Over 230 members from 4th Canadian Division, the Canadian Army in Ontario, are participating in Northern Exercise 2018 (NOREX 18) in and around Resolute, Nunavut from February 4 to 17, 2018. The 4th Canadian Division includes members from the 31 Canadian Brigade Group, headquartered in London, Ontario and the 2 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group, headquartered in Petawawa, Ontario.
This exercise will see participation from 1st Canadian Ranger Patrol Group, headquartered in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories of which the Canadian Army in Ontario will have the opportunity to work alongside.
NOREX 2018 “will be replicating a first response by the Canadian Armed Forces to a major air disaster scenario in an Arctic location,” according to a press release. Participants will be trained on how to plan and respond to this type of disaster.
Other training sessions will include “Arctic survival and winter warfare skills in a harsh climate, this will include weapons familiarization, operating survival equipment and conducting patrols.”
“NOREX 18 will demonstrate our ability to rapidly respond to emergencies in the far North within its austere and harsh winter conditions,” said Brigadier-General Stephen Cadden, Commander 4th Canadian Division. “These exercises help to improve and sustain our Arctic expertise in support of Canada’s defence priorities in Northern Canada and to serve our most remote communities.”
As part of Canada’s Defence Policy: Strong, Secure, Engaged, NOREX 18 is one of the exercises that the Government of Canada is using to ensure that the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) training meets the highly technical requirements of modern militaries through training and certification. The Policy also provides the CAF with the force size and equipment it needs to succeed across the full spectrum of military operations including humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, peace support operations, or combat, according to the release.
“This challenging exercise is an incredible opportunity for our soldiers to test their survivability, mobility, and sustainability in Canada’s Arctic while ensuring we can provide support and operate when and where Canadians require us,” said Lieutenant-Colonel Perry Rittershofer, NOREX 18 Exercise Director.