Editing Operation Megaphone

{{Short description|2000 Canadian naval operation}}
{{Infobox military conflict
| conflict = Operation Megaphone
| date = 30 July 2000 to 6 August 2000
| place = Off the coast of [[Newfoundland and Labrador|Newfoundland]], [[North Atlantic]]
| combatant1 = {{navy|Canada}}
| combatant2 = Third Ocean Marine Navigation Ltd., Maryland, USA (US civilian contractor)
| units1 = {{HMCS|Athabaskan|DDG 282|6}}, {{HMCS|Montréal|FFH 336|6}}
| units2 = GTS ''Katie''
}}

'''Operation Megaphone''' was the [[Canada|Canadian]] naval operation to board a [[Saint Vincent and the Grenadines|Vincentian]]-flagged, [[United States of America|American]]-owned merchant ship in the Atlantic, in order to recover $223 million worth of military [[materiel]] being transported back to Canada at the conclusion of operations in [[Kosovo]].<ref name=cefcom>{{cite web | title=Operation Megaphone | url=http://www.cefcom-comfec.forces.gc.ca/pa-ap/ops/megaphone-eng.asp | publisher=Department of National Defence |accessdate=29 December 2010 }}</ref>

==Background==

At the conclusion of [[Operation Kinetic (1999)|Operation Kinetic]], the Canadian contribution to a [[NATO]] peacekeeping force in Kosovo and [[Republic of Macedonia|Macedonia]], the [[Department of National Defence (Canada)|Department of National Defence]] contracted [[SDV Logistics Canada Ltd]] to transport military assets, including 580 vehicles, 390 sea containers of equipment and three Canadian soldiers who were escorting the cargo.<ref name=cefcom/>

SDV Logistics subcontracted [[Andromeda Navigation Co.]] of Montreal, which chartered a [[Saint Vincent and the Grenadines|St Vincent]]-flagged ship, GTS ''Katie''  (owned by Annapolis, Maryland-based Third Ocean Marine Navigation Company), to move the cargo.

The vessel was scheduled to leave Greece on 27 June 2000 and was to arrive in Canada on 15 July.  Three Canadian military personnel were also on board the ship to escort the cargo, which included five armoured vehicles, rifles, ammunition, and communications equipment.<ref name=ind>{{cite news |title=Canadian navy boards ship carrying military supplies |agency=Associated Press |newspaper=The Independent |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/canadian-navy-boards-ship-carrying-military-supplies-711281.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220524/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/canadian-navy-boards-ship-carrying-military-supplies-711281.html |archive-date=2022-05-24 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live | location=London |date=4 August 2000 |accessdate=29 December 2010}}</ref>

Prior to leaving Greece, three crew members had complained to authorities there, and the ship was restrained.  Though it was not clear why the crew members complained, the ship was allowed to sail on 28 June after posting a US$30,000 bond.<ref name=cbc2>{{cite web |title=Katie was arrested before |work=CBC News |date=28 August 2000 | url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/katie-was-arrested-before-1.210194 | access-date=29 December 2010 }}</ref>

During the voyage, a dispute between the various contracting parties arose over payments due, and Third Ocean claimed that $288,000 remained outstanding from Andromeda.  As a result of the dispute, Third Ocean ordered the Russian captain of ''Katie'', [[Vitaly Khlebnikov]], not to enter Canadian waters.

==Boarding==

Negotiations continued between the Canadian government and the shippers, however an ultimatum was given and the three contractors failed to reach an agreement by a certain deadline, according to [[Art Eggleton]], then the Minister of National Defence.<ref name=cbc>{{cite web |title=GTA Katie puts in to Quebec | url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/gts-katie-putts-into-quebec-1.218428 |work=CBC News |date=10 August 2000 | access-date=29 December 2010}}</ref>

A diplomatic note was sent to the government of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, where the ship was registered, who authorized Canadians to board the vessel.<ref name=cefcom/><ref name=ind/>

On 30 July, the destroyer {{HMCS|Athabaskan|DDG 282|6}} received orders to close with ''Katie'' about 225 kilometres off Newfoundland, in international waters, and maintain visual contact with her.<ref name=cefcom/><ref name=ind/>  The following day, the frigate {{HMCS|Montréal|FFH 336|6}} joined ''Athabaskan''.

