Naval Tactical Operations Group
- An NTOG team conducts enhanced boarding party training.
- NTOG members from HMCS Fredericton participate in a multi-national boarding exercise with NATO ships' boarding teams from Spain and Morocco during Operation REASSURANCE in 2016.
- NTOG team members during an onboard training session.
- Members of the NTOG hone their close quarter battle skills onboard while deployed on Operation REASSURANCE in November 2018.
- Members of the Naval Tactical Operations Group (NTOG) conduct rappel training on HMCS Toronto during Operation REASSURANCE, February 2019.
- An NTOG member conducts proficiency training onboard HMCS Ville de Quebec during TRIDENT JUNCTURE 18, while deployed on Operation REASSURANCE in October 2018.
- NTOG teams train continually to hone their skills. An NTOG team trains onboard HMCS Ville de Quebec while deployed on Operation REASSURANCE in 2018.
- NTOG members conduct proficiency training onboard HMCS Ville de Quebec in October 2018.
- An NTOG member conducts close quarter battle training onboard HMCS Ville de Quebec during Exercise Trident Juncture 18, while deployed on Operation REASSURANCE in November 2018.
- An NTOG team member trains while at sea in 2018.
- NTOG members train continually to maintain and hone the enhanced skillset they bring when deployed to support Royal Canadian Navy assets and personnel, at home in Canada and around the world.
- NTOG team members conduct rappel training on HMCS Toronto during Operation REASSURANCE, February 6, 2019.
- An NTOG member onboard HMCS Toronto take part in rappel training during Operation REASSURANCE, February 6, 2019.
- A member HMCS Ville de Quebec’s Naval Tactical Operations Group team repels from the flag deck during a training session while sailing in the Trondheim Fjord during TRIDENT JUNCTURE on October 30, 2018.
- A member of the Naval Tactical Operations Group participates in boarding party training on board HMCS Toronto during Operation REASSURANCE, in January 2019.
- A member HMCS Ville de Quebec’s Naval Tactical Operations Group team rapells from the flag deck in a training session during TRIDENT JUNCTURE in 2018.
- NTOG members from HMCS Fredericton participate in a multi-national boarding exercise with NATO ships' boarding teams from Spain and Morocco during Operation REASSURANCE in 2016.
- Rappelling is part of the skillset that NTOG members bring when deployed on Royal Canadian Navy ships. Here, an NTOG team member practices the skill.
- A member of the NTOG waits his turn to conduct close quarter battle training onboard HMCS Ville de Quebec during TRIDENT JUNCTURE 18, a training event that took place while deployed on Operation REASSURANCE in November 2018.
An NTOG team conducts enhanced boarding party training.
NTOG members from HMCS Fredericton participate in a multi-national boarding exercise with NATO ships' boarding teams from Spain and Morocco during Operation REASSURANCE in 2016.
NTOG team members during an onboard training session.
Members of the NTOG hone their close quarter battle skills onboard while deployed on Operation REASSURANCE in November 2018.
Members of the Naval Tactical Operations Group (NTOG) conduct rappel training on HMCS Toronto during Operation REASSURANCE, February 2019.
An NTOG member conducts proficiency training onboard HMCS Ville de Quebec during TRIDENT JUNCTURE 18, while deployed on Operation REASSURANCE in October 2018.
NTOG teams train continually to hone their skills. An NTOG team trains onboard HMCS Ville de Quebec while deployed on Operation REASSURANCE in 2018.
NTOG members conduct proficiency training onboard HMCS Ville de Quebec in October 2018.
An NTOG member conducts close quarter battle training onboard HMCS Ville de Quebec during Exercise Trident Juncture 18, while deployed on Operation REASSURANCE in November 2018.
An NTOG team member trains while at sea in 2018.
NTOG members train continually to maintain and hone the enhanced skillset they bring when deployed to support Royal Canadian Navy assets and personnel, at home in Canada and around the world.
NTOG team members conduct rappel training on HMCS Toronto during Operation REASSURANCE, February 6, 2019.
An NTOG member onboard HMCS Toronto take part in rappel training during Operation REASSURANCE, February 6, 2019.
