https://declassified.library.utoronto.ca/files/original/cd22bdbd729be4819a3f135e6f82bbb1.pdf 62fca025f2831452c88ddd8a859e3560 PDF Text Text •- Document disclosed under the Access to Information Act Document divulgue en vertu de la Loi sur /'acces ii /'information SECRET CANADIAN EYESONLY ; CHIEF OFFICE OF THE OF THE Ol!FENCE CABINET STAf'!'F CHEF OU OE L'ETAT•MAJOR OE LA DEFENSE CANADA V 2200-12 (DIPlans) / February, 1971 The Minister CANADIAN FORCE COMMITMENTS TONATO EUROPE INCLUDING THEAIR/SEATRANSPORTABLE COMBAT GROUP TOAFNORTH 1. Please refer to your memorandum of 12 January, l971 requesting an explanation of events leading to the current commitmentof Canadian forces in Europe. ,,. 2. Whi1e the Cabinet deci s i ans of 15 and 20 May, 1969 reflect that the Canadian land force element in Europe would be assigned for employment with the Allied Command Europe Mobile Force (Land) in NATO,it was recognized that further consultation and negotiation would be required to reach agreement with NATO authorities as to the changes proposed. The Cabinet decision of 20 May, 1969 reflected this in paragraph c: If after consultation with NATO,modifications to the planned posture as agreed to above are strongly desired by NATO,then the suggested modification or modifi cations wi11 be referred to Cabinet for further discussion and dec1s1on.11 11 I ..._ii 3. There are two further Cabinet decisions dea~)ingspecifically this matter. These follow in paragraphs 4 and 5. 4. with On 24 July, 1969 the Cabinet decisions rec0rd: a. noted that the Minister of National Defence would try to expedite negotiations with SACEUR and report to the Cabinet as early as possibly, hopefully within a fortnight; b. agreed that the Secretary of ,State for External Affairs would inform the Canadian Ambassadorto NATO that the ·final details of the Canadian position with regard to NATO would need to receive Cabinet clearance at the latest by September 15, 1969. 11 11 ... /2 SECRET CANADIAN .EYESONLY 000002 �Document disclosed under the Access to Information Act Document divulgue en vertu de la Loi sur /'acces ii /'information SECRET CANADIAN.EYES ONLY _. 2 - 5. The record of Cabinet Decision for the meeting of 13 August, 1969, (subsequently amendedon 20 August and pub1i shed on 25 August) . records the fol lowing Cabinet Decision: I/ Ila• a reduction of the present land force by one-half, with the reduced force to continue to use present equipment until new light force equipment becomes available in two to three years time; b. that the interim land force ·reduction be completed at the latest by the 30th June, 1970; c. the total of the Canadian Forces Europe, including NATO staffs, to be approximately 5,000 as of June 30th, 1970 and that there be a further reduction at a 1ater •s ta.ge to. a force 1eve1 ·of· approximately 4,400; d. that two strike and one reconnaissance squadrons be retained until 1972; with 54 CF 104 aircraft, comprising three squadrons of 12, four dual control trainers and fourteen aircraft to be mannedoh a fly-over basis from ~old Lake. The Cabinet also agreed that Canadawould be out of the • nuclear strike role completely by 1972~ and .that the reconnaissance ·role for Canadian aircraft would be reexamined in the interim before 1972. 11 6. These Cabinet Decisions of 24 July, and 13 August as subsequently amendedon 20 August and published on 25 August, 1969, indicate.that the MND was referring back to Cabinet in accordance with paragraph c. of the 20 MayCabinet Decision during this period when negotiations were being conducted with SACEUR. • 7. On 5 September, 1969 message MND 18 informed SACEUR of the Canadian intention to accept a c·ommitmentfor the Canadian land force based in Europe to be employed in the Central Region. Also, Canada ·would continue the commitmentof an air/sea transportable brigade group (now called CombatGroup) based in Canada and earmarked for assignment as reinforcement forces for the Northern Flank (AFNORTH). These commitmentswere publicly announcedby the MND in his statement of 19 September, 1969 in a press conference i~ Ottawa. ·The statement was considered by Cabinet on 11 September. A copy of this statement is.attached at AnnexA. • .../' SECRET CANADIAN EYESONLY 000003 �r. Document disclosed under the Access to Information Act Document divulgue en vertu de la Loi sur /'acces ii /'information • SECRET CANADIAN EYESONLY - 3 - 8. The Canadian reply to DPQ(69)which represents the formal commitmentby a NATO memberfor one year with the proposed plan for the following four years reads in part: "The interim land element will be a mechanized battle group of approximately 2,800 personnel with an operational role in the Central ArmyGroup area." "Canadawi11 continue to retain the commitmentto provi de from forces in Canada an air/sea transportable brigade group to reinforce the NATO Northern Flank in an emergency. A battalion group, which is part of this brigade group, will continue to be assigned to ACEMobile Force North. A similar commitmentof a battalion group to NATO'ssouthern flank will be discontinued on l January, 1970." 9. The Canadian reply to DPQ(7)forwarded to NATO in August 1970 repeated our commitmentto ACEMobile Force North and went on to say: "The Canadian Forces located in Europe consist of a land element of a mechanized battle group, and an air element of three squadrons of CF 104 aircraft, two in the strike/attack role and one in the reconnaissance/attack role. The land force will retain an operational role in Northern ArmyGroup until l October, 1970, when it will commencerelocating to the Lahr-Baden Soellingen area. The formation will be operational in its new role in Central ArmyGroup effective l December, 1970. The battle group will not be equipped with nuclear weapons. Based on development and equipment procurement schedules, Canada plans for the post-1973 period, to restructure and reequip the land element in Europe as a light air movable force of approximately the same size as the present mechanized battle group. The ( air componentwill remain earmarked for assignment to the nuclear strike role until l January, 1972. For the post-1972 period Canada plans to convert the air element to a non-nuclear air support role." 10. Subsequent to forwarding DPQ(69)and the MND statement of 19 September, 1969, the MND at the DPCMinisterial Session in Brussels on 3 December, 1969 re-affirmed the Canadian position. An extract from Record of DPCMinisterial Session dated 3 December, 1969 by Mr. Cadieux is at AnnexB, attached. F.1.1fk~~ General Chief of the Defence Staff Attach: AnnexA AnnexB SECRET CANADIAN,EYES ONLY 000004 � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context CDNW18650 Title A name given to the resource "Canadian Force Commitments to NATO Europe including the Air/Sea Transportable Combat Group to AFNORTH Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource February 1, 1971 Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived RG24, Acc. 1997-98/050, Box 1, File Title: White Paper (February 1-11, 1971)