CAN Enhanced (Permanent?) Fwd Presence in Latvia

[rmc_wannabe]

Isn't that what Comd Task Force Latvia and the staff that supports them is supposed to do? Pretty sure that is in their Terms of Reference direct from Comd CJOC.
Pretty sure that TFL will continue to have that responsibility vice those personnel who will be attached into MND (North).

Multinational Div Comd vs BG Comd, who do you think will win in a fight ? Joking aside, I would imagine the ToR would be revised with this new deployment. It's a matter of a stroke of a pen from Comd CJOC.

Same thing happened when we had someone in the RC(S) seat in Kandahar. In the Big Hand Big Map department,I would reckon this Div Comd might be able to ask for more from higher with less hoops. More eyes on a Canadian Div Comd, especially with the political implications involved, than a BG Commander that gets a visit from the PM once an election cycle.

 

[Blackadder1916]

. . . More eyes on a Canadian Div Comd, especially with the political implications involved, than a BG Commander that gets a visit from the PM once an election cycle.

Don't think that the Canadian GOFO is going to become the Div Comd.

Multinational Divisions

Multinational Division Northeast in Elblag (Poland) and Multinational Division North (Latvia) coordinate the activities of the enhanced Forward Presence Battlegroups in peacetime and, if need be, t...

mncne.nato.int

On 8th of March in Adazi, Latvia, Danish, Estonian and Latvian Defence Ministers officially opened Headquarters Multinational Division North (MND N). This new unit is first of its kind in the northern part of the Baltic Sea region and will further enhance safety, security and NATO's defence capabilities. The main element of the Danish-led headquarters is located in Adazi with a smaller cell present in Karup/Slagelse, Denmark.

Framework Nations of MND N are respectively Denmark, Latvia and Estonia. The new divisional headquarters will be a part of NATO's Force Structure and will fit in to currently existing Command & Control structure. Its main task will involve support in defence planning of Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, co-ordination of regional military activities, including enhanced Forward Presence forces.

Multinational Division North is a second, following Multinational Division North-East, command of this level on the Eastern Flank of the Alliance.

 

[rmc_wannabe]

Don't think that the Canadian GOFO is going to become the Div Comd.

Multinational Divisions

Multinational Division Northeast in Elblag (Poland) and Multinational Division North (Latvia) coordinate the activities of the enhanced Forward Presence Battlegroups in peacetime and, if need be, t...

mncne.nato.int

I stand corrected. Carry on.

 

[Fabius]

Comd Task Force Latvia is a full Colonel. The eFP BG Comd reports to him only for Cdn national items with some nuance as we are the lead nation.

 

[The Bread Guy]

An increase to Canada's presence in Latvia

Canada to deploy CAF general, staff officers to join NATO headquarters in Latvia

Prime Minster Justin Trudeau announced on Thursday that Canada will send a Canadian Armed Forces general officer and six staff officers to NATO's Multinational Division North Headquarters, based in Adazi, Latvia.

www.ctvnews.ca

Another part of the question via this Canadian Press headline ....

Trudeau pledges more troops to Latvia, but mum on permanent NATO presence in Baltics

OTTAWA — Prime Minister Justin Trudeau emerged from a private huddle with his Latvian counterpart on Thursday with a promise to bolster Canada’s military presence by deploying more Canadian Armed Forces officers to the Baltic state.

www.nsnews.com

 

[KevinB]

That Heavy Brigade Canada has promised NATO forever…. It just got called.

The CA needs to admit the Emperor however has no clothes.

 

[MilEME09]

That Heavy Brigade Canada has promised NATO forever…. It just got called.

The CA needs to admit the Emperor however has no clothes.

Our lack of everything is coming home to roost

 

[CBH99]

Another part of the question via this Canadian Press headline ....

Trudeau pledges more troops to Latvia, but mum on permanent NATO presence in Baltics

OTTAWA — Prime Minister Justin Trudeau emerged from a private huddle with his Latvian counterpart on Thursday with a promise to bolster Canada’s military presence by deploying more Canadian Armed Forces officers to the Baltic state.

www.nsnews.com

Wow. 7 people, none of which actually bring anything to the fight minus being another cook in the kitchen...

I'm sure the TF Commander is thrilled to have more bodies walking around his HQ, that do nothing to enhance our capabilities in theater.


This is kind of like when the media made a huge deal about the CAF deploying medics to Edmonton area hospitals during the pandemic.


The 7 folks that showed up were great, but their deployment wasn't remotely necessary & didn't warrant the constant press releases.

It's the appearance of doing something.

 

[GK .Dundas]

Some years back The government of Canada discovered that it was easier to look good then to actually do something. The triumph of symbolism over reality .
That's been their default mode since about the late 80's.

 

[rmc_wannabe]

It's the appearance of doing something.

Theatrics is the name of the game for a drama teacher with little foreign policy expertise.

Unfortunately for the PM, theatrics is not math. The Latvians, NATO, and my 4 year old daughter can count.

7 Staff Officers =/= a 3000 pers Heavy Brigade.

 

[McG]

I'm sure the TF Commander is thrilled to have more bodies walking around his HQ, that do nothing to enhance our capabilities in theater.

