The Arctic

[Stoker]

CFS Alert has millions of liters of fuel stored in massive fuel tanks. All year long.

Jet fuel has a very low freezing point - especially with FSII.

We also store diesel fuel in outdoor fuel tanks for the vehicles - no real issues.

Yes they do however it is crewed there 365 days a year., Nanisivik is not. Security of the site uncrewed is a concern with the tanks empty let alone potentially millions of liters of fuel left in the tanks and the potential of a spill in a environmentally sensitive area.

 

[Stoker]

Nanisivik was a bad spot to build this facility. I get there was existing infrastructure there that they wanted to take advantage of. A couple of things to consider. Site remediation was a concern, before DND could take it over the site was remediated as was the agreement with the mine. All the buildings were dismantled and anything else except for the jetty was dismantled. Arctic Bay which is connected to the site by a really shitty 36km road (see pics) built their own airport so the airport at Nanisivik was not needed and fell into disrepair including the road.
It was probably better to pick a site adjacent to a town where someone could have been contracted to provide site security, Nanisivik has been the subject to vandalism and at the end of a 36 km road with tanks full of fuel, well you get the picture. In my mind mothball it and open somewhere else more practical.

 

[daftandbarmy]

Nanisivik was a bad spot to build this facility. I get there was existing infrastructure there that they wanted to take advantage of. A couple of things to consider. Site remediation was a concern, before DND could take it over the site was remediated as was the agreement with the mine. All the buildings were dismantled and anything else except for the jetty was dismantled. Arctic Bay which is connected to the site by a really shitty 36km road (see pics) built their own airport so the airport at Nanisivik was not needed and fell into disrepair including the road.
It was probably better to pick a site adjacent to a town where someone could have been contracted to provide site security, Nanisivik has been the subject to vandalism and at the end of a 36 km road with tanks full of fuel, well you get the picture. In my mind mothball it and open somewhere else more practical.


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Good God.... what a nightmare.

The last MND announced the construction of three military hubs: Inuvik, Iqaluit and Yellowknife. I wonder if they will pursue that...

The federal government has announced the locations of three military hubs in the North.

National Defence Minister Bill Blair made the announcement in Iqaluit on Thursday, saying the first of several hubs would be established in Nunavut's capital as well as in Yellowknife and Inuvik in the Northwest Territories.

Blair also said the federal government is significantly increasing the amount of money it's spending to build a network of northern military hubs from $218 million to $2.67 billion. However, his department later said that's not an increase — they were planning to spend $2.67 billion all along.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/north/northern-military-hubs-funding-increased-1.7476382

 

[Stoker]

Good God.... what a nightmare.

The last MND announced the construction of three military hubs: Inuvik, Iqaluit and Yellowknife. I wonder if they will pursue that...

The federal government has announced the locations of three military hubs in the North.

National Defence Minister Bill Blair made the announcement in Iqaluit on Thursday, saying the first of several hubs would be established in Nunavut's capital as well as in Yellowknife and Inuvik in the Northwest Territories.

Blair also said the federal government is significantly increasing the amount of money it's spending to build a network of northern military hubs from $218 million to $2.67 billion. However, his department later said that's not an increase — they were planning to spend $2.67 billion all along.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/north/northern-military-hubs-funding-increased-1.7476382

Its easy to say we're going to build these things until we actually do and find out how difficult it actually it is. Constraints of environmental regulations, remoteness, short constructional season, weather and consultations of the land owners make it actually pretty difficult to get anything done. Building in established areas is key I think but as well there is out the box thinking as well.

 

[Colin Parkinson]

Its easy to say we're going to build these things until we actually do and find out how difficult it actually it is. Constraints of environmental regulations, remoteness, short constructional season, weather and consultations of the land owners make it actually pretty difficult to get anything done. Building in established areas is key I think but as well there is out the box thinking as well.

Building in/beside areas already occupied will go easier as you can offer communities better services and jobs. I did a lot of consulting with indigenous groups, nowadays the general direction of most of their leadership is to improve services, access to steady employment, while protecting rights and traditional practices. With the right consulting team you will make progress.

 

[childs56]

I'm calling out this Central Canada BS. Check your facts.

Keep calling.

BC company did the design and environmental.,

What BC company was that? Actually curious I cant find the contract for that one.

nothern companies are hired to do a lot of the subcontracting. Money was spread around quite a bit.

LOL, like Almiq Contracting/ Laval Fortin Group, SM Construction Group, Stantech. Are those the companies your talking about?

This anti-central canada reflex is tiresome.

but true. Thats what makes it so tiresome.

Transmountain (build by westerners, run by westerners) was sooo on time and on budget.

The original plan and owner/ contractor in place was going ahead, Government interference stopped the project in its tracks. Ballooned the price of the project.

Its going to take a long time and a lot of contracts to match that one.

Only the government can take a $4.5 billion dollar project and turn it into a 34plus billion dollar one.

