Reconstituting the Force
Facing a workforce crisis, the military is starting to see positive effects from a multi-pronged plan to recruit and retain talent. by Lisa Gordon Last fall, Chief of the Defence Staff General Wayne Eyre acknowledged that the Canadian military is facing...
Detecting and defeating IEDs
by Ken Pole Of the 159 Canadians who died during this country’s decade-long combat mission in Afghanistan, the majority were victims of improvised explosive devices (IEDs). Hundreds more were wounded or otherwise traumatized. Major Pete DesRoches, a combat...
Fifth Canadian Division: “Our troops are ready”
by Tim Dunne Once seen as the Canadian Army’s “Cinderella,” Fifth Canadian Division (5 Div) has undergone growth, transformation, and reorientation under a series of transformational leaders. From the 1967 Canadian Forces Reorganization Act until Sept. 1, 1991,...
Digital experiments: Under new digital strategy, more tech trials from the ground up
by Chris Thatcher Got an idea to further the Canadian Army’s digital transformation? A trial of new technology for your brigade? An experiment with digital tools or new ways of employing them for your company? If so, there’s a team in Army headquarters...
Can your light off-road vehicle handle a .50 cal?
by Chris Thatcher Inflation is having a deflating effect on defence procurement and the Light Forces Enhancement (LFE) project is no exception. But beyond the growing costs of manufacturing a four-wheeled, lightweight, off-road vehicle, the Army now knows it...
How Dragoons, Strathconas are preparing Ukrainian soldiers for Canadian tanks
As the Canadian Army prepares to deploy a tank squadron of about 130 personnel, 15 Leopard 2 tanks, two armoured recovery vehicles and fuel, supply and other supporting vehicles to Latvia by the spring of 2024, contributing editor Ken Pole speaks with members of the...
A green light for utility vehicles?
The future of transportation might be electric, but it’s doubtful the Army’s next tactical vehicles will be — at least initially. The project directors for light utility and off-road vehicles both acknowledge the attraction of electric or hybrid platforms, but they...
A novel solution to a shaky C-6
by Ken Pole Even when fully inflated to maintain shape – and perhaps especially so because of inherent vibrations – inflatable boats are not an ideal mount for infantry tasked with getting onto a beach quickly while maintaining suppressing fire at up to 1,100...
New RHIBs afloat for Army combat divers
by Ken Pole Some years ago, during his 32-year Army career, when he was a Colonel, John Errington, who retired last summer as a Brigadier-General and Commandant of the Canadian Forces College in Toronto, observed about Army divers: “Dive operations are a vital...
Light utility vehicle project shifts into a new gear
by Ian Coutts It never feels like news when the defence procurement process takes longer than expected. So, take the latest on the Light Utility Vehicle (LUV) project as a “no news, good news” situation. The “no news” is that the initial stage of the project...
