David Dunlop, 15 September 2020.
I just came across a Royal Navy article on the High Arctic and the RN's involvement leading a multinational exercise across the Bering Straits recently. This may be of great interest to CNR and its readers. My question is, why was Canada not involved in any form with this task group exercise. Although this was not a NATO exercise, it would have been a golden opportunity missed for Canada to assert its own sovereignty and cooperation with allied navies such as the US/UK and Norway and their A/C. Perhaps Canada was not involved because it was a non-NATO exercise or, were we intentionally left out in the cold. (Is Canada's role in the Arctic relevant any more?) Whatever the case, in my opinion it appears as if Canada was snubbed and seems to give Canada a black eye.
See this article for information about the exercise in the Arctic.
https://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/news-and-latest-activity/news/2020/september/10/200910-royal-navy-task-group-arctic-circle
6 thoughts on “Royal Navy in the High Arctic”
Dan Middlemiss
David,
I do not think there is anything untoward going on here. In August 2020, Canada contributed a three ship deployment to its annual, multi-national sovereignty exercise, Operation Nanook, in the Arctic. This was a scaled back version of its normal participation due to covid 19 and adverse weather conditions. For details of this year’s Op Nanook, see, Murray Brewster, “Allies testing naval readiness in Canada’s Arctic”, CBC News, 4 August 2020.
Hello Dan. Not saying that there is anything a-foot going on here at all, however, Canada should at least have had the opportunity to exercise with our allies in the Arctic at every opportunity to show the rest of the world how it’s done, so to speak. Yes, OP NANOOK is an annual ‘NATO like’ Canadian exercise offered to advance, in part, our own Arctic sovereignty as an Arctic state with vessels from the east coast navy along with mostly allied Arctic states’ ships. My only problem with the Bering Strait exercise is that it was led by a non-Arctic state and should have included at the very least, one Canadian naval ship from the west coast navy as well (notwithstanding our RIMPAC commitments). It just seems curious that Canada was not included (for whatever reason) in a part of the world that we know and have an intense interest in.
David. I think that there is confusion over geography here. The exercise was actually in the Barents Sea, very much Norway’s back yard, and not the Bering Strait. Perhaps that fact will negate the feeling that Canada was snubbed by not being involved. I hope so.
Sorry Mark, but I think you may be the one a bit confused. Dan and I were discussing OP Nanook which happens every year up the North West Passage. Yes, what I was first discussing on “Royal Navy in the High Arctic” was the RN lead exercise up the Barents Strait which happened approx the same time frame which has nothing to do with Exercise Op Nanook this year. No confusion on geography here. Does not negate any feelings.
David – the confusion is Barents Sea v Bering Strait. Your original article states that the the exercise was in the latter, ie, between Alaska and Russia, whereas it was actually in the Barents Sea, so North of Norway. My suggestion is that this significant difference in geography puts a rather different complexion on the fact that Canada was not involved..
Sorry Mark, my bad. But the statement remains the same. As an Arctic nation, Canada should still have been there, despite the geography error on my part.