of the most expensive military equipment purchases
ever.” [24] In fact the F-35 Lightning II fifth generation
stealth fighter project also has been estimated to be
“the Pentagon’s most expensive weapons program” at a
cost of $323 billion for 2,443 of the warplanes. [25] Last month Defence Minister MacKay confirmed that
Canada will buy 65 of the Joint Strike Fighters. At
the same time Ottawa announced that the $3 billion
Joint Support Ship project will be restarted, as “the
military [wants] Joint Supply Ships to be capable of
carrying army vehicles and to provide support to
ground forces ashore. The ships would also have an
air-force element on board, having helicopters and
repair facilities for those aircraft. A hospital would
also be included on the vessels.” [26] On August 25 Dmitri Soudas, Harper’s director of
communications, trumpeted the news of the
non-encounter between Canadian and Russian military
aircraft and laid the bravado on thickly – and not
without a purpose. His comments included: “Thanks to the rapid response of the Canadian
Forces, at no time did the Russian aircraft enter
sovereign Canadian airspace. “The Harper Government has ensured our Forces have
the tools, the readiness and the personnel to continue
to meet any challenges to Canadian sovereignty with a
robust response. “This is true today, it will be true tomorrow and
it will be true well into the future. “The CF-18 is an incredible aircraft that enables
our Forces to meet Russian challenges in our North.
That proud tradition will continue after the
retirement of the CF-18 fleet as the new, highly
capable and technologically-advanced F-35 comes into
service. It is the best plane our Government could
provide our Forces, and when you are a pilot staring
down Russian long range bombers, that’s an important
fact to remember.” [27] The Associated Press reported on the above
statement that “Soudas noted…Canada’s recent purchase
of 65 F-35 Joint Strike Fighter jets from U.S.
aerospace giant Lockheed Martin Corp. The $8.5 billion
purchase, one of the biggest military equipment
purchases in the country’s history, was due to be
debated at a parliamentary defense committee hearing
on Wednesday. [August 25, the date of Soudas'
comments]. The jets will replace the Air Force’s aging
fleet of CF-18s.” [28] According to a Canadian journalist: “This week…we learned that the Cold War is not, in
fact, over and that Russia remains an active threat in
the north….Harper’s press spokesman, noted
Sovietologist Dimitri Soudas, explicitly turned the
Russian flyby into an argument for a $16-billion,
sole-sourced upgrade of Canada’s fighter-plane fleet.”
[29] Canada requires an adversary to justify large-scale
arms acquisitions. In the past three years it has
bought and leased 120 Leopard tanks from Germany and
the Netherlands for the war in Afghanistan. It has
purchased and used Israeli-made Heron drones (unmanned
aerial vehicles) for the same war theater and beyond,
one of which crashed near a military base in Alberta
last month knocking out power lines. It has also acquired Chinook, Griffon and Mi-8
helicopters for NATO’s war in South Asia, where it has
deployed 2,830 troops and where 151 of its soldiers
have been killed. The Polar Epsilon spaced-based satellite project is
being developed for the Arctic, and while in Resolute
Bay on Wednesday Prime Minister Harper reiterated that
the RADARSAT Constellation Mission, a three-spacecraft
fleet of satellites that is the centerpiece of Polar
Epsilon, “will provide the Canadian military with
daily coverage of Canada’s land mass and ocean
approaches ‘from coast-to-coast-to-coast, especially
in the Arctic.’” [30] In June defense chief MacKay disclosed that Canada
will spend over $30 billion “to build 28 large vessels
for the Canadian Coast Guard and navy, as well as 100
smaller ships.” [31] Canada is, as NATO’s top military commander Admiral
Stavridis remarked in Ottawa last month, providing the
Western military bloc and the Pentagon indispensable
services around the world. In the Arctic as much as if
not more than anywhere else. Related articles: Canada: Battle Line In East-West Conflict Over The
Arctic
http://rickrozoff.wordpress.com/2009/08/31/canada-battle-line-in-east-west-conflict-over-the-arctic Encroachment From All Compass Points: Canada Leads
NATO Confrontation With
http://rickrozoff.wordpress.com/2009/09/01/encroachment-from-all-compass-points-canada-leads-nato-confrontation-with-russia-in-north Loose Cannon And Nuclear Submarines: West Prepares
For Arctic Warfare
http://rickrozoff.wordpress.com/2009/12/01/loose-cannon-and-nuclear-submarines-west-prepares-for-arctic-warfare Canada: In Service To The Pentagon And NATO At Home
And Abroad
http://rickrozoff.wordpress.com/2009/08/28/canada-in-service-to-the-pentagon-and-nato-at-home-and-abroad 1) Xinhua News Agency, August 7, 2010
http://rickrozoff.wordpress.com/2009/08/26/natos-pentagons-new-strategic-battleground-the-arctic 4) Ibid
http://rickrozoff.wordpress.com/2009/09/01/encroachment-from-all-compass-points-canada-leads-nato-confrontation-with-russia-in-north 20) Toronto Sun Comments 💬 التعليقات |