Vanguard Magazine

R RiMPaC 2016 www.vanguardcanada.com JUNe/JULY 2016 37 • anti-submarine warfare; • underwater warfare and naval manoeu- vre exercises; • air defence and amphibious landings ex- ercises; • explosive ordinance disposal; • diving and salvage operations; and • mine clearance operations. Participation in RIMPAC contributes to the operational readiness of the Canadian Armed Forces. Operational readiness al- lows the CAF to meet the likely tasks that the Government of Canada will assign. Canada is deploying: • A maritime component comprised of four ships (HMCS Calgary, HMCS Van- couver, HMCS Saskatoon and HMCS Yellowknife), a RCN team of clearance divers, and a Forward Logistics Team; • A Land Component comprised of a Company Group based on a Rifle Com- pany from the Second Battalion, Royal 22e Regiment, based out of Valcartier, Quebec; • An Air Task Force comprised of several aircraft (eight CF-188 Hornets, one CC-130 Hercules, one CC-150 Polaris and one CP-140 Aurora), a Maritime Helicopter Detachment, and a Tactical Aviation Detachment consisting of four CH-146 Griffons and two CH-147 Chi- nooks; • More than 1,500 sailors, soldiers, airmen and airwomen; and • Several command, staff and support per- sonnel. Recently over 6,000 Canadian Armed Forc- es personnel participated in Exercise Maple Resolve 2016, the army's largest and most complex training event of the year. The exercise took take place in Wain- wright, Alberta, from May 23 to June 6, 2016. This training confirms the readiness of 1 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group (1 CMBG) and elements of the Royal Cana- dian Air Force, testing their ability to oper- ate anywhere in the world in order to de- liver decisive land and air power as directed by the Government of Canada. After the training, 1 CMBG will assume its responsibilities as the Canadian Army's High Readiness brigade on July 1, 2016. This year's exercise was hosted by the Canadian Manoeuvre Training Centre and will provide Canadian Army soldiers, lead- ers, and other CAF personnel a unique op- portunity to enhance their combat readi- ness by responding to conventional and hybrid threats in a joint, integrated, mul- tinational, and national whole-of-govern- ment environment. Canadian soldiers serving with 1 CMBG based in Edmonton, Alberta and Shilo, Manitoba trained with elements of the Royal Canadian Air Force, the United States (U.S.) Army, U.S. National Guard, U.S. Army Reserves, U.S. Marine Corps, and the British Army. Allied participation involved over 1200 soldiers from the U.S. Armed Forces and approximately 150 soldiers from the Brit- ish Army. Participating personnel used a wide va- riety of tactics, weapons, simulation tech- nology, armoured fighting vehicles, and over 20 aircraft in order to hone their skills within a realistic, evolving and challenging operating environment.

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