I can list more governments wasting tax dollars in western canada if you like,

Sure lets have a list of federal government wasting tax money out west.

including western governments wasting their own tax dollars.

What shall we say those are?

Grifting governments is a national sport, not regional.

Lol, it seems "national" is a loosely used term.

 

[Underway]

-deleted because it was too angry and sarcastic. But therapeutic to write!

 

[Kirkhill]

Britain’s plan to deny Russia control of the Arctic

Alliance’s response to Moscow’s sabre-rattling has been to step up military collaboration between the UK and Norway

www.telegraph.co.uk

I hope this article passes the pay wall.

Russia’s 200-metre long floating dock was meant to help Moscow control the Arctic seas.

In service, the vast craft will assist in repairing nuclear-powered ice-breakers, needed to cleave safe passage through the frozen waters around Nato’s northern flank.

But the journey of the craft to its home in the Russian port of Murmansk has been interrupted by British sanctions, the Foreign Office announced on Tuesday.

The newly designated Vengery tugboat – due to tow the dock out of Istanbul – has returned to Russia, “leaving the floating dock stranded in the Mediterranean”.

Sez sumfink about Turkey and Russia.... but I digress

“The Arctic is fast becoming an area of intense focus for geopolitical competition – and a key flank of Nato’s defences. Russia has been building up its military presence here for years,” Mr Lammy told The Telegraph.

The Brits want to help.

The Foreign Secretary will observe British and Norwegian ships carrying out joint patrols before announcing an artificial intelligence scheme with Iceland aimed at detecting hostile vessels.

“And as ice caps in the region melt, new shipping routes and resources will be exposed, further heightening the risk of confrontation,” he said. “That’s why we must take action to deter threats in the Arctic.”

Moscow is stepping up its campaign to dominate the Northern Sea route, which – when not frozen over – nearly halves the distance ships must travel between Europe and Asia.

It is seeking to procure more of the nuclear-powered ice-breakers capable of unblocking the route far from its coasts.

And Vladimir Putin has invested heavily in his prized Northern Fleet, which possesses 18 nuclear-powered submarines and warships now equipped with hypersonic missiles.

Russia's first icebreaking patrol vessel for the Arctic arrives north

The Ivan Papanin will over the next three months undergo ice tests in the waters around Franz Josef Land.

www.thebarentsobserver.com

Interesting graphic but I don't think much of the accuracy.

....

The important bit is that they are thinking about us. Aren't they?

Together, Norway and the UK form the front line against any Russian attempt to enter the waters of the North Atlantic, from where its vessels could sever transatlantic supply lines – and threaten population centres.

This bit rings true though

The Russian dictator “got the drop” over Nato with “a decade of remilitarisation” in the Arctic before the war in Ukraine began, says Ed Arnold, a senior research fellow at the Royal United Services Institute, a London-based think tank.

Russia has peppered its Arctic regions with new military bases, upgraded the Northern Fleet to replace ageing Soviet craft, and invested in hypersonic, highly precise cruise missiles like the Tsirkon, whose 1,000km (621-mile) range brings Western targets into play.

However, the war in Ukraine has stretched the Russian military and it is now “so much weakened it’s almost giving Nato a ‘get out of jail free’ card,” says Mr Arnold.

“If you invest and take this seriously now, you could potentially ensure supremacy in the Arctic” for the long term, he adds.

As does this bit

The West’s navies also need to shift from holding high-profile exercises to continuous operations, says Mr Arnold. That requires more ships.

“What is actually going to worry Putin more will be the fact that - in three or four years’ time - the general operational activity in the High North [Nato’s term for the Arctic] has increased four-fold and continues to increase. That’s what actually builds deterrence.”

“You need naval ships, of course,” adds Per Erik Solli, a retired Norwegian Air Force colonel and analyst at the Norwegian Institute of International Affairs. “You need submarines and you need fighter jets, such as the F-35, that are capable of carrying anti-ship equipment.

“The number one priority in Norway is our navy.”

Canada

The F-35A is the best value solution for replacing the CF-18 fleet and is available today to meet the needs of the Royal Canadian Air Force now and into the future.

www.f35.com

First Joint Strike Missiles for Norway’s F-35s are Ready

The JSM is the only weapon in its class that can be carried internally by the F-35. The Norwegian Armed Forces will celebrate on Apr. 28, 2025, the

theaviationist.com

JSM is carried by the F35 internally and bolts on to a number of other aircraft, as well as the decks of ships, the backs of trucks and potentially submarines.

....

Euro-Canadian co-operation

Canada buys and produces NASAMs and JSMs/NSMs from Norway. Potentially along with the Boeing/Nammo/SAAB GLSDB for the HIMARS. SDB would also work for the Air Force.

Canada needs a separate procurement stream for weapons, independent of other projects, that crosses service lines.

If nothing else it would reduce the sticker price of major capital projects like ships, subs, aircraft, GBAD and LRPF.

