Exercise UNIFIED RESOLVE

Members of 5 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group rehearse a tactical plan on Exercise UNIFIED RESOLVE 23 on February 9, 2023, in Valcartier, Quebec. Photo: Private Kelly-Ann Lepage, Valcartier Imagery Services

Taking place from February 6 to 17, 2023, Exercise UNIFIED RESOLVE 2023 (Ex UR 23) involves more than 1000 Canadian Armed Forces personnel working together from bases in Valcartier, Petawawa, and Kingston.

The Canadian Army’s largest computer-assisted exercise presents military personnel with the challenges of operating in a modern and unpredictable security environment which validates a brigade headquarters and three subordinate units as operationally ready for domestic and international operations.

The Canadian Army is continuing a sweeping modernization effort, which includes maximizing training opportunities through simulation and digitalization.

The training scenario used for Ex UR 23 is known as Decisive Action Training Environment (DATE) Europe and positions the training audience in a deteriorating security situation in Eastern Europe.

First used by a Canadian training audience in January 2022, DATE Europe incorporates an in-depth set of factors within the training environment to include political, military, economic, social, infrastructure, information, cyber, physical environment and time factors.

DATE Europe brings an elevated level of detail creating an immersive training experience. CAF personnel being trained face information and cyber-attacks, complex regional issues, interaction with local and regional players, and face a peer enemy.

The broad spectrum of challenges on this exercise takes participants beyond conventional manoeuvre operations and exposes them to “grey zone warfare,” where the threshold of what constitutes warfare is blurred. As well, the training includes contemporary social challenges such as ethical dilemmas to best prepare our soldiers to morally and ethically handle these situations with character and competence.

The Canadian Manoeuvre Training Centre (CTMC) is the national training centre which designs and delivers collective training in Full Spectrum Operations and conducts the planning, coordination, and synchronization required to conduct Ex UR 23. 

This year in Valcartier approximately 550 military personnel will be the primary training audience including 5 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group Headquarters (5 CMBG HQ), 5e Régiment d'artillerie légère du Canada, 5 Combat Engineer Regiment, and 5 Service Battalion. An estimated 200 participants from 2 CMBG will train from Petawawa, with the remaining 300 support participants facilitating the exercise from Kingston. Allied international contributions include elements of The Queen’s Dragoon Guards from the United Kingdom, 10th Combat Aviation Brigade from the United States, and staff officers from the Latvian Army.

The next step will see 5 CMBG personnel participate in Exercise MAPLE RESOLVE 2023 held in Wainwright, Alberta in May where soldiers will conduct hands-on field training. Upon successful completion, the Brigade will then be available for a year for operations or contingency tasks.