Exercises and Operations

Exercise GUERRIER NORDIQUE is an annual winter training exercise conducted to confirm the capability of Joint Task Force East to operate in Canada’s North. In order to maximize the pertinence of the exercise, members of the task force train in a number of different areas across northern Quebec in all conditions.

Ex GUERRIER NORDIQUE also prepares Regular and Reserve Force personnel to react to national emergencies. Members train to aid civil power in times of crisis and react to natural disasters that may occur in the arctic environment. Ex GUERRIER NORDIQUE is part of the continued training that develops and maintains Joint Task Force East’s capability to deploy in the North.

Exercise RÉACTION ROYALE is an annual autumnal training in which the senior staff of 2nd Canadian Division practices coordination with other governmental organizations, both federal and provincial, such as the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, the Sûreté du Québec, Public Safety Canada, and Canada Border Services Agency.

The exercise simulates a complex international situation that develops in multiple phases. Central coordination for the exercise is provided by 2nd Canadian Division and involves training of the Headquarters of Joint Task Force East, a combat control team from the Primary Reserve, and the validation of command post capability for a territorial battalion group.

Exercise CASTOR MÉCANISÉ provides yearly autumnal battle task standards training for members of 2e Battalion, Royal 22e Régiment that is aimed at confirming their operational capabilities. The exercise comprises a wide spectrum of tactical activities including offensive, defensive, enabling, and stability operations.

Ex CASTOR MÉCANISÉ activities occur on the ranges and training areas of 2nd Canadian Division Support Base Valcartier, and are progressive, culminating with company level live-fire training in realistic scenarios.

Exercise SAPEUR ENDURCI and Exercise SAPEUR POLAIRE ensure that soldiers of 34 Combat Engineer Regiment meet battle task standards for combat engineers and take place in the region of Rouyn-Noranda every winter. They are an opportunity for participants to practice the use of explosives and engineering equipment for mobility operations.

Taking place on public property around Duprat, Quebec, these exercised are also an opportunity to practice basic combat engineer skills while operating in a winter environment. This includes practicing different breaching techniques, notably mechanical, explosive and ballistic breaching. Members also have the opportunity to practice building landing zones on frozen lakes. These capabilities are essential for winter and Arctic operations.

Exercise SYNERGIE ROYALE is a preparatory exercise for the Headquarters of Joint Task Force East to develop the capability to manage national-level operations in a degraded command and communication environment. It takes place annually in October at 2nd Canadian Division Support Base in Montreal, QC.

Centred on developing the operational planning process within the division, Ex SYNERGIE ROYALE gives the senior staff an opportunity to practice setting up and controlling an operations center and to polish their operational planning skills so that they have the capacity to control large scale situations if the need arises.

Exercise PATRICIA WOLVERINE is the annual large-scale exercise for First Battalion Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry (1 PPCLI). It takes place at the 3rd Canadian Division Training Centre in Wainwright, AB during the month of October. The battalion practices both mounted and dismounted operations, working on leadership and tactical skills at the section and platoon levels.

During Ex PATRICIA WOLVERINE, 1 PPCLI also works on tasks specific to upcoming missions and conducts live-fire training at the platoon level. 1 PPCLI soldiers practice these mission-specific tasks so they have the capabilities and soldier skills needed for operational success.

Exercise KAPYONG SPADE is the annual large-scale exercise for Second Battalion Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry (2 PPCLI). It takes place at the 3rd Canadian Division Training Centre in Shilo, Manitioba during the month of October. Members of the battalion practice their leadership and tactical skills at the section and platoon levels through realistic scenarios and live-fire ranges.

During Ex KAPYONG SPADE, 2 PPCLI also works on tasks specific to upcoming missions and conducts live-fire training at the platoon level. Practicing mission-specific tasks ensure 2 PPCLI has the capabilities and soldier skills needed for operational success.

Exercise APOLLO MIGHT is the large-scale exercise for Third Battalion Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry (3 PPCLI). It takes place at the 3rd Canadian Division Training Centre in Wainwright, AB annually during the month of October. This exercise focuses on dismounted training, and sometimes involves the battalion’s mountain and airborne capabilities.

During Ex APOLLO MIGHT, 3 PPCLI also works on tasks specific to upcoming missions and conducts live-fire training at the platoon level. Practicing mission-specific tasks ensures 3 PPCLI has the capabilities and soldier skills needed for operational success

Exercise ASCENDING SAPPER is the large-scale exercise for 1 Combat Engineer Regiment (1 CER). It takes place annually at the 3rd Canadian Division Training Centre in Wainwright, AB over three weeks in late September and early October. Members of 1 CER practice core sapper skills, heavy equipment use, and explosive ordnance disposal. 1 CER also conducts live ranges and live mine training during both day and night.

