CFB Suffield increasing military activity this year
Landon Hickok- 0
- 3 minutes read
There will be familiar sights and sounds returning to the Canadian Forces Base in Suffield, Alberta this summer. The commander of the Canadian Army confirmed to the Canadian Press that it will serve as a hub for training and technology testing.
According to Major Ryan Murphy, the Acting Commander at CFB Suffield, the size of the base and infrastructure is bringing back interest for increased military use. He adds that the increase activity will be due to a lifting of a moratorium on training at Suffield, not necessarily due to the recently announced increased federal funding for defence.
CFB Suffield has historically been used jointly by Canadian and British forces for training and exercises since the early 1970’s until the COVID-19 pandemic put activities to a screeching halt. The UK Ministry of Defence said they would wind down operations in 2023.
But now, British Army Training Unit Suffield (BATUS) confirmed in a statement to BCN that 250 military personal will be deployed to participate in training with Uncrewed Aerial Systems (UAS), commonly known as typical military drones.
“Elements of the British Army numbering around 250 will deploy to BATUS on Ex RHINO BIZZ to push the boundaries of strategic capability and set a new standard for Uncrewed Aerial Systems employment across the force. This exercise represents the culmination of capability integration and cutting‑edge UAS effects into the way we fight. During this deployment they will pursue a defined set of objectives based on current global requirements designed to test, refine and validate evolving competencies. The deployed troops intend to innovate boldly, challenge existing assumptions and demonstrate how agile, tactical UAS employment can deliver decisive advantage on the modern battlefield. This will be in conjunction with Canadian Armed Forces and NATO strategic and industry partners.” –Lt Col P Eaton RLC, Commander, British Army Training Unit Suffield
CFB Suffield confirmed that upwards of 600 Canadian military personal will be deployed to Suffield over the summer. The interest is also there to continue in this manner on a year-to-year basis.
