Operation LENTUS: Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) contingency plan
January 1st, 2018CAF response to forest fires, floods, and natural disasters in Canada
Operation LENTUS is the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) contingency plan that outlines the joint response to provide support for Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Response (HADR) to provincial and territorial authorities in the case of a major natural disaster that overwhelms their capacity to respond.
Support to civilian authorities during a crisis such as a natural disaster is one of the six core missions of the CAF identified in the Canada First Defence Strategy.
The objectives of Op LENTUS are:
- to provide assistance to provincial and territorial authorities;
- to provide timely and relevant response to a disaster relief operation; and
- to stabilize the natural disaster situation.
The task force
Operation LENTUS can draw personnel and assets from across Canada, and may be drawn from any or all of the primary force-generators of the Canadian Armed Forces:
- the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN);
- the Canadian Army; and
- the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF).
In addition, specialized abilities such as engineering, health services, force protection, transport, aviation or logistics may also be employed.
Once tasked, Canadian Joint Operations Command coordinates the personnel, vehicles, equipment, crews and aircraft to be employed in the region affected by the disaster, in coordination with the respective regional joint task force.