Approximately 2,500 Canadian Army soldiers from the Regular Force, Primary Reserve and Canadian Rangers are participating in training exercises to maintain Arctic readiness.
Scheduled to last until March, the training will be carried out in the north of Canada, and aims to maintain and sharpen soldiers’ operational capabilities in austere environments.
Soldiers will collaborate with government agencies and departments during the exercises, which will include parachute jumps and engaging first nations communities.
The US Army National Guard, the New Zealand Armed Forces and the Polish Armed Forces will also contribute soldiers to the training, which is expected to strengthen the nations’ interoperability with Canada.
Canadian National Defence Minister Harjit S. Sajjan said: "The protection of our northern borders remains a key security priority for Canada.
"The Department of National Defence and the Canadian Armed Forces are fully committed to exercising our northern sovereignty and these Arctic training scenarios allow us to demonstrate greater visible presence in Canada’s North."
The Canadian Army regularly conducts simulated training exercises to develop and test cold-weather survival skills.
The training enhances troops’ ability to quickly respond to threats and domestic emergencies, such as natural disasters, extreme weather events and other hazards.
