Army begins computer-assisted training exercise

Close to 1300 Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) personnel will participate in Exercise UNIFIED RESOLVE 2017, the Canadian Army’s largest and most complex computer-assisted training exercise of the year. Exercise UNIFIED RESOLVE will take place in Kingston, Ontario, from January 28 to February 10, 2017.

This training will play a key role in confirming the operational readiness of the 2 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group command and control elements and will test their ability to plan and conduct missions, as directed by the Government of Canada, anywhere in the world. During the two-week exercise, participants will react to computer-generated scenarios using deliberate attacks, mobile defence, and humanitarian assistance which simulate a Canadian Armed Forces response to a realistic situation.

“Exercise UNIFIED RESOLVE is the key training event for the brigade headquarters on the Road to High Readiness," said Colonel Peter Scott, Commander Canadian Manoeuvre Training Centre. "During the exercise, brigade staff will be tested and certified by the Canadian Army so they are ready to deploy on operations if the need arises. This year’s exercise will provide 2 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group headquarters with a realistic, synthetic exercise which will challenge the brigade and its subordinate units and enablers in their ability to plan and conduct full spectrum operations.”

Exercise UNIFIED RESOLVE 2017 is hosted by the Canadian Manoeuvre Training Centre and will provide Canadian Army soldiers, leaders, and other CAF personnel a unique opportunity to enhance their combat readiness by responding to realistic and contemporary threats in a joint, integrated, multinational, and national whole-of-government environment.

UNIFIED RESOLVE 2017 creates a realistic training environment in order to exercise 2 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group headquarters and its units and enablers, as well as 450 Tactical Helicopter Squadron-led Tactical Aviation Detachment, in their ability to concurrently plan and conduct any operation that could be expected of them, should they be deployed.

More than 600 computers and all of the associated networking, cabling, and support personnel are being used to enable UNIFIED RESOLVE 2017 participants to hone the command and control processes required to plan and execute a simulated deployment of Canadian Armed Forces personnel.

Exercise UNIFIED RESOLVE is the first part of a two-exercise series a brigade undergoes as part of The Road to High Readiness. The second training event, Exercise MAPLE RESOLVE, will take place later this spring.

The current Canadian Army High Readiness Task Forces are from 3rd Canadian Division, 1 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group, based in Edmonton, Alberta. In July 2017, 4th  Canadian Division will take over and be ready to respond to any range of contingencies, at home and abroad, with 2 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group, based in Petawawa, Ontario, providing the majority of the troops.