Our podcast regularly features senior leaders across branches of the military. Today's guest is Captain Sheldon Gillis of the Royal Canadian Navy.

Captain Gillis is currently serving as the Deputy Fleet Commander of Maritime Forces Atlantic, otherwise known as the Canadian Fleet Atlantic.

Captain Gillis recently served as the Naval Task Group Commander for Operation Nanook 2022, where he led a multinational flotilla which was focused on northern and Arctic operations.

The Arctic region of Canada encompasses over 40% of total land mass and 75% of national coastline. From a continental defence perspective, the Arctic is of great importance to Canada and therefore to the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) as the region yields the shortest route for ballistic missiles, strategic bombers and cruise weapons to reach populated areas of North America. 

Operation Nanook consists of four yearly sovereignty and military deployments in the Arctic, and serves to strengthen the Canadian Armed Force's (CAF) knowledge of the Arctic, and hone its ability to operate there. The Operation also allows the CAF to work hand-in-hand with other Arctic nations and key non-Arctic Allies and partners in combined activities to ensure the region remains a low tension zone of global cooperation where the rules-based international order is preserved.

Our discussion focuses on the deployment and on the new Arctic and Offshore Patrol Vessels (also known as the Arctic and Offshore Patrol Ships) which are entering service with the Canadian Navy. We discuss the utility of the ships, the ways they are being employed, and the potential for future enhancements. 

We also discuss the high North and the Arctic as an important region to Canada, and as an area that is of growing interest to adversaries like Russia and even China.

So important is the Arctic that NATO’s new Strategic Concept identifies Russia’s capabilities in the High North as a strategic challenge for the whole Alliance

We thank Captain Gillis for his insight on the new AOPV ships, and for his perspective on the incredibly important region that is the high North and the Arctic.

Go Bold!