Canada and United States Join Forces in Maritime Security Operation

Operation Frontier Sentinel, a four-day maritime security operation, concluded Wednesday, June 27, in the waters off Halifax in Canada. With about 3,000 people involved, the operation was the largest security drill ever performed in Canada. The goal of the $425,000 drill was to underscore any deficiencies in how different agencies and organizations work together and communicate with one another.

Frontier Sentinel was run by Canada’s Joint Task Force Atlantic, specifically its commander, Rear Admiral Dean McFadden. However the operation also included agencies, ships, and aircraft from both Canada and the United States. Canadian agencies included the Canadian Coast Guard, the Canadian Navy, the RCMP, the Marine Security Operations Centre in Halifax, and many more. The United States’ Navy, Coast Guard, and Customs and Border Patrol also participated. Ships involved were the amphibious assault ship the USS Wasp, the HMCS Preserver, the HMCS Iroquois, the HMCS Summerside, and the Coast Guard ship Cornwallis. Aircraft included Auroras, Sea Kings, Transport Canada aircraft, DFO aircraft, and United States’ Customs, Navy, and Coast Guard aircraft.

Frontier Sentinel was intended to replicate a criminal organization taking hostages. According to the operation’s plan, a call was to be made from a ship off the coast of New England and Nova Scotia indicating that hostages were taken, some time on Sunday, June 24. The RCMP was to be the first to respond, with the Canadian Navy providing reinforcement. Canadian officials stated that although there is no specific risk of a hostage taking situation in Canadian waters, such an incident would pose a severe threat to Canadian maritime security and should be prepared for.

However, Frontier Sentinel’s ultimate goal was not to see how the various agencies handled a hostage situation; the goal was to see the collaboration between the different agencies. The operation was meant to examine the operational relationships between Canadian forces, government agencies, and United States forces. In a crisis situation, communication between all groups involved is key. Now that the operation has concluded, the results and observations will be analyzed and changes to Canadian regulations, procedures, and legislation made accordingly.