The U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Navy, and Royal Canadian navy signed a five-year strategic plan Tuesday, laying the foundation for future coordination and joint operations.
Vice Adm. Linda Fagan, commander Coast Guard Pacific Area; Vice Adm. Scott D. Conn, commander Navy Third Fleet; Royal Canadian Navy Rear Adm. Bob Auchterlonie, commander Maritime Forces Pacific; and a small delegation of their staffs participated in a Three-Party Staff Talks (TPST) meeting via videoconference which culminated in the signing of the strategic plan.
“Whether it’s combating criminal activity by international drug cartels in the eastern pacific, or strengthening maritime governance and the rule of law to ensure a free and open Indo-Pacific, we rely on our Navy and Canadian partners to maximize success,” said Fagan. “This strategic plan improves interoperability and coordination across our sea services, allowing us to more effectively secure our countries’ shared maritime safety, security, and economic interests.”
Staff from the three services collaborated in February ahead of Tuesday’s TPST during a multi-day working group where the teams focused on joint operations, exercise planning, and communications.
The TPST meetings and working groups provide a face-to-face forum for discussions and planning opportunities for improving defense readiness, homeland security, fisheries enforcement, counter-drug law enforcement, and search-and-rescue operations between the services.
“We routinely operate together across many different mission sets,” said Conn. “However, we are always looking at ways to improve our interoperability and strengthen our partnership. Our staff talks provide a valuable forum to discuss and plan how we will continue working together to defend the homeland while ensuring a secure and stable maritime environment.”
