Operation REASSURANCE: Canada's NATO mission explained

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Tuesday announced that Canada would deploy an additional 460 Canadian Armed Forces troops to Latvia as part of Operation REASSURANCE to “reinforce” Canada’s commitment to NATO, as tensions between Russia and the West over Ukraine reach new heights.

This comes after Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that his government would be recognizing the separatist-controlled regions of Eastern Ukraine as independent states. Russia has also moved its troops into these regions.

Here's what you need to know about Canada's troop commitments and NATO contributions.

WHAT IS OPERATION REASSURANCE?

Operation REASSURANCE refers to Canada's NATO commitments in Central and Eastern Europe, maintaining a military presence in the region to help with training and exercises as well as acting as a deterrent against threats.

In the skies, Canada conducts air policing missions with its CF-18 Hornet fighter jets, as well as surveillance and training. At sea, Canadian frigates perform routine patrols in the Mediterranean and Black Seas.

The first air, land and maritime task forces were sent to the region as a part of the operation in 2014, in response to the Russian annexation of the Crimean Peninsula.

In 2016, NATO members agreed to expand their military presence in this region and establish four multinational battlegroups based in Estonia, Lithuania, Poland and Latvia. The battlegroups are each led by the U.K., Germany, the U.S. and Canada, respectively.

HOW MANY TROOPS HAVE BEEN DEPLOYED ALREADY?

The Department of Defence says at any time, there can be up to 915 Canadian troops deployed for Operation REASSURANCE.

In 2017, 540 members of the Canadian Armed Forces were deployed to a base near Riga, Latvia to establish the multinational battlegroup. The Latvian deployment is the largest deployment of Canadian troops in Europe and was renewed in 2018 for another four years to March 2023.

The size of the Canadian-led battlegroup is around 1,400 troops and includes soldiers from Spain, Poland, Italy, Slovakia, Czechia, Slovenia, Albania and Montenegro.

At sea, approximately 240 sailors aboard the HMCS Montreal have been operating in the NATO Maritime Command since the ship departed Halifax last January. Prior to that, the HMCS Fredericton was deployed between July and December 2021. Eight different ships over 15 deployments have contributed to the operation.

As part of the operation's Air Task Force, 140 Canadian air personnel along with six CF-18 jets had been deployed for NATO air policing missions in Romania between September and December 2021.

HOW MANY TROOPS WILL CANADA DEPLOY IN THE FUTURE?

For the deployment of 460 troops that was announced on Tuesday, Defence Minister Anita Anand told reporters that an artillery battery of "about 120 people" will be the first to deploy to Latvia. These soldiers will be drawn from bases across Canada and are set to deploy in 30 days for approximately six weeks.

The HMCS Halifax, which has a crew capacity of approximately 250 people, will also be heading to Europe as a part of the operation "towards the last part of March," Anand said.

Finally, Canada is also sending a CP-140 Aurora aircraft, used for anti-submarine maritime patrols and surveillance.