The
Marine Commando Regiment (MCR) is a regiment based at Canadian Forces Base Comox. CFB Comox, an Air Command base, is located on Vancouver Island in the Province of British Columbia, Canada. The Marine Commando Regiment was initially established with about 350 members; however its eventual strength is planned to be about 1000 members. In 2008, the United States Marines Corps said that the Canadian "Marine Commando Regiment" is ahead of schedule in becoming fully operational. Until the regiment is deployed, the current status of the regiment is secretative and unofficial.
History
The concept of a mobile combined (air, sea, and land) force was originally conceived in 1994, but due to reduced operating budgets during the 1989 - 2002 period, the Canadian Forces simply did not have the budget to develop a new branch at that time. Following the events of September 11, 2001, as well as the brief 2006 Lebanon war during which many
Canadian passport-holdersThe term "Canadians of convenience" became prominent in 2006 in conjunction with the evacuation of Canadian citizens from Lebanon during the 2006 Israel-Lebanon conflict...
were evacuated, the idea was once again revived in the form of the the Marine Commando Regiment, as well as the
Canadian Special Operations RegimentThe Canadian Special Operations Regiment is a highly trained, mobile, special forces unit. The mission of the Canadian Special Operations Regiment is two-fold: to provide back-up to Joint Task Force 2 , the Canadian Forces main special operating forces unit; and to provide the CF with a SOF unit...
(separate from the MCR). In November 2006, the
Royal 22e RégimentThe Royal 22
e Régiment is an infantry regiment and the most famous francophone organization of the Canadian Forces. The regiment comprises three Regular Force battalions, two Primary Reserve battalions, and a band, making it the largest regiment in the Canadian Army. The ceremonial...
participated in the
Integrated Tactical Effects Experiment (ITEE), a three week training exercise with the
United States Marine CorpsThe United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States armed forces responsible for providing force projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to rapidly deliver combined-arms task forces. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
. In 2008, the Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry, participated in similar training during
RIMPACRIMPAC, the Rim of the Pacific Exercise, is the world's largest international maritime exercise. It is hosted and administered by the Royal Navy and United States Navy, but the United States Marine Corps and United States Coast Guard are also involved, as well as Hawaii National Guard forces under...
with the United States Marines Corps and the
Royal Australian NavyThe Royal Australian Navy is the naval branch of the Australian Defence Force. Following federation of the Australian Colonies in 1901, the former colonial navies merged to become the Commonwealth Naval Forces...
.
Role
The Comox regiment will focus entirely on maritime operations and
Non-combatant evacuation operationA non-combatant evacuation operation or NEO is an operation conducted to evacuate a country's civilians from another country generally due to a deteriorating security situation....
, and will be able to react to seaborne terrorist incidents, both domestically and internationally. It will also be capable of rescuing Canadians trapped in war-torn nations that are accessible by water.
Future
In 2004,
Paul MartinPaul Edgar Philippe Martin, PC is a Canadian politician who was the Prime Minister of Canada, as well as leader of the Liberal Party of Canada....
announced two similar naval projects, the Joint Support Ship and the
Amphibious Assault ShipThe Future Canadian Amphibious Assault Ship project is designed to give the Canadian Forces Maritime Command a sealift, mobile command and control platform, amphibious assault capability, and non-combatant evacuation operation...
. The Joint Support Ship was cancelled in August 2008 but apparently not the
Amphibious Assault ShipThe Future Canadian Amphibious Assault Ship project is designed to give the Canadian Forces Maritime Command a sealift, mobile command and control platform, amphibious assault capability, and non-combatant evacuation operation...
. The
Amphibious Assault ShipThe Future Canadian Amphibious Assault Ship project is designed to give the Canadian Forces Maritime Command a sealift, mobile command and control platform, amphibious assault capability, and non-combatant evacuation operation...
will cost approximatively $1B CAD. The ship will carry 16-20 Medium-Lift or 12 Heavy-Lift helicopter,and a possible fighter aircraft (possibly including the new F-35B), land vehicles including Main Battle tanks and light armoured vehicles, and a large contingent of soldiers and their equipment. During peacetime the
Amphibious Assault Ship can be fitted as a hospital and can transport several tons of medicine and food. The
Amphibious Assault ShipThe Future Canadian Amphibious Assault Ship project is designed to give the Canadian Forces Maritime Command a sealift, mobile command and control platform, amphibious assault capability, and non-combatant evacuation operation...
project will be similar to the French-made Mistral class according to Délégation générale pour l’armement(DGA) .
See also
- Joint Task Force 2
Joint Task Force 2 is a Canadian Forces unit responsible for counter-terrorist operations. It was formed on April 13, 1993.J2F2 describes its mission as "rendering armed assistance in the resolution of an incident that is affecting, or has the potential to affect, Canada's national interest." ...
- Canadian Special Operations Regiment
The Canadian Special Operations Regiment is a highly trained, mobile, special forces unit. The mission of the Canadian Special Operations Regiment is two-fold: to provide back-up to Joint Task Force 2 , the Canadian Forces main special operating forces unit; and to provide the CF with a SOF unit...
- Commando
The term commando, in English, means a specific kind of individual soldier or military unit. In contemporary usage, commando usually means élite light infantry and/or special forces units, specialised in amphibious landings, parachuting, rappelling and similar techniques, to conduct and effect...
- Canadian Navy
- CANSOFCOM
External links