Canadian and U.S. Military Bases in "North American Arctic"
Canada
The Department of National Defence (DND) informs that the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) "maintains a year-round presence in the Arctic through operations, exercises, and training activities. There are some 300 full-time military personnel in the North, alongside over 1,700 Canadian Rangers," part of the CAF's reserves, who "provide enabling assistance to northern operations and activities." Military exercises include the annual -- since 2007 -- Operation NANOOK, which DND calls the CAF's "signature northern operation comprised of a series of comprehensive activities designed to exercise the defence of Canada and to secure our northern regions. Op NANOOK takes place each year across Yukon, the Northwest Territories, Nunavut, and Labrador. It features up to four deployments throughout the year."
DND notes that Canada has the following permanent military installations in the Arctic:
- "Joint Task Force North (JTF-N) in Yellowknife, along with 440 Transport Squadron RCAF, 1 Canadian Ranger Patrol Group Headquarters and a Company of reserve infantry. Team North has approximately 300 personnel, including two JTF-N detachments in Whitehorse and Iqaluit."
- The Canadian Army's Arctic Response Company Groups, which "are regionally-focused units capable of projecting to Canada's North to conduct sovereignty operations, facilitate disaster response support, and provide general assistance to other Governmental departments."
- Canadian Forces Station Alert, the northernmost CAF outpost; and
- Canadian Armed Forces Arctic Training Centre (CAFATC) in Resolute Bay, Nunavut, which provides a permanent location for training and operations in the High Arctic. The Canadian Army runs an annual Northern Exercise (NOREX) at CAFATC.
DND says that Canada "continue[s] to cooperate with the United States in the Arctic and hold various joint exercises that promote interoperability and shared expertise in northern operations." It adds that "Canada is making significant strategic investments to enhance northern defence capabilities, including through Strong, Secure, Engaged and NORAD modernization commitments."
DND says it "also has a number of assets used by NORAD, including the North Warning System, and three Forward Operating Locations in Yellowknife, Inuvik, and Iqaluit, which can accommodate fighter aircraft and other assets supporting NORAD operational requirements and exercises on a temporary basis.
"Through NORAD modernization, National Defence is investing in upgrading the Forward Operating Locations, as well as Goose Bay [Labrador]. This will support a more robust NORAD and CAF presence when needed, with potential opportunities for multipurpose infrastructure at these sites that could benefit local communities, including Indigenous partners.
United States
The U.S. has nine Arctic bases, all located in Alaska, with about 6,000 personnel each for a total of roughly 54,000 personnel. They are:
- Eielson Air Force Base, in North Pole, Alaska, near Fairbanks, used as a training ground for the Air Force;
- Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson Air Force Base, on the northeast side of Anchorage, home to more than 10,000 troops and reservists, making it the largest;
- Clear Space Force Station, in Denali Borough, whose duties include early detection capabilities of ballistic missiles and intercontinental nuclear ballistic missiles;
- Fort Wainwright, used for weapons testing under extreme Arctic weather conditions, is one of the biggest training facilities for the Armed Forces in Alaska;
- Fort Greely, located in Fairbanks, a base where many anti-ballistic missiles are tested and launched;
- ISC Kodiak Coast Guard Base, on Kodiak Island;
- Marine Safety Unit Valdez Coast Guard Base which, among other things, is responsible for ice patrolling missions in the north; and
- USCG Juneau, situated east of the Gulf of Alaska at the state capital.
This article was published in
Volume 54 Number 12 - December 2024
Article Link:
https://cpcml.ca/Tmlm2024/Articles/M540126.HTM
Website: www.cpcml.ca Email: editor@cpcml.ca