Standing Contingency Task Force: A Canadian Marine Unit?

[FSTO]

Things are moving ahead, the POC meetings will be held in Halifax sometime this month. There will be an exercise in the late fall to test out our ability to mount an over-the-shore landing of troops and supporting them from sea. The USN will be lending Canada the USS Nashville for the exercise. This should be interesting. 

 

[Navy_Blue]

When you say lending you mean ship and sailors??  We supply the grunts??  :warstory:

 

[FSTO]

When you say lending you mean ship and sailors??  We supply the grunts??  :warstory:

I assume so, but we'll have all sorts of Navy types on board because we have zero experience in amphib ops,

 

[Cdn Blackshirt]

Things are moving ahead, the POC meetings will be held in Halifax sometime this month. There will be an exercise in the late fall to test out our ability to mount an over-the-shore landing of troops and supporting them from sea. The USN will be lending Canada the USS Nashville for the exercise. This should be interesting. 

Wow....That's impressive.

Very cool indeed....


Matthew. 

 

[FSTO]

When should sailors start to see postings into SCTF/Amphib platform?

This summer they want to create the HQ and the 5 (3 Navy) Maritime Amphibious Unit (I've already asked, but it is already filled(GD Halifax, they still think that they are the be-all end-all of the Navy, they never even thought about asking somebody from the West Coast!!!!!!) Rant Off )

But regarding the actual ship, we have to actually get one first. : Sorry!!

 

[Cdn Blackshirt]

Interesting read on the Amphibious Fleet procurement from the U.S. Congressional Budget Office....

Link:  http://www.cbo.gov/showdoc.cfm?index=6003&sequence=2


Matthew.   

 

[Sub_Guy]

The actual plan now involves the USS Gunston Hall................If we are going to procure an amphib vessel, and arctic patrol vessels, who is going to man them?  Also if arctic patrol vessels are ordered does anyone here think they will actually be based up North, or will their patrols start and end in Halifax?  :threat:

 

[DELTADOG13]

Very interesting. 1 RCR Battle Gp used the USS Gunston Hall on Ex Unified Spirit in 2000. Brings back lots of memories of standing in long line ups for the chow. Over the horizen insertions by AAV and LCAC.
Cheers, should be interesting to see what comes out of the trials. Like to see what Landing Force is used from LFC.

 

[Sub_Guy]

Very interesting. 1 RCR Battle Gp used the USS Gunston Hall on Ex Unified Spirit in 2000. Brings back lots of memories of standing in long line ups for the chow. Over the horizen insertions by AAV and LCAC.
Cheers, should be interesting to see what comes out of the trials. Like to see what Landing Force is used from LFC.

My brother got to experience that trip during his time in Petawawa, he also made mention of the crappers with no walls?  You can access all the documents pertaining to the SCTF on the din/web there is some interesting information there.

 

[FSTO]

CDS has given his approval to CMS to conduct the POC exercise this fall/winter. Things are moving ahead quite nicely. Should be an interesting exercise.

 

[DELTADOG13]

It seems 2 RCR got the nod as the Landing Force contribution of SCTF. All aboard.

 

[FSTO]

It seems 2 RCR got the nod as the Landing Force contribution of SCTF. All aboard.

Press Ganged into the Canadian Marines?

 

[big bad john]

Haven't there been Canadian Observers on HMS Ocean?

 

[Sub_Guy]

OK what's the deal here with the SCTF, are they going have some army unit stood up in Halifax, or are we going to have to move the BHS to Montreal to load up?    Does this mean that the Vandoos/RCR will get all the amphib training?  Or are we going to have a dedicated unit.

I tried the search function on here, and I couldn't find anything

 

[Teddy Ruxpin]

That's still all up for discussion.  I suspect we'll be waiting a while, as I understand that the Army and Navy have differing views as to how to generate the land-based component.  The upcoming trial may point the way...

 

[ArmyRick]

I can't see us keeping a battalion at sea but a company sized reaction force I could see.

 

[GAP]

Based on humanitarian situations and potential conflicts that have been in the news over, say, the last 10 years, would there be any immediate need for more than an company initially, so long as there was additional forces available with lift capacity on 48-72 hour notice?

 

[George Wallace]

I think all the Bdes rotate their Units through IRU.  The IRU would have a Coy strength Sub-Unit on 24 hrs notice to move, with the rest (Bn strength) on 24 to 48 hr NTM.  These, however, are not really set up for International Deployments, but Internal Deployments within the Bde AOR.  It would be good to set up a more enhanced DART, and actually permanently post a larger contingent to it.  As it sits now, most of the DART is pulled out of Pet, with only a few Sup Techs and others, permanently maintaining what little stores and equipment they have in Trenton. 

If all these ideas come to pass, then Trenton would not be large enough to house any or all of them.  The Government would have to expend Billions of Dollars on the purchase of land, construction of more runways, construction of hangars, construction of barracks and PMQs, infrastructure, roads, railheads, fuel dumps, etc.  (This is thinking of all the promises to put an Airborne Unit, C17s, Hercs, DART, JTFNBC, and whatever else in Trenton, besides the existing Air Force.  An awful lot of eggs in one basket.)

 

[GAP]

Not being familiar with the base and surrounding area, is there supplemental bases nearby where the overflow could go?
Is this even wise, concentrating all our capacity, with little alternative in just one place? I understand the urge to have them close at hand, but it may be counterproductive.
DART seems to be coming into its own in the last couple of years, maybe it's time to reformat and rethink it's status and deployability on a more permanent basis.

 

[FSTO]

Bump, because of the article in the Chronicle Herald. And that the POC exercise is only a couple of months away.