A member HMCS Ville de Quebec’s Naval Tactical Operations Group team repels from the flag deck during a training session while sailing in the Trondheim Fjord during TRIDENT JUNCTURE on October 30, 2018.
A member of the Naval Tactical Operations Group participates in boarding party training on board HMCS Toronto during Operation REASSURANCE, in January 2019.
A member HMCS Ville de Quebec’s Naval Tactical Operations Group team rapells from the flag deck in a training session during TRIDENT JUNCTURE in 2018.
NTOG members from HMCS Fredericton participate in a multi-national boarding exercise with NATO ships' boarding teams from Spain and Morocco during Operation REASSURANCE in 2016.
Rappelling is part of the skillset that NTOG members bring when deployed on Royal Canadian Navy ships. Here, an NTOG team member practices the skill.
A member of the NTOG waits his turn to conduct close quarter battle training onboard HMCS Ville de Quebec during TRIDENT JUNCTURE 18, a training event that took place while deployed on Operation REASSURANCE in November 2018.
The Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) relies on various groups and units within its organization to ensure that its ships and personnel are protected, both at home in Canada and around the world.
One such group is the Naval Tactical Operations Group (NTOG), a full-time, dedicated unit within the RCN that specializes in advanced boarding operations at sea. This includes intercepting suspect vessels in order to prevent the movement of illicit cargo and materiel at sea, called maritime interdiction operations, and protecting Navy ships, infrastructure and personnel all over the world, known as force protection.
In addition to working domestically with other government departments and Canadian Armed Forces units, NTOG team members also deploy globally to assist Canada’s international security partners build their capabilities, in support of the Government of Canada’s Strong, Secure, Engaged Defence Policy.
Relationship with a ship’s company
Traditionally, naval boarding parties are made up of regular members of an RCN ship’s crew who perform the task as a secondary duty. These boarding parties are used to investigate typical vessels of interest, such as merchant ships, in support of Government of Canada and NATO missions.
When an NTOG team is deployed, it augments a ship’s company for a specific mission or period of time. The NTOG team enhances a ship’s ability to conduct interdiction operations that might have a higher than usual risk and to provide a more robust force protection capability during high-threat transits or port visits.
It also provides the ship with additional security and planning capabilities during evacuations of civilian non-combatants, and humanitarian assistance and disaster relief missions.
Operations
Since its inception in 2014, NTOG teams have supported RCN ships and personnel all over the world. Recent operations and exercises that NTOG teams have supported include:
- Op ARTEMIS – As of April 2019, an NTOG team has been attached to HMCS Regina, which is part of a Canadian-led, multinational maritime task force that is patrolling the Arabian Sea region, disrupting illicit drug trafficking and keeping the seas safe.
- Op REASSURANCE – Teams have deployed nine times to support this operation.
- From January to March 2019, an NTOG team of 10 personnel provided HMCS Toronto with the enhanced capacity to conduct interdiction operations at sea. The team also trained with the Spanish Marine Infantry and trained Toronto’s boarding team.
- Op PROJECTION - West Africa – In 2018 and 2019, two NTOG teams participated in training events supporting this operation.
- OBANGAME EXPRESS – As part of Op PROJECTION (West Africa), in 2019, NTOG Teams participated in joint training events in Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire.
- Op EDIFICE - Tunisia – Throughout February 2019, an NTOG team was in Bizerte, Tunisia to work with that country’s 51st and 52nd Regiments Commandos Marin. This was the third year that NTOG had a team in Tunisia to support Op EDIFICE.
- TRADEWINDS – Over the past several years, NTOG teams conducted joint training events with a number of southern nations including, but not limited to the United States, Mexico, and the Dominican Republic.
Structure
NTOG Headquarters is located at Canadian Forces Base Esquimalt (Albert Head), B.C., and reports directly to the Commander Canadian Fleet Pacific. The headquarters is augmented by the East Coast Detachment, located at Her Majesty’s Canadian Dockyard Halifax.
The unit consists of approximately 50 personnel, located on both coasts, and made up of sailors from both the Regular Force and Naval Reserve.
