SUBMITTED
Members of Joint Arctic Command visit HMCS Kingston
By SLt J.C.M. Martin-Labelle,
HMCS Kingston Bridge Watchkeeper and UPAR
HMCS Kingston hosted members from the Joint Arctic Command (JACO) while alongside Nuuk, Greenland, on Sunday, September 10, 2017.
On the return transit from Operation LIMPID, Kingston paid a visit to Nuuk, Greenland in order to resupply before continuing home to Halifax, NS. While alongside, Kingston had the pleasure of hosting the Commanding Officer of the JACO, known locally as Issittumi Sakkutooqarfik, and his team for a visit.
The Commander of JACO, Generalmajor Kim Jesper Jørgensen, Chief of Operations Kommandørkaptajn Jakob Rousøe and Canadian Desk Officer Premierløjtnant Rasmus Kilmose joined Kingston’s Command team for a tour of the ship, discussed Kingston’s recent two-month sail in the Arctic, and provided awareness of JACO’s role.
JACO is a Joint Operational Command based out of Nuuk, Greenland which, since 2012, has dealt primarily with the surveillance and enforcement of sovereignty and defence of Greenland and the Faroe Islands. This includes Sirius patrols, which are long-range reconnaissance patrols conducted by dog sled, where teams can be dispatched for up to four months patrolling the Northern and Eastern portions of Greenland. Additional tasks include Search and Rescue, Fisheries Inspections, combatting maritime pollution, and hydrographic survey.
In the past, Kingston Class ships have had the opportunity to work with Danish warships stationed in Greenland. However, this was Kingston’s first opportunity to meet with JACO and provide them with an in depth brief on Canadian capabilities in the Arctic and share their experiences of working in such an environment.
Knowing that we share the same issues and priorities in the Arctic, the cooperation between the two countries becomes truly important. Until the opening of Naval Station Nanisivik, Nuuk, GRL is the closest fuelling port for Canadian ships deploying to the arctic. “It is important to foster the cooperative environment with our Arctic Allies while the RCN increases presence and operations in the far north. I was pleased to have the opportunity to meet Gen Kim Jesper Jørgensen and to share with him KINGSTON’s successes during Op LIMPID,” said LCdr Matthew Woodburn, Commanding Officer Kingston.
Operation LIMPID is the routine domestic surveillance and presence in Canada’s Arctic and to increase relationships with the CAF and our Northern communities and partners.
