Agreement signed between the British Royal Navy and the Canadian Coast Guard on Arctic cooperation, training

The Canadian Coast Guard on Friday signed an agreement with the British Royal Navy to train its sailors on Arctic icebreakers in Canada’s Far North.

The MoU follows a 2020 agreement between the two NATO nations that saw officers from Britain’s HMS Protector train aboard a coastguard ship.

The Canadians will work with British sailors in the freezing northern waters to break up the ice caps while exchanging information with their Royal Navy counterparts.

The British High Commission in Ottawa announced the new agreement on behalf of the Royal Navy and the Coast Guard.

The statement said Canada operates a fleet of about 20 icebreakers that help break ice, keep frozen sea lanes open and assist other ships in adverse waters.

Britain has a renewed interest in the Arctic region and has trained with the Norwegian Navy every year.

“Sharing the vast experience and expertise of the Canadian Coast Guard will mean that British sailors will be better equipped when they sail to the frozen region,” the Royal Navy statement said.

Mario Pelletier, the Commissioner of the Coast Guard, said in the statement that Canadians would benefit from “the operational experience and expertise of the Royal Navy.”

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