The Royal Canadian Navy Deputy Commander in December 2015 ordered the creation of a new naval unit that would enhance RCN Force Protection (FP).
Under Maritime Forces Pacific as supporting Commander, the Commander of the Naval Reserve (NAVRES) was mandated to work on the development of this new One-Navy Special Team dedicated to FP activities initially called the Naval Combat Support Unit (NCSU).
This new unit is now to be manned by naval reservists who will be provided with a broader requirement for readiness training as the force generation of a new skill set among their members will be directly translated into deployments on exercises and missions abroad.
Cdr Jeff White, appointed Officer in Charge of the NCSU Development Team (DevTeam), gathered a small team and set to work immediately following the publication of the Deputy Commander RCN development mandate.
In broad terms, NCSU is being developed in response to the absence in the RCN of a deployable self-sustaining littoral security unit that can address the implementation of FP measures in support of navy ships and personnel in any environment abroad or domestically.
Maritime assets may be in transit, berthed or at anchor, may be shore or offshore facilities and infrastructures, and may be Canadian military or non-military personnel, assets or those of allies or a host nation. The NCSU will also be trained and capable of responding to accidents, civil disorders, and natural disasters, as all such events can and do affect operations, and consequently, the Canadian Armed Forces.
NAVRES participants are staffing positions this year in exercises like ICMCMEX in the Middle East, RIMPAC in Hawaii, and Tradewinds in Jamaica, as part of this research and development endeavor.