Multinational Exercise MAPLE ARCH Celebrates 25 Years
December 12, 2024 - Defence Stories
Estimated read time - 1:30
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Major Sean Clark addresses members of Ex MAPLE ARCH 24 during the opening ceremony in Veles, North Macedonia on November 25, 2024.
Photo credit: Captain Lance Wade, Exercise PAO
Author: Captain Lance Wade, 36 Canadian Brigade Group
From 25 November to 6 December 2024, more than 600 military personnel from six nations participated in Exercise MAPLE ARCH (MA24) in North Macedonia. Since 1999, Ex MAPLE ARCH, under the Military Training and Cooperation Program (MTCP), has been conducted annually in Europe with the support of a mentor team from the 5th Canadian Division. Leveraging the Lithuanian-Polish-Ukrainian Brigade as a backbone, Ex MAPLE ARCH trains battalion headquarters staff on the development and execution of large-scale, multinational peace support operations exercises.
“This exercise is a celebration of collaboration and resilience. For 25 years, Ex MAPLE ARCH has been a platform where trust, mutual respect, and professional excellence converge to build stronger bonds and enhance interoperability among our forces,” said Major Sean Clark, lead planner for the MTCP.
This year, Ex MA24 consisted of a computer-assisted exercise combined with a field exercise. Soldiers from the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF), along with their counterparts from North Macedonia, Ukraine, Georgia, Lithuania, and Poland, participated in this two-week exercise. Ex MA24 allowed CAF members and participating nations to react to realistic challenges in peace support operations, drawing lessons from asymmetrical battlespace.
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Brigadier-General Besnik Emini welcomes members of Ex MAPLE ARCH 24 during the opening ceremony in Veles, North Macedonia on November 25, 2024.
Photo credit: Captain Lance Wade, Exercise PAO
“High-intensity warfare is back in Europe. Global competition is rising, a certain regime is trying to challenge our values, interests, and security, and other threats like terrorism, cyber attacks, and nuclear proliferation are also multiplying,” said Brigadier-General Besnick Emini, Commander, Operations Command, for the North Macedonia Armed Forces. “MAPLE ARCH serves to build bridges of communication and understanding between nations. It reminds us that, despite our differences, we share a common vision: safeguarding peace, strengthening stability, and protecting our shared values.
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Members from various countries on parade during the opening ceremony of Exercise MAPLE ARCH 24, in Veles, North Macedonia on November 25, 2024.
Photo credit: Warrant Officer James Roberge, Exercise Social Media
“We are collectively defending not only the physical safety of 31 nations, but also the democratic values we all hold in our societies. The fact that we are cooperating with so many different Armed Forces, with so many different capabilities and cultures, is truly unique.”
In today’s global security environment, it is crucial for NATO Allies and partners to build upon existing relations and share lessons learned. That is why Ex MAPLE ARCH is designed to leverage collective training, strengthen ties and build stronger partners for peace.