Maritime security exercise off Victoria

A news release from Maritime Forces Pacific:

Monday, February 18, 2008

Exercise Sea Barrier 2008 Enhances Domestic Maritime Security

Domestic maritime security will be the focus of an intergovernmental, bi-national exercise named Sea Barrier, which runs from Feb. 18 to 22 in the waters around Victoria. The Canadian Navy will join the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), Transport Canada, as well as the Canadian and U.S. coast guards as they work together in a law enforcement scenario to test and improve coastal surveillance and enhanced interoperability.

“One of the Navy's most important missions is to support other government departments in enforcing Canada’s laws and jurisdictions in each of Canada's three oceans," said Rear Admiral Tyrone Pile, commander of Maritime Forces Pacific. "Sea Barrier is one of a series of exercises designed to enhance interoperability between the Canadian Forces and those responsible for public safety and law enforcement.”

Her Majesty’s Canadian ships Calgary, Edmonton, Saskatoon, Whitehorse, Yellowknife and the Patrol Craft Training (PCT) Raven will participate in Sea Barrier. They will be joined by Canadian Coast Guard ships John P. Tully, Siyah and Neocaligus, the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Henry Blake, as well as RCMP and CBSA teams. Training activities will focus on detecting, assessing and responding to a maritime security threat to Canada and the U.S., and will include surveillance patrols, maritime interdiction and boardings at sea, as well as mine countermeasures.

Sea Barrier will take place concurrently with the coastal warfare exercise MOGEX 08, as well as the second phase of the Defence Research and Development Canada-led field exercise Initial Thunder, a multi-jurisdictional chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and explosive exercise. To capitalize on mutual resources and to ensure exercise participants have access to a highly realistic training environment, the three exercises will share scenarios whenever possible.

No doubt the relatively new Maritime Security Operations Centre will be at the centre of things.