CANADIAN MARITIME AIRCRAFT
A NATIONAL CIVIL ASSET

Colonel Ernest S.C. Cable OMM, CD (Ret'd)

Canada has the longest coastline in the world and increasingly depends on maritime trade with the European Union and the Pacific Rim nations for economic growth. In fact, over 90 percent of our trade with countries other than the United States is carried by sea. Additionally, natural resources in our ocean waters and on our continental shelf are increasing important to our economic development. Therefore, it is in Canada's interest to monitor all maritime activity off our coasts to protect our resources and to ensure that no activity is contrary to our economic well being or sovereignty. Canadian air force maritime patrol aircraft and helicopters are uniquely postured to provide surveillance of these coastal regions whose resources and activities fall under the purview of other federal government departments. With military maritime aircraft supporting civilian department mandates, the Canadian taxpayer is the big winner as civilian and military surveillance activities require similar skills and sensors and therefore incur no additional costs.

The most vociferous civilian advocates of military maritime aircraft support include:

The Solicitor General. The air force currently provides in excess of 1300 hours of maritime surveillance annually to the RCMP in support of their operations against the importation of illegal narcotics by sea. During counter drug surveillance operations exceptionally close cooperation with the RCMP has resulted in the interdiction of "mother ship" cargo vessels that off-loaded literally hundreds of tons of illicit drugs on to smaller fishing boats who in turn attempt to land their contraband on the remote, ragged coastlines of the Atlantic provinces and British Columbia.

The Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO). Similarly, the air force flies more than 1000 hours annually with DFO officials aboard to augment other DFO assets in patrolling our highly coveted fishing grounds. Maritime aircrews verify that foreign and Canadian fishing vessels abide by their Canadian licensing agreements and report suspected violators to DFO for further investigation. It was through such surveillance that Aurora aircraft reported the concentration of Spanish fishing vessels on the Grand Banks that resulted in the turbot fishing dispute between Canada and Spain in 1995. In a similar vein, West Coast Auroras were particularly effective in providing evidence that resulted in the demise of the environmentally disastrous Driftnet fishing in the remote regions of the North Pacific.

Department of the Environment (DOE). While conducting routine military or civilian surveillance, Aurora and Sea King crews maintain a continual vigil for ships which, discharge illegal pollutants at sea that kill our marine life and foul our beaches. The DOE reports that 85 percent of all their pollution violations are filed by maritime aircraft. Additionally, during arctic patrols, Aurora crews conduct ice reconnaissance for DOE who use the information for such purposes as predicting the formation of ice bergs that pose serious hazards to shipping lanes and oil rigs

Department of Immigration. While patrolling the waters off our coasts throughout the years, maritime aircrews have become very adept at recognizing the routine patterns of coastal activity and their seasonal variations. Consequently, aberrations to the established status quo, such as boats fishing where there are no fish or merchant vessels off the usual shipping routes, arouse suspicion. Recently, the unusual behavior of a tramp steamer aroused an Aurora crew's skepticism that resulted in the apprehension of 1200 illegal Chinese immigrants who were destined to clandestinely land on remote beaches in the Maritime Provinces or the northeastern United States.

Canadian Coast Guard The Canadian Forces and the Coast Guard are jointly responsible for search and rescue which is a secondary task for all air force aircraft not specifically assigned to that role. Canadian Sea Kings, while embarked on naval ships, provide a singular capability in that they are able to rescue people at sea beyond the reaches of land based helicopters. In the Spring of 1996, a Sea King crew, assigned to HMCS Calgary, rescued 30 Romanian sailors in mid-Atlantic by hoisting them off their sinking ship and delivering them in small groups to a nearby merchant vessel. Because of their unique electronic sensor capabilities Maritime aircraft are frequently the first resource called upon by Rescue Coordination Centres to assist the primary search and rescue assets. In June 1996, the Aurora's radar and infra-red optical system proved particularly effective in locating a number of stricken Trans-Atlantic racing yachts and directing nearby shipping to their rescue. Evan during the 1997 Manitoba flood Auroras played a key role in assessing the flooding and Sea Kings were used to transport people and supplies.

Department Of Foreign Affairs and International Trade (DFAIT). Each year DFAIT actively promotes maritime aircraft participation in Exercise UNITAS to foster Canadian political and economic relations with South American members of the Organization of American States. Canadian Sea King and Aurora crews participate annually with South American countries such as Brazil, Chile and Argentina. UNITAS allows South American navies and maritime air forces to become interoperable with their NATO counterparts, thereby allowing these nations to make more effective contributions to NATO supported peacekeeping operations. Canadian crews, in return, gain experience operating against smaller coastal submarines in foreign waters in scenarios representative of potential peacekeeping commitments.

Canadians have a self-interest in monitoring activities off their coasts to protect their rich ocean resources and to preserve their sovereignty. Military maritime aircraft provide surveillance to other government departments, which have regulatory responsibilities in our maritime environmental and economic zones. This expanded national employment of military maritime aircraft impacts more on the average Canadians daily life than many realize. Since future external threats to Canada such as challenges to our natural wealth and sovereignty are today more likely to come by sea than land or air, an effective maritime air force is essential to safeguarding our future into the next millennium.