When it comes to the Arctic, Canada wants allies — and rivals — to stop asking “will they show up?”
Why it matters: Operation LATITUDE is the Canadian Armed Forces’ answer — a recurring, multi-domain operation designed to prove that “occasional” and “sovereignty” don’t belong in the same sentence.
The lineup: Three warships, an aircraft, special operators, and a Coast Guard vessel — a genuine whole-of-government showing.
- HMCS Ottawa, HMCS Max Bernays, HMCS Robert Hampton Gray — sailing alongside U.S. forces
- CP-140 Aurora aircraft — long-range eyes on the maritime approaches
- Canadian Special Operations Forces Command — specialized capability, routine posture
- CCGS Des Groseilliers — the civilian half of the sovereignty equation
The quote:
“Operation LATITUDE is a Canadian Armed Forces sovereignty operation conducted alongside our Allies in northern waters. Through regular, professional and coordinated activities, we reinforce Arctic sovereignty, protect Canada’s northern approaches and defend North American territory against evolving security threats.”
— Lt.-Gen. Steve Boivin, Commander, Canadian Joint Operations Command
The bigger picture: LATITUDE runs in step with NATO’s eVA ARCTIC SENTRY and complements Operation NANOOK — part of a layered push toward what CAF calls “near-persistent” Arctic operations.
Bottom line: Sovereignty, in this telling, isn’t a single deployment — it’s a habit. Canada’s betting that showing up regularly, not occasionally, is what convinces both adversaries and allies the North is covered.