Canadian Army Advances Modernization Through Divisional Wargame

Article / May 19, 2026 / National Defence

By: Directorate of Army Public Affairs

The Canadian Army (CA) continues to accelerate its modernization to ensure it can fight and win in an increasingly complex and contested security environment. From 2–13 February 2026, the CA conducted a divisional-level wargame at Canadian Forces Base Kingston to test how a modernized force will operate in high-intensity conflict against a peer adversary.This wargame marks a deliberate progression from brigade-level experimentation in 2025 toward understanding how the Army will generate and employ combat power at the divisional level—the scale required for modern, high-intensity warfare.

At the centre of the wargame was one main question: how can the Canadian Army remain effective, adaptable, and capable of delivering combat power during high‑intensity operations against a peer adversary?  The central challenge explored was how the Army can generate, integrate, and sustain combat power at scale while operating across multiple domains against a capable adversary. Participants examined multiple proposed force employment concepts and looked at how intelligence, fires, engineering, aviation, electronic warfare, sustainment, and operations must evolve to support major combat operations.

“The war game is an essential piece of any planning process,” said Colonel Cedric Aspirault, Director, Army Modernization Team. “We need to be able to test the plan in a neutral environment, where we as planners are not fully and directly involved.”

The wargame also explored how a division shapes the “deep fight”—the area where long‑range fires, sensors, and reconnaissance elements influence the adversary before close combat begins. Planners assessed how well existing and future capabilities fit into joint air and missile defence frameworks. Another major area of study was how to protect and sustain the divisional rear area, including how national and NATO supply systems support ongoing operations.

“The big question overall is what is the best way to integrate all these capabilities at the division level for a [...] war fight,” said LCol Max Riopelle, Commandant of The Royal Regiment of Canadian Artillery School.

Findings from the wargame will directly support development of the CA Warfighting Concept, led by the Canadian Army Land Warfare Centre. The results will also influence a range of supporting concepts, including Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR), Operations in the information environment, Electronic Warfare, Combat Service Support, and indirect fires. Together, these insights ensure the modernization effort remains grounded in real analysis and practical operational requirements.

“The key to [a] division succeeding in [the 2035 pan-domain battlefield] is [the] layering of effects,” said LCol Matt Johns, Commandant of the Royal Canadian Armoured School, “and how the Armoured Corps can play such a crucial role as a battlefield integrator to bring that information together and put the ‘eyes‑on’ for the division to help the [...]commander make those critical decisions to put those resources where they need to be.”

As the Army continues its transition toward a modern force organized around a four-division structure, the data and lessons from this wargame will be essential. In particular, they will inform the development of the Manoeuvre Division, which is building toward being capable of fighting at the division level within a pan-domain operating environment. These insights will help ensure the force is ready for the speed, complexity, and demands of tomorrow’s conflicts.