Agencies come together in joint effort
Stephanie Burr
Staff writer
February 18, 2008
Enhancing the working relationship between Canadian and United States government agencies is the focus of Exercise Sea Barrier 08, taking place along Esquimalt’s coastline from Feb.18 to 22.
Using the fictional scenario of an international Global Warming Conference, the exercise will concentrate on safeguarding the ocean approaches.
The Canadian Forces, U.S. and Canadian Coast Guards, the RCMP, Transport Canada and the Canadian Border Services Agency will work together in a marine security and law enforcement scenario to identify a simulated threat aimed at the conference.
“It’s a great opportunity to see how we all respond and work together on a provincial, national and federal level in the face of a threat,” says LCdr Kevin Stewart, Senior Staff Officer of Maritime Exercises.
The threat to the conference will be exposed when four simulated foreign vessels carrying illegal cargo try to sneak into B.C. waters.
The ships’ mission is to deliver their cargo containing illegal arms, ammunitions and persons to a string of fictional organized crime labs in the Mary Hill and Albert Head area.
“It is highly beneficial to everyone involved to take part in this exercise as it provides very realistic training,” says LCdr Stewart. “Working with all the agencies involved is a rare opportunity and we plan on fully utilizing every component of the exercise to improve upon our own procedures and team building with our partners.”
For the past few weeks, fictional information has been injected into Joint Task Force (Pacific) and Maritime Forces Pacific (MARPAC) Headquarters regarding the threat.
“We have been sending information to the appropriate departments and dropping clues as to the fictional activities,” says LCdr Stewart. “The scenario will play out that these two vessels are trying to smuggle in cargo to be used in disrupting the conference, and our job is to detect the threat and immobilize it.”
Canadian Coast Guard ships John P. Tully and Neocaligus, and one U.S. Coast Guard Cutter, Henry Blake will act as the illegal vessels. As soon as the ship’s location is discovered, MARPAC-Joint Task Force Pacific Headquarters will task an Aurora to provide surveillance to HMCS Yellowknife, which will serve as the command and control platform.
Because entering Canadian waters illegally is a criminal act, the RCMP will handle the arrest and detainment of the ships.
“The navy’s participation in the arrest is as a supportive role,” says LCdr Stewart.
Within Sea Barrier is MOGEX 08, a mine-counter measure exercise involving four Kingston class ships, an Orca class vessel and Fleet Diving Unit Pacific. They’ll work close to Esquimalt’s coastline responding to a call about simulated mines that may have been thrown in the water as a deterrent by the suspicious vessels.
“Fleet Diving Unit will send in their diving team to identify the objects underwater and assess the threat,” says LCdr Stewart. “By using all these teams and different agencies together we not only get to run through our procedures as if the threat were real, but we also get to strengthen the ties between other government departments, the US and the military.”