At 1:45 pm on 3 August, fourteen sailors boarded ''Katie'' in a helicopter-borne assault from a [[Sikorsky CH-124 Sea King|Sea King]], led by [[Captain (naval)|Captain]] [[Drew Robertson]], during which the crew of ''Katie'' offered no resistance.<ref name=cefcom/><ref name=ind/>  Captain Khlebnikov would later complain the boarding of the ship was "dangerous" and described the boarding as an "attack", although Captain Robertson had observed that ''Katie'' began erratic, evasive manoeuvering after being warned of the imminent boarding.<ref name=ind/><ref name=cbc3>{{cite web | title=GTS Katie Standoff Ends | url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/g-t-s-katie-standoff-ends-1.232542 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121108160437/http://www.cbc.ca/news/story/2000/08/03/ns_katie000803.html | url-status=live | archive-date=November 8, 2012 | work=CBC News |date=3 August 2000 | access-date=29 December 2010 }}</ref>

Defence Minister Eggleton described the action as "fully within the bounds of international law."<ref name=cbc3/>

==Aftermath==

''Katie'' arrived in Becancourt, Quebec, on 6 August under the control of the Canadian boarding party.  Some of the cargo, including explosives, were removed at Becancourt, before the ship was brought further up the [[St Lawrence River]] to [[Montreal]] where the armoured and other military vehicles were unloaded.<ref name=cefcom/><ref name=cbc/>

Third Ocean filed an action ''[[In rem jurisdiction|in rem]]'' against the Canadian government, who owned the freight, on 27 July 2000, in the [[Federal Court of Canada]], including a warrant for arrest of the freight.  The matter was heard on 18 September, after the ship had already been seized by the Canadian navy.  The court quashed the warrant and dismissed the action, on the basis of the immunity of the Crown, under the ''Crown Liability and Proceedings Act''.<ref name=canlii>{{cite web |title=Third Ocean Marine Navigation Co., Llc v. Gts Katie (The), 2000 CanLII 16327 (F.C.) |url=http://www.canlii.org/en/ca/fct/doc/2000/2000canlii16327/2000canlii16327.html | work=CanLII |publisher=Canadian Legal Information Institute |date=23 October 2000 | accessdate=29 December 2010 }}</ref>

The Canadian Navy contracted ''Katie''&nbsp;– and routinely contracts cargo ships&nbsp;– because it has no sea transport capability.<ref name=ind/>  The [[Canadian Forces]] have since then acquired four [[CC-177 Globemaster III]] strategic airlift cargo aircraft, each capable of carrying a payload of up to 72,000&nbsp;kg, which were delivered in 2007.  In 2010, shipbuilding was identified as a key procurement priority by the Canadian Forces, outlined in its ''[[Canada First Defence Strategy]]''.<ref name=dnd>{{cite web | title=Canada's National Shipbuilding Strategy | url=http://www.forces.gc.ca/site/pri/2/ship-navale-eng.asp | work=Department of National Defence |date=13 October 2010 | accessdate=29 December 2010}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*{{cite AV media |first=Jared |last=Samuelson |others=Norm Jolin, Ian Parker, [[Drew Robertson]] |date=18 May 2020 |title=Sea Control 174 - Operation Megaphone |trans-title= |medium=podcast |language=English |url=http://cimsec.org/sea-control-174-operation-megaphone/43659 |access-date= |format= |time= |location= |publisher=[[Center for International Maritime Security]] |id= |isbn= |oclc= |quote= |ref= }}

[[Category:Non-combat military operations involving Canada|Megaphone]]
[[Category:Military history of Newfoundland and Labrador]]
[[Category:2000 in Newfoundland and Labrador]]
[[Category:July 2000 in Canada]]
[[Category:August 2000 in Canada]]