CAF Story | Logistics in the Arctic
Video / May 17, 2024
Transcript
Over the years, we’ve built up in different areas and went to the High Arctic area, which is very difficult to work in.
I’m Major Ryan Hayes. I’m a planner with the Canadian NORAD Region here in Winnipeg, Canada.
NORAD is a binational command, so we're always working with Americans. My boss is an American. I've been in the planning shop for about six months now. The most interesting thing that I've had to do was planning for the operation in Thule, for Op NOBLE DEFENDER. Gathering everybody together and planning for it, taking it from a paper kind of exercise, writing it down, holding meetings, doing things, and then handing it over for execution and seeing the actual jets and the aircraft and all the people and everything kind of moving into place. It was pretty satisfying seeing that all come together in the end.
Over the last few years, we’ve been building up our exercises and our operations in terms of complexity and going places that we haven’t traditionally gone, being more adaptable, being more agile in our employment of forces in the North and we’re able to show that NORAD is resilient in the face of threats and capable of reacting to defend North America from all angles.
Over the years, we've built up in different areas, and operating in the high north first in the summer months, which is always an easier way to operate, but then recently as well, operating in the High Arctic in the winter months, which is dark 24/7 at that period. So, that increases the difficulty and the complexity. We're always growing and adapting and pushing ourselves.
We have fighter aircraft on alert daily throughout Canada in the West and the East. The North is always a priority for us. We’re a northern nation, so we’re heavily invested in defending the North. It’s also a priority area for NORAD as well to show that we’re resilient in the North and able to operate there.