Traditional Inuit sled inspiration for Arctic military tool

As 38 Canadian Brigade Group (38 CBG) mounts its tasking to exercise the Arctic Response Company Group (ARCG), it prepares its soldiers in many “gateway” training exercises so that by the time they go north, they can survive. Exercise KOMATIC is the first exercise, and one of the most important, where soldiers begin their Arctic indoctrination to survive.

Held at Minto Armouries in Winnipeg, Man., from Nov. 23 to 24, a contingent of 50 soldiers took part to prepare for the Arctic environment.

For centuries the Inuit peoples had the answers to survival. Hunting, fishing and survival in the winter relied on basic tools, including the Qamutiik (Komatik) sled – an age‑old sled that continues to be used to this day. These sleds are traditionally pulled by dog teams, power toboggans and even human force.

“I was taught several years ago to build the traditional Komatik when I first started on the Arctic Response Company Group,” explained Warrant Officer Tom Hughes with 38 Combat Engineer Regiment.

A 12‑year veteran of Arctic training at 38 CBG, this year he holds the ARCG Plans Warrant Officer position. Getting his soldiers and equipment ready for incredibly difficult terrain is his mission.

“I was trained to build the Komatiks by the Inuit back in 2012,” he said, adding the traditional Komatik would not work with how the CAF would need to use them. “They would not last with the force of the rock terrain in the North.”

He compared Sweden and Norway and the difference in environment was obvious.

“Their terrain is not like Canada’s – we have hard snow and rock and need something better.”

Thus in 2019, with the first purchase of a new style sled from Alaska, a Canadian team made of WO Hughes and another Manitoba Reservist, Master Corporal Anson Pops of the Royal Winnipeg Rifles—a red seal carpenter—took the design and turned it into an incredibly functional “Skimmer,” as it’s now called, that glides across Arctic rock and ice and deep snow.

Using Ultra High Molecular Weight polyethylene, WO Hughes and MCpl Pop turned a 400‑pound traditional sled into a 100‑pound all‑terrain transport tool. The Skimmer can be connected to form a trailer three sleds long, which can be towed by one power toboggan. Each Skimmer can carry up to 1,500 pounds.

“We modified it now so it can even recover a power sled,” WO Hughes proudly claimed, explaining the Skimmer can hold the track on a power sled while the skis remain free to slide on the snow.

With the CAF’s sovereignty mission changing in the North, where domestic operations and search missions are evolving into warfare training, the ability to transport weaponry must be developed and constantly improved.

“I am modifying some of these Skimmers to handle ambulance carry as well as our kit of weapons – a 50[‑calibre heavy machine gun], C6, C7 [and] C9 [machine guns], and even our [Automatic Grenade Launching System],” WO Hughes explained.

Each soldier will also sling their personal C7 weapons whilst on the sleds.

WO Hughes also discussed the sleds’ economic benefits.