 

[Colin Parkinson]

Seems like good news for a change. Does not seem like they have any military contracts with Canada at the moment

Roshel to produce ExtremV vehicle in Canada for Arctic ops

Roshel Smart Armored Vehicles has announced a strategic partnership with Singapore-based ST Engineering to manufacture the ExtremV platform in Canada, positioning the vehicle as a leading contender for the country’s Domestic Arctic Mobility Enhancement (DAME) program. The agreement, unveiled...

defence-blog.com

 

[Furniture]

Seems like good news for a change. Does not seem like they have any military contracts with Canada at the moment

Roshel to produce ExtremV vehicle in Canada for Arctic ops

Roshel Smart Armored Vehicles has announced a strategic partnership with Singapore-based ST Engineering to manufacture the ExtremV platform in Canada, positioning the vehicle as a leading contender for the country’s Domestic Arctic Mobility Enhancement (DAME) program. The agreement, unveiled...

defence-blog.com

It's good to see a Canadian company doing well, and providing things the CAF/GoC need.

 

[Colin Parkinson]

It's good to see a Canadian company doing well, and providing things the CAF/GoC need.

That we need but apparently don't want to buy...

 

[Furniture]

That we need but apparently don't want to buy...

 

[OldSolduer]

Its easy to say we're going to build these things until we actually do and find out how difficult it actually it is. Constraints of environmental regulations, remoteness, short constructional season, weather and consultations of the land owners make it actually pretty difficult to get anything done. Building in established areas is key I think but as well there is out the box thinking as well.

I wrote a paper on the Arctic, and discovered it takes about five times as long to complete a task like building things than it does in the south. I will have to dig that up one day and put it on here.

 

[SeaKingTacco]

I wrote a paper on the Arctic, and discovered it takes about five times as long to complete a task like building things than it does in the south. I will have to dig that up one day and put it on here.

Can confirm…

 

[Kirkhill]

I wrote a paper on the Arctic, and discovered it takes about five times as long to complete a task like building things than it does in the south. I will have to dig that up one day and put it on here.

Modularity is your friend?

 

[Underway]

Modularity is your friend?

Sure, but not family.

 

[Prairie canuck]

Pre-outfitted Seacans, Add a few Husky 8's from Foremost and you can set up shop fairly quickly.

 

[Kirkhill]

Globe editorial: The bill comes due for Arctic sovereignty

For too long, Canada asserted its presence in the North on the cheap. That’s no longer possible.

www.theglobeandmail.com

All too often, Canada has been happy to assert Arctic sovereignty on the cheap. But the bill for our historical stinginess has come due, and Ottawa should pay it as smartly and as quickly as possible.

Even before Canada existed, much of the North was effectively governed by the Hudson’s Bay Company. When the fur trade shrank, trading companies, not Ottawa, were expected to provide relief for the Inuit, even after Confederation.

Decades later, in the 1950s, Ottawa leaned on the United States to build community infrastructure and the military systems that would become the North American Aerospace Defense Command. (Even today, the federal Arctic policy released in December contains more references to a “North American Arctic” than a strictly Canadian one.)

At around the same time, Ottawa relocated 92 Inuit to the harsh High Arctic as “human flagpoles,” whose presence would project Canadian sovereignty. Ottawa rightly apologized in 2010, in part because of a slew of broken promises.

Alcan Highway - American money
Canol Pipeline - from Norman Wells to the West Coast - American Money
Prince Rupert - American money

The centre and east coasts need the same kind of attention.

 

[Blackadder1916]

Globe editorial: The bill comes due for Arctic sovereignty

For too long, Canada asserted its presence in the North on the cheap. That’s no longer possible.

www.theglobeandmail.com

Alcan Highway - American money
Canol Pipeline - from Norman Wells to the West Coast - American Money
Prince Rupert - American money

The centre and east coasts need the same kind of attention.

While that G&M editorial may contain many salient thoughts, due to paywall, I can only base a response on the few lines you quoted. What caught my attention was their reference to a "federal Arctic policy".

Decades later, in the 1950s, Ottawa leaned on the United States to build community infrastructure and the military systems that would become the North American Aerospace Defense Command. (Even today, the federal Arctic policy released in December contains more references to a “North American Arctic” than a strictly Canadian one.)

For clarification - the "federal Arctic policy" released in December was "Canada’s Arctic Foreign Policy".

Canada’s Arctic Foreign Policy

www.international.gc.ca

In that "foreign" policy document they define North American Arctic as
"The North American Arctic encompasses the vast northern territories of 3 countries: Alaska (the United States) in the west; northern Canada in the centre; and Greenland (the Kingdom of Denmark) in the east."

 

[Brad Sallows]

I wrote a paper on the Arctic, and discovered it takes about five times as long to complete a task like building things than it does in the south. I will have to dig that up one day and put it on here.

I'll bet it's going to take five times as long as you think.