The Office of Supply Chain Management, through FSDH, coordinated a tactical airlift with the support from the Government of Canada. The Tactical Airlift Detachment (TAL DET) arrived in Entebbe on 10 February 2024, under a Letter of Assist (LOA), a contractual document between the United Nations and Member States.

Consisting of a Royal Canadian Air Force CC-130J Hercules aircraft, operated and supported by 19 Canadian Armed Forces members, the TAL DET deployed for two weeks until 24 February to assist with transporting cargo to the UN Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) and the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS). As Captain Cody Hartwick summarized, “We worked together as a team, moving roughly 60,000 kilograms of cargo, six ablution containers amongst tons of other freight and cargo”.

The TAL DET kicked off their deployment at the RSCE on 12 February with a series of aviation security and safety briefings, after which, the staff proceeded to the airside for aircraft inspection. The next day, TAL DET conducted their first flight in support of UNMISS out of Entebbe. “It’s been great. The strong relationships and partnerships formed at the RSCE ensured mission success throughout the two weeks here… Everyone's so friendly, smiling all the time and just welcoming,” said Cody Hartwick, Captain of the TALDET.

Canada is supporting UN peacekeeping missions in Africa by providing innovative contributions and addressing critical capability gaps. This includes ensuring the UN has reliable and predictable access to high-end military capabilities required to support sustainable peace and security in areas affected by conflict. The TAL DET has been deployed twice before to support FSDH with regional cargo under the LOA – in August and October 2023. Regarding future plans, Captain Cody Hartwick assured, “we will be back in April, helping execute UN missions in the area.”

FSDH is an integral component of the Office of Supply Chain Management (OSCM), reporting to the Director Logistics Division, and is a tenant unit in RSCE located in Entebbe. Established in 2021, its mandate is to support field missions’ cargo transportation requirements for United Nations Owned Equipment.

Link to the video: Canada provides tactical airlift support to UN missions in Africa