Support to Operations via the Road to High Readiness

The Canadian Army (CA) prepares soldiers who are well-trained, well-led and well-equipped to support our operational commitments. The CA's ability to be both effective and successful on missions at home and abroad is a testament to the effectiveness of the Road to High Readiness (RtHR) training program, its flagship training regime.

During the RtHR, 3rd Canadian Division (3 Cdn Div) assumes the responsibility for preparing soldiers to be deployed on international and domestic operations. 3 Cdn Div is committed to generating and sustaining an agile, capable force, able to react on short notice. The CA Reserve Force is continually integrated with the Regular Force both in training and operations.

Training is held for all CA Regular and Reserve Force soldiers and officers: including Infantry, Armoured, Combat Engineer, Artillery, Combat Service and Support, Mortars and Influence Activities elements. This enables joint, full spectrum operations in any environment throughout the High Readiness cycle.

The following military training exercises are conducted annually:

• Exercise UNIFIED RESOLVE
• Exercise PRECISE RESPONSE
• Exercise VIRTUAL RAM
• Exercise COUGAR READY
• Exercise ORNERY RAM
• Exercise MAPLE RESOLVE

Following RtHR training, 3 Cdn Div is responsible for CA’s High Readiness commitments. Possible deployments may include:

• Operation REASSURANCE – Poland and Latvia;
• Operation UNIFIER – Ukraine;
• Operation IMPACT – Iraq, Kuwait, Lebanon, and Jordan;
• United States of America-led counter terrorism missions in the Middle East; and,
• United Nations peacekeeping missions throughout Africa.

The ultimate goal of the RtHR training program is to ensure our soldiers are ready to deploy at a moment’s notice. Our One Team - Regular Force, Reserve Force, Canadian Rangers and Civilians - does not deploy anywhere in isolation. Rather, all members of the team do their part to achieve operational excellence at home and abroad.

Recognizing that the CA’s first responsibility is to Canadians at home, whether engaged in High Readiness or not, 3 Cdn Div supports an enduring Immediate Response Unit (IRU) task and other domestic operations:

• Operation LENTUS – IRU response to natural disasters;
• Operation PALACI – winter avalanche control supporting Parks Canada; and,
• Operation NANOOK – up to five deployments each year in YT, NT and NU for Regular and Reserve Force members, supported by Canadian Rangers, to improve coordination with Indigenous, federal and territorial governments, and partner agencies to best respond to safety and security issues in the North.