During Ex ASCENDING SAPPER, combat engineers from all over the country come together for the SAPPER STAKES, a 48 hour-long practical engineer section competition. The tactical and technical expertise of field sections is tested through this gruelling combination of soldier skills and complex engineering tasks.

Exercise ROUGH RIDER is convoy and sustainment operations training for soldiers from 1 Service Battalion. It takes place at the 3rd Canadian Division Training Centre in Wainwright, AB during the month of September.

During Ex ROUGH RIDER, soldiers practice delivering equipment and supplies to forward battle groups to enable them to keep fighting.

1 Service Battalion also works on force protection measures such as building defensive positions while running convoys in hostile areas to minimize the risk to vital supply chains.

Exercise MERCURY WANDERER is the annual large-scale exercise for 1 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group Headquarters and Signal Squadron (1 CMBG HQ and Sig Sqn) and focuses on developing the ability to support brigade level signals. It takes place at the 3rd Canadian Division Training Centre in Wainwright, AB during the month of October.

During Ex MERCURY WANDERER, members of 1 CMBG HQ and Sig Sqn exercise the ability to establish voice and data communications between brigade command posts and the unit headquarters subordinate to them while also providing support to unit and sub-unit elements with their integral communications equipment. They also practice establishing and defending radio rebroadcast stations that extend the communications network and allow fighting elements to coordinate with one another.

Exercise PALADIN RESPONSE is a mobility support exercise that takes place at the Primary Reserve Training Center and in the Cultus Lake Provincial Park in Chilliwack, BC. Every year, in December, more than 250 soldiers from every Reserve combat engineer regiment in Canada join 39 Combat Engineer Regiment to practice bridge and raft design, planning, and construction.

Ex PALADIN RESPONSE is designed to develop the core combat engineer skill of gap crossing. This includes operating assault boats, assembling medium floating bridges, constructing Medium Girder Bridges, and building prefabricated modular steel “ACROW” bridges. The exercise is supported by elements from the Royal Canadian Navy and non-combat engineer trades from units within 3rd Canadian Division.

Exercise COUGAR RAGE gives the infantry soldiers of 39 Canadian Brigade Group (CBG) an opportunity to practice live-fire operations as well as maintain proficiency in weapons systems that cannot be fired in their normal area of responsibility due to range and training area limitations. It takes place annually in March at the 3rd Canadian Division Training Centre in Wainwright, AB. The exercise has also been conducted at the U.S. Army’s Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington.

During Ex COUGAR RAGE the soldiers of 39 CBG fire their heavier and longer range support weapons such as the C6 general purpose machine gun, 84mm Carl Gustav medium range anti-armour weapon, and M72 short range anti-armour weapon. This training ensures that soldiers are proficient with these weapons systems when needed for in operations.

Exercise PRECISE RESPONSE is a large-scale yearly NATO Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) exercise held at the Counter Terrorism and Technology Centre at Defence Research and Development Canada, in Suffield, AB. The exercise typically happens in July and involves the sampling and identification of biological, chemical, and radioactive elements. Approximately 200 specialists from across the Canadian Army and our NATO allies, gather to develop the tactics and capabilities necessary to build combined joint task forces capable of reacting to some of the most dangerous possible situations.

During Ex PRECISE RESPONSE, Canada leads the events, providing a headquarters and service and support. They also set up a decontamination company, a key part of CBRN response.

Exercise MAPLE STRIKE is a national joint close air support exercise which allows Joint Terminal Attack Controllers to conduct both currency and proficiency training in an integrated environment. Held twice a year in the spring and fall at the 3rd Canadian Division Training Centre in Wainwright, AB, it is supported by aircraft from 4 Wing, based in Cold Lake, AB. The exercise is planned and executed by the Air-Land Integration Cell, part of the Canadian Army Doctrine and Training Center dedicated to facilitating joint operations between the Canadian Army and Royal Canadian Air Force.

Ex MAPLE STRIKE is a stand-based exercise where members from all the brigades and international guests practice calling in support from aircraft and indirect weapons at multiple different stations. Using realistic scenarios and employing live-fire, participants conduct mobile, convoy, and urban operations, sharpening their skills and updating their qualifications.

Exercise UNIFIED RELOAD is a yearly computer-assisted exercise to maintain and enhance the high readiness Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group’s ability to conduct operational planning activities and concurrently exercise command and control in support of current operations. The exercise is conducted in February in Simulation Centres across the country and coordinated by the Canadian Army Simulation Centre in Kingston, ON. It provides the command teams and senior staff an opportunity to maintain and improve their skills in the planning and command and control of high-intensity tactical operations.

