Operation ACKEE
From: National Defence
Operation ACKEE is a military training mission and is part of the Global Affairs Canada (GAC) Anti-Crime Capacity Building Program (ACCBP).
Through this mission, the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) supports Canada’s initiative to build Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) capacity and capability to combat trans-regional threats and criminal activity in the Caribbean Basin. Other regional partners include Belize, the Bahamas, Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago and Guyana.
How many people are deployed?
The Canadian Special Operations Forces Command (CANSOFCOM) sends small detachments of Special Forces personnel to the Caribbean basin periodically throughout the year, dependent on the needs of our partners.
What are they doing?
CANSOFCOM’s focus in the region is on capacity building and capability development for the JDF. It is executed through:
- Small team, specialized military training and mentorship on combined exercises,
- The development of a Caribbean Special Tactics Centre, and
- The support for delivery of GAC funded non-lethal tactical equipment and training ammunition.
Exercise TROPICAL DAGGER
Exercise TROPICAL DAGGER is an example of CANSOFCOM’s successful contribution and significant investment toward greater security within the Western Hemisphere.
Beginning in 2012 with the JDF, the annual training and validation exercise has grown to include special operations forces from Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Guyana, and Trinidad and Tobago.
Exercise TROPICAL DAGGER focuses on:
- Core special operations skills in urban, jungle, littoral and maritime environments,
- The enhancement of interoperability and operational readiness amongst Caribbean partner nations, and
- The provision of mentorship and small unit leadership to members of the JDF in their planning and execution of the exercise.
Themes of instruction include:
- Law of armed conflict and human rights law,
- Mission planning,
- Individual and collective skill development,
- Women, Peace, and Security,
- Gender equality and perspectives, and
- The protection of vulnerable populations.
Caribbean Special Tactics Centre
The Caribbean Special Tactics Centre (CSTC) was conceived out of a Memorandum of Understanding between the Governments of Jamaica (JDF) and Canada (CAF and GAC).
The training establishment opened in 2018 with an aim to provide individual and collective training for regional military and law enforcement agencies. As a result, the JDF has been enabled to act in a dual capacity-building role for itself and its regional counterparts in various specialized disciplines.
In late 2023, CANSOFCOM deployed a team to develop and deliver the inaugural train-the-trainer course at CSTC with a focus on range safety and instruction.
With the continued modernization of CSTC’s delivery of specialized courses and continued support from the CAF and GAC, CSTC is well positioned to remain in its role as a regional special operations centre of excellence for training and pan-Caribbean cooperation and interoperability.