NOME, Alaska — The Royal Canadian Air Force provided strategic airlift in support of Operation TUNDRA MERLIN, transporting a U.S. Army M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System, Soldiers and supporting equipment into and out of the Alaskan theater of operations.
On Jul. 31, a Royal Canadian Air Force CC-177 Globemaster III transported the HIMARS from Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington, to Nome, Alaska, supporting the deployment of the 17th Field Artillery Brigade, I Corps. En route, the aircraft landed at Fort Wainwright, Alaska, to embark Soldiers assigned to the 1st Battalion, 5th Infantry Regiment, 1st Mobile Brigade Combat Team (Air Assault), 11th Airborne Division, who also participated in the operation.
Following completion of the operation, the Royal Canadian Air Force returned to Nome on Aug. 10 & 11 to redeploy the HIMARS and participating U.S. Army Soldiers to their home stations.
“Operations in the Arctic demand close cooperation between trusted partners and allies,” said Brigadier-General Cedric Aspirault, Director General Operations, Canadian Joint Operations Command. “The rapid deployment and recovery of U.S. Army capabilities aboard a Royal Canadian Air Force aircraft demonstrates how Canadian and American forces routinely operate together to strengthen awareness, readiness, and defence across North America's northern approaches.”
The mission demonstrated the ability of U.S. and Canadian forces to rapidly project, sustain and redeploy combat power across the Arctic through integrated logistics and strategic airlift. The operation reinforced the interoperability of the two nations while validating their ability to operate together in austere, remote environments in support of homeland defense.
Operation TUNDRA MERLIN integrates assigned forces to enhance homeland defense, strengthen domain awareness and validate the ability to rapidly employ combat power throughout the Alaskan theater of operations.