Command teams and senior staff command virtual troops facing a hybrid threat consisting of a near-peer conventional force and irregular units. They practice coordinating their operations with other elements and organizations from many countries in a virtual environment that simulates real ones they may be deployed to.

Exercise READY RENAISSANCE is the annual confirmation exercise for Canadian Armed Forces personnel tasked with humanitarian assistance and disaster relief missions. It takes place in early spring every year in various parts of the country. Members from all Canadian Armed Forces elements come together with the Canadian Red Cross and the United Nations to practice responding to natural disasters such as fires and floods. Confirmatory exercises ensure that the Canadian Armed Forces is prepared to respond to worst case scenarios.

The exercise builds and qualifies Canada’s Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART), which is made up of experts and specialists from the Canadian Armed Forces and Global Affairs Canada. The DART is deployed globally on request to assist when local responders are overwhelmed during natural disasters or other emergencies.

Exercise ARDENT DEFENDER is the annual exercise for the Canadian Armed Forces Joint Counter Explosive Threat Task Force. Every fall counter explosive experts from the Canadian Armed Forces get together with other government departments and representatives from our allies, at 5 Canadian Division Support Base Gagetown, NB to train, share best practices, and develop responses to emerging threats.

Ex ARDENT DEFENDER builds interoperability with allies and ensures that the Joint Counter Explosive Threat Task Force is able to respond quickly and effectively at home and abroad to explosive threats. During the exercise members practice explosive ordnance disposal in scenarios that simulate support to manoeuver forces and civil authorities.

Exercise MAROON RAIDER is an annual readiness exercise that that provides realistic combined arms combat training for Regular and Reserve Army forces. MAROON RAIDER training scenarios includes day and night live-fire, combat maneuvers, combined arms, and other battlefield tactics to build a ready and capable force to deploy internationally.

Exercise MAROON SOJOURN is an annual validation of the Arctic Response Company Group. The exercise provides an opportunity for Army Reserve soldiers to work with Canadian Rangers to enhance their ability to survive, move, and fight in a sub-arctic environment. The ability to conduct training and operations in austere winter conditions is an essential component of the Canadian Army’s mission to protect our nation's sovereignty and security interests in the North.

Exercise NIHILO SAPPER is an annual exercise that validates 4 Engineer Support Regiment’s (4 ESR) capability to deploy combat engineer support on international operations. Combat engineers are responsible for many critical tasks such as constructing/maintaining roads, bridges, rafts and infrastructure; constructing field defences and obstacles; water purification; and demolitions among many others.

4 ESR is a unit within 6 Canadian Combat Support Brigade. The Brigade provides the Canadian Army a variety of specialist capabilities to support operations at home and abroad.

Exercise MAPLE ARCH is an annual multinational training event that aims to foster international military relations with non-NATO countries. The exercise is organized by the Defence Military Training and Cooperation Program, an organization within Assistant Deputy Minister (Policy) and supported by 5^th Canadian Division.

It is a command post exercise focused on host nation command and control of an international peacekeeping and stability operation. Teamwork and interoperability are key elements of successful operations, and the Canadian Army must support and seamlessly integrate with its allies and partners. These elements are contingent on unit and brigade level training which is exemplified throughout the execution of MAPLE ARCH.

Exercise UNIFIED RESOLVE is the Canadian Army's largest annual computer-assisted exercise. Personnel work through simulated scenarios that reflect real challenges in a modern and unpredictable security environment to ensure readiness for international or domestic operations.

Exercise UNIFIED RESOLVE Stages 1 and 2 will be conducted as an academic portion and a division-controlled computer-assisted exercise at home station. The first Brigade Headquarters to progress through this evolution will be 2 CMBG Headquarters in preparation for their role as the Multi-National Brigade Headquarters in Latvia in summer 2025. From 2025 and beyond, CMBG HQs will be validated while participating in a US Army Warfighter exercise.

Every winter, Canadian Army members travel to the Joint Readiness Training Center (JRTC) in Fort Polk, Louisiana to practice complex missions with our allies. Approximately 500 of our soldiers experience this fully-immersive training environment, which is specifically tailored for light infantry forces.

The specifics of the training change every year, forcing those who attend to adapt to novel and changing situations and to develop a variety of skills. Training at the JRTC is indispensable to Canadian Armed Forces readiness and solidifies our ability to operate with allies.

Exercise MAPLE RESOLVE is the Canadian Army’s largest joint force-on-force exercise of the year and will be conducted in two parts. The first will occur at, or close to, the deploying unit’s home station. The second part will be called Exercise OAK RESOLVE and will be conducted alongside NATO allies in Latvia. These changes will result in deploying members spending less time away from home prior to deployment on Operation REASSURANCE.