Canadian Army soldiers parachute into Australia

News Release

July 13, 2017 – Edmonton, Alberta – National Defence / Canadian Armed Forces

Today, approximately 130 Canadian Army soldiers parachuted from C-17 Globemasters into Williamson Airfield, Queensland in Northeastern Australia alongside American and Australian allies after a 14-hour flight across the Pacific Ocean as part of Exercise TALISMAN SABRE.

Yesterday, six C-17 Globemaster aircraft (four American, two Australian) departed Joint Base Elmendorf–Richardson, Alaska. They then traveled 11,000 kilometers to drop 330 paratroopers, a mix of Canadian, American and Australian soldiers, within a 20-minute window. Once on the ground, the soldiers completed a training scenario, which had them secure control of the airfield to allow additional forces to arrive.

Exercise TALISMAN SABRE is military exercise which runs every other year and trains primarily Australian and American forces to plan and conduct combined task force operations to improve combat readiness and interoperability on a variety of missions from conventional conflict to peacekeeping and humanitarian assistance efforts. This training affords Canadian parachutists the opportunity to hone their skills on a regular basis and maintain a constant state of readiness for future missions and operations.

Quotes

“Not only is this an excellent opportunity for our soldiers to practice airborne operations and skills, but it also allows us to strengthen ties with our closest allies. When you look at the range of Canadian deployed operations around the world, there is one major thing in common: working closely with partner nations. Combined exercises like this improve mutual understanding and appreciation, and set us up for success when we will inevitably be working together on operations in the future.”

— Lieutenant Colonel Derek Prohar, Commanding Officer, 3rd Battalion, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry

Quick Facts

The Canadian contingent is primarily from the 3^rd Battalion, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry, but also includes soldiers from the 3^rd Battalion, Royal Canadian Regiment; 1 Combat Engineer Regiment; 1 Field Ambulance; and 1 Royal Canadian Horse Artillery.
In preparation for the airborne insertion into Australia, Canadian soldiers spent several days training in Alaska with American and Australian soldiers and equipment.
Canadian paratroopers jumped alongside a group of Australian soldiers, Americans from the 4^th Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25^th Infantry Division, and the 426^th Civil Affairs Battalion.
3^rd Battalion, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry (3 PPCLI) is based in Edmonton, Alberta. As a light infantry battalion, 3 PPCLI specializes in insertion and operations in complex terrain (e.g. urban, mountains) that would prove difficult for mechanized forces.
Exercise TALISMAN SABRE is in its seventh occurrence and consists of 33,000 soldiers, sailors, airmen, airwomen and marines from Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand and the United States. 10,000 of these participants, including our 130 Canadians, landed ashore and parachuted into the simulated battlefield today.

Associated Links

Contacts

Captain Derek Reid
Public Affairs Officer, 1 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group
Phone: 780-973-4011, ext 7415
Email: derek.reid2@forces.gc.ca

Media Relations
Department of National Defence
Phone: 613-996-2353
Toll-Free: 1-866-377-0811
Email: mlo-blm@forces.gc.ca

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Date modified:: 2017-07-13