Canadian Armed Forces Operations Abroad

Objectives

Expeditionary operation: The projection of military power over extended lines of communications into a distant operational area to accomplish a specific objective.

AAP-06 (2012) NATO Glossary of Terms and Definitions

For more than a century, the armed forces of Canada have mounted expeditionary operations to take part in military missions conducted by alliances or coalitions that count Canada as a member. Today, when a Canadian task force deploys beyond our borders and territorial waters, it is usually integrated into a multinational mission led by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) or the United Nations (U.N.).

Expeditionary operations typically fit into one or more of the following categories:

• Combat operations contribute combat-capable forces to coalition efforts to defeat armed adversaries (e.g., Operation APOLLO, Operation ATHENA, Operation MOBILE)
• Regional security operations contribute combat-capable forces to coalition efforts to suppress destabilizing activities, especially those related to crime and terrorism, across national boundaries and in international waters (e.g., Operation MOBILE, Operation ARTEMIS, Operation METRIC)
• Peace-support and stabilization operations contribute task-tailored military contingents to international missions working to resolve armed conflicts and provide safety and security for the people of war-torn nations (e.g., Operation JADE, Operation CROCODILE, Operation HAMLET)
• Training and advisory operations contribute task-tailored military contingents to international efforts to help fragile nations build professional capacity in their security forces (e.g., Operation SCULPTURE, Operation PROTEUS, Operation ATTENTION)
• Humanitarian operations contribute task-tailored military contingents to international missions helping survivors through the rescue and recovery phases of response to major disasters (e.g., Operation PLATEAU, Operation HESTIA)
• Non-combatant evacuation operations assist the departure of foreign nationals, especially Canadians, from overseas locations where they are in danger (e.g., Operation LION, Operation MOBILE)

Basis in policy

All operations by the Canadian Armed Forces arise from policy direction and priorities set out in the Canada First Defence Strategy, issued in May 2008, which identifies three roles for the Canadian Armed Forces:

• Defending Canada - delivering excellence at home;
• Defending North America in partnership with the United States; and
• Contributing to international peace and security - projecting leadership abroad.

Expeditionary operations are conducted under the third role, that of contributing to international peace and security in support of Canada's continued prosperity and security.

An expeditionary operation begins with a formal request for military intervention, often in the form of a United Nations Security Council Resolution. When the Government of Canada decides to take part in an international mission, the nature and extent of the Canadian Armed Forces’ involvement is determined by Parliament, with advice from Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada, the Department of National Defence and the Canadian Armed Forces.

Working with mission partners

An expeditionary operation may be part of a Canadian “whole-of-government” engagement in the country or region where the task force is deployed. In a whole-of-government mission, the military operation is one component of a long-term capacity-building program that includes development and governance initiatives as well as security and stability operations.

The other federal government organizations most often engaged in missions outside Canada are the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada.