Canadian troops face Arctic training gaps in Alaska exercise
Canadian soldiers in Alaska faced frostbite, battery failures and winter-training gaps. See how the Army’s Arctic readiness held up — and what the exercise exposed.
Canadian soldiers faced frostbite, weak communications, battery problems and basic wintertraining gaps during a major exercise in Alaska, according to internal Defence Department evaluations.
The reports, obtained by CBC News, say more than 400 members of the 3rd Battalion Royal Canadian Regiment took part in Exercise Global Response near Fairbanks in February as part of a larger U.S. Army brigade. While the unit met its training goals, the documents suggest the military still has a long way to go in rebuilding its Arctic capability.
The evaluations point to problems with coldweather preparation, medical readiness and equipment, including civilian gear that did not perform well in extreme conditions. Canadian officers said the battalion had trained for winter operations in the year before deployment, and that the exercise offered useful lessons about slowing down, managing weather risks and relying more on basic field skills in the Far North.