They will not be in the TF-L HQ. They will be in the NATO MND(N) HQ.

 

[suffolkowner]

I doubt the PM or the PMO had any real input on who and what goes to Latvia. Obviously the one thing the CAF's doesn't lack for is GOFO's so we can supply them easily to other countries in need

 

[rmc_wannabe]

I doubt the PM or the PMO had any real input on who and what goes to Latvia. Obviously the one thing the CAF's doesn't lack for is GOFO's so we can supply them easily to other countries in need

PM/PMO received the request from Latvia/NATO for additional support. I'm not privy to what goes on any more than anyone else, but I would have to imagine the PM/PMO knows how bare our cupboards are in both personnel and equipment after our meager aid shipments to Ukraine.

Foreign Policy and Defence are not the strong suit of this government (and I would argue ANY government since 1945). "Convening" only gets you so far. You can only throw so many words and "other metrics" at NATO before you're no longer relevant. Green Shift, human rights, economic policies, are all worthwhile causes that need addressed.

The problem arises when those people you're trying to influence counter with "so what have you done for us lately?" The "lately" in question is providing meaningful aid to Ukraine and bolstering NATO; both efforts in which we have grossly under delivered for a G7 nation.

 

[daftandbarmy]

PM/PMO received the request from Latvia/NATO for additional support. I'm not privy to what goes on any more than anyone else, but I would have to imagine the PM/PMO knows how bare our cupboards are in both personnel and equipment after our meager aid shipments to Ukraine.

Foreign Policy and Defence are not the strong suit of this government (and I would argue ANY government since 1945). "Convening" only gets you so far. You can only throw so many words and "other metrics" at NATO before you're no longer relevant. Green Shift, human rights, economic policies, are all worthwhile causes that need addressed.

The problem arises when those people you're trying to influence counter with "so what have you done for us lately?" The "lately" in question is providing meaningful aid to Ukraine and bolstering NATO; both efforts in which we have grossly under delivered for a G7 nation.

 

[Edward Campbell]

...

Foreign Policy and Defence are not the strong suit of this government (and I would argue ANY government since 1945). "Convening" only gets you so far. You can only throw so many words and "other metrics" at NATO before you're no longer relevant. Green Shift, human rights, economic policies, are all worthwhile causes that need addressed.

T...

Actually, the St Laurent government - 1948-1957 - gave us a coherent and very successful foreign and defence policy suite - far, Far, FAR superior to the mishmash that characterized Canadian policy under Mackenzie King in the 1930s and '40s. His successor, John Diefenbaker kept much of St Laurent's policy suite in place, but he had some strange ideas of his own, mainly driven by a deep distrust (shared by Mike Pearson) about the US (Kennedy) policy goals.

St Laurent gave us the best policy suite in our history. Only Robert Borden came close in the 1910s.

Pierre Trudeau had a "grand strategy" but it never came to fruition - his cabinet would have been in open revolt had he tried to implement it. He wanted to disarm Canada - make us a sort of very large, very cold Costa Rica - and join the non-aligned movement.

 

[OldSolduer]

Actually, the St Laurent government - 1948-1957 - gave us a coherent and very successful foreign and defence policy suite - far, Far, FAR superior to the mishmash that characterized Canadian policy under Mackenzie King in the 1930s and '40s. His successor, John Diefenbaker kept much of St Laurent's policy suite in place, but he had some strange ideas of his own, mainly driven by a deep distrust (shared by Mike Pearson) about the US (Kennedy) policy goals.

St Laurent gave us the best policy suite in our history. Only Robert Borden came close in the 1910s.

Pierre Trudeau had a "grand strategy" but it never came to fruition - his cabinet would have been in open revolt had he tried to implement it. He wanted to disarm Canada - make us a sort of very large, very cold Costa Rica - and join the non-aligned movement.

I recall vaguely PET's musings. The Liberal Party was a means to an end.

 

[rmc_wannabe]

@Edward Campbell thank you for clarifying.

In your opinion, when did the Defence portfolio fall off the cliff in Canadian Politics? I have read Granstein's works on this and he painted a broad brush on all of those named above.

 

[Edward Campbell]

Defence began to be a problem portfolio in the late 1950s. It began to costs more and more - new ships, new jet fighters, re-equipping the Ary to fight a mechanized war in North West Europe. Canadians wanted to do all that, but they didn't;t want to spend 5% of GDP on defence.

That's the ONLY real problem Paul Hellyer tried to solve in the the 1960s.

It's been almost all downhill since then ... some PMs (Trudeau, Chrétien and Trudeau) being worse on security and defence than others.

 

[The Bread Guy]

Some years back The government of Canada discovered that it was easier to look good then to actually do something. The triumph of symbolism over reality .
That's been their default mode since about the late 80's.

A slight variation on that theme from "Yes, Minister" ....

 

[RocketRichard]

Theatrics is the name of the game for a drama teacher with little foreign policy expertise.

Unfortunately for the PM, theatrics is not math. The Latvians, NATO, and my 4 year old daughter can count.

7 Staff Officers =/= a 3000 pers Heavy Brigade.

I do not understand the denigration of drama teachers. Is this a general shot at the PM or teachers in general? Should all PM’s be lawyers or ‘businessmen’? Odd…