Maritime Pacific Operations

Canada Command:

Announced on 28 June 2005, Canada Command or CANCOM represents a new vision of unified command and control. Headed by former MARPAC commander Vice-Admiral J.Y. Forcier, the new command will centralize decision-making, allowing for immediate and concurrent deployments in support of domestic operations.

Much like its U.S. equivalent NORTHCOM, CANCOM will permit the activities and assets of the Navy, Army and Air Force, from all six regional commands, to be coordinated from the centre and deployed without the need for preliminary, costly and less-than-efficient coordination efforts.

Additionally, CANCOM will stand as a central location for the transmission and dissemination of information to other government departments in the event of a domestic crisis. Although CANCOM is not scheduled to commence operations until the spring of 2006, Vice Admiral Forcier, and his planning group of some 60 staff. They started standing up the command on 01 July 2005, focusing on refining CANCOM’s concept of operations, lines of command, and implementation timeline. – MARPAC Intelligence Brief

MARPAC Change of Command

MARPAC welcomed its new commander, Rear Admiral Roger Girouard, the former Pacific Fleet Commander, Task Force leader, and veteran of global peacekeeping missions. Rear Admiral Girouard took command on 25 July in a ceremony attended by the Governor General of Canada and other dignitaries.

Operationally, MARPAC will continue to send ships to the Arabian Sea in support of Operation ALTAIR and Canada's international peacekeeping efforts. Many expect Canadian deployments to Asia to increase as the CF dispatches fresh troops to Afghanistan in support of the NATO mission.

Closer to home, MARPAC ships will continue to maintain North America’s maritime defence perimeter and work with other government departments and allies to expand surveillance of suspect vessels.

Finally, MARPAC and its personnel will continue to honour their commitment to local communities as manifest in such things as outreach programmes, day sails, and charity work. Thus, while the pace of deployments slowed for a brief period from late 2003 to summer 2004, a vast range of activities in support of Canadian defence priorities continue at a robust pace. – MARPAC Intelligence Brief

Marine Security Operations Centre:

In line with the national security policy statement of 2004, the Canadian government is standing up two Marine Security Operations Centres, one at Maritime Forces Atlantic in Halifax and the other at Maritime Forces Pacific in Victoria. These centres are designed to detect, assess and coordinate the response to potential threats in Canadian waters and North America's maritime approaches.

The interagency Marine Security Operations Centres (MSOCs) were authorized a year ago by the federal government, as part of an overhaul of national security policy. First to be launched is the centre in Halifax.

Each MSOC unit is staffed by a complimentary mix that includes members from the Department of National Defence, the Canadian Border Services Agency, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Transport Canada, and the Canadian Coast Guard; plans are also being made to include members of the Department of Fisheries and Oceans.

When the final operational capability is in place, MSOCs will leverage the combined authority of the government departments that have authority over marine security issues in order to deliver a timely and appropriate response to any security threat.

Previously, only Canadian military personnel had access to the facility that monitored every ship traveling through Canadian waters and scheduled to enter Canada. In Halifax, that has been about 500 ships at any time.

Simultaneously, the MSOCs are also sharing data with the U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Navy, the Royal Australian Navy and other allies. The result is the creation of a comprehensive maritime picture that will soon profile all vessels entering Canadian waters in order to identify and analyze suspect ships and cargoes. The development of the MSOCs is a testament to increased government communications and initiatives in the name of Canadian security. –MARPAC Intelligence Brief

Canada: Project Polar Epsilon

Canada's Department of National Defence announced plans to create a space-based satellite surveillance system that will monitor Canada's Arctic regions and its approaches. Named Project Polar Epsilon, the CDN$ 60 million programme will use data obtained from the RADARSAT 2 satellite scheduled for launch in 2006. Once operational in 2009, the system will increase Canada's capacity to monitor the area, thus supporting its territorial claim. - Defense-aerospace

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