The Canadian Army’s largest and most complex training exercise, MAPLE RESOLVE, will take place through May 22 at Wainwright Army Base in Alberta. The Minister of Defense, Anita Anand, went there for the occasion. All this while Canada finds itself in a unique geopolitical context.
For 12 days, nearly 2,800 Canadian, British and American soldiers trained non -stop on a 625 km field.2larger than the island of Montreal (472 km2).
Armored vehicles, helicopters, trenches: everything is true during these missions that change tactics of attack and defense, except for the bullets of weapons that are replaced by lasers as in a life-size laser tag game.
We mimic an aggression to which we, the allies, must reactexplained Colonel Éric Landry, commander of 2at Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group.
It has cameras, sensors and GPS on the soldiers to replay all the battles taking place on the ground, learn from our mistakes and improve.
This training is important for troops, according to Colonel Patrick Robichaud, Commanding Officer of the Canadian Maneuver Training Center.
Working with allied troops, understanding how they work together, secures troops and establishes a relationship of trust between the various elements of Canadian and international forces.he explained this Thursday morning.
When they are called for missions abroad, they already have the confidence to operate together.
Scenario resembling Latvia
This lifelong practice takes place in a particular geopolitical context. Canada sent weapons to Ukraine, invaded Russia, and troops to Poland for a humanitarian mission.
The current exercise feels more real for the soldiers due to the current context in Europe, according to General Wayne Eyre, Chief of the Defense Staff. They are ready. The world is dangerous and we must be ready to leave tonight, if necessaryHe added.
Currently, we have 3,400 members of the Canadian Armed Forces on standbycommemoration of the Minister of Defense, Anita Anand, who was present at the Wainwright military base.
The soldiers present in Wainwright will also soon be deployed to Latvia to strengthen NATO’s presence there.
To end their training, military training re -creates conditions similar to those in Latvia, a NATO country neighboring Russia. The maps used by the troops had the names of real Latvian towns and roads.
Today’s exercise is an invasion from the East towards the Baltic countries that is usually inspired by the current conflict in Europe.refers to the Minister of Defense who recalled that Ottawa provided an additional 500 million dollars in military assistance intended for Ukraine in its 2022 budget.
What is the priority for Canada?
Is there a way for the Canadian Armed Forces to match their ambitions? Not like before, according to Pierre St-Cyr, a retired Canadian Armed Forces colonel.
Over time, the Canadian Forces experienced a decline in their equipment. We don’t get the right equipment at the right time.
Now we have a huge grocery list just so we can continue as a military force and after that there will be another list taking into account the threats identified.he explains.
Faced with recruitment and equipment aging difficulties, experts say Ottawa must decide what to prioritize for its next investments.
Here, Defense Minister Anita Anand responded on Thursday morning: There is no scenario where defending the North American continent is not the priority. We always make sure the Arctic is well protected.
Source: Radio-Canada
