Understanding capabilities and roles is highly important in this developing fields. I think to a small extent the terminology becomes muddled when it crosses boundaries from one nations usage to another.
MDTFs are a case in point. Their primary role was to create an army presence that operated as a theatre presence with the aim of defeating hostile anti-access/area denial (A2/AD) networks in all domains thus enabling joint forces to execute their operational plans. My reading of that is that, because of its A2/AD thrust, it is more an offensive tool than a defensive one. I'm not saying an MDTF can't function defensively but that, in principle, that's not its role.
The army does have an older joint operations concept in the JIMP-enabled brigade. JIMP (or Joint, Interagency, Multi-national, and Public) is really a concept whereby brigade headquarters were designed and trained to operate in an environment where there were significant roles and contributions for joint forces assets, other government agencies in a multi-national context - think Afghanistan and counterinsurgency operations. That's not really what's needed here either.
@TangoTwoBravo has already explained both JTFN and 6 CCSB above. Let's throw CJOC into the mix as well as the primary, over arching force employer.
I think what we are missing is a significant army operational formation that could and should be available to force generate the necessary operational elements that actually deploy to support JTFN (and CJOC) to conduct the tactical level operations in the north. For lack of a better term, I call it an Multiple Domain Brigade (MDBde). In structure, I see it very similar to an MDTF, but with it's role more aligned to the defence of the north - in effect, rather than being an A2/AD defeating agency, its role is more in the nature of actually being an A2/AD operational force for the north.
The questions that I have left are:
1) should there be a second MDBde more offensively focused as a force to deploy to Europe? Or would it be logical to have one MDBde responsible for force generating two MDRegts: one specifically targeted for defensive operations in the north and one more generally targeted for operations in support of expeditionary operations (particulalry Europe)? (I tend to lean to the two regiments concept)
2) how much of the MDBde/MDRegt should be permanent organic elements - MI, sigs, EW, Svc Bn etc? or how much should be task assigned from other formations - HIMARS, air defence etc?
3) how much of the MDBde/MDRegt should be permanently stationed in the north and how much fly-up augmentation?
4) how much of its staffing should be permanent RCAF and RCN so as to be a true operational-level, joint agency and so as to take most of the local joint operational level command and coordination off of JTFN and CJOC?
Just some thoughts running around my head.
