A Canadian Armed Forces member practices and trains for cold weather operations at CFB Shilo on Jan. 22 as part of EXERCISE Royal Stag, in which CAF personnel joined with Allied Forces to train for extreme environmental conditions.  (Photo: K-J Millar/Shilo Stag News)

K-J Millar
Shilo Stag Media

For the first time, Canadian Armed Forces members will partner with 850 Finnish and American military personnel in Sodankylä, Finland, as part of Excercise ARCTIC FORGE 25 to strengthen operational abilities with Arctic allies from Feb. 17 to 28.

“Interoperability with our Arctic allies provides a strategic advantage to Canada and the Alliance. Exercise ARCTIC FORGE 25 offers a valuable opportunity to share expertise in warfighting, mobility, and logistics among seasoned Arctic operators,” Lieutenant-General Michael C. Wright, Commander of the Canadian Army said.

Exercise ARCTIC FORGE 25 aims to enhance the combat readiness of participating allies by strengthening plans for rapid deployments to NATO’s Northern flank.

“Our participation in this exercise underscores our commitment to strategic deterrence and the collective defence of NATO’s Northern Flank,” LGen Wright said.

NATO’s northern flank is a large maritime and littoral theatre where NATO directly borders Russia’s Northern Fleet Military Administrative Territory, which is the location of some of Russia’s most potent air, sea, and land power capabilities.

Creating a better understanding of each other’s cold weather equipment and capabilities through the sharing of best practices will build a better understanding of operating in the Arctic environment, the Department of National Defence stated in a press release on Feb. 13.

It is the second iteration of Exercise ARCTIC FORGE and the first time the Canadian Army will participate. The exercise is conducted every two years.

More than 40 members of the Army’s 2 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group (2 CMBG) will integrate with soldiers of the US Army’s 10th Mountain and 11th Airborne Divisions in Fort Wainwright, Alaska.

In coordination with the US Air Force, they will conduct an airlift through the Arctic, over the North Pole to Finland. Upon arrival, Canadian and US forces will join Finland’s Jaeger Brigade for Exercise ARCTIC FORGE 25 and conduct field training and cold weather exercises.

“Our participation in this exercise underscores our commitment to strategic deterrence and the collective defence of NATO’s Northern Flank,” LGen Wright said.

“Regular Arctic and northern training exercises are necessary to ensure the CAF maintains high levels of proficiency and readiness for operations in Canada’s north. The CAF, along with Arctic and northern partners and Allies, continually prepare to confront the challenges of the Arctic and northern operations,” the media release reads.

“The Department of National Defence and the Canadian Armed Forces share a very deep defence relationship with the US military. Whether here on the continent or abroad, we have a long history of deploying alongside each other in support of allies and partners,” DND stated.

with files from the Department of National Defence