Wraith601

Posted by Officer of Engineers
So this unit will have two companies with MGS, one with the ADAT carriers, and one with Coyotes? Also, how are Canada's existing LAV formations organized equipped at present? Will all the MGS vehicle be in the armored regimaent or will some be attached to the infantry brigades like in the SBCT?

2DREZQ

In a very general way, I've always thought that Canada, being relatively secure in its borders and coasts, would do well to invest in a larger navy. Multi-purpose ships, well defended against ASM & subs, with strong ASW capability. I'm talking about numerous ships. Canada could assume the role of "protector of the lanes of commerce" Yeah, sell us a lot of oil, and protect the tankers coming out of the gulf.
Not really a well informed opinion here, so don't be surprised if I seem a bit "out of the loop". (Besides I've been stuck AWAKE at work for 3 days, so I'm running on nothing but COFFEE!!!!)

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USS North Dakota

Officer of Engineers

And one TUA (TOW Under Armour) squadron manned by personnel from 1st and 2nd Battalions of the PPCLI. The Lord Strathcona Horse (Royal Canadians) will be the only armoured regiment in Canada.

I'm assuming you mean the mech inf with the LAV III. 1st and 2nd Battalions of the Princess Patricia Canadian Light Infantry, the Royal Canadian Regiment, and the Royal 22e Regiment are all comprised of 4 rifle coys and 1 RHQ of 4 LAV III per platoon each.

Troops (ie, platoons) and squadrons (ie, companies) will detached from the LdSH(RC) to deploying Task Forces (ie, reduced battle groups) as needed.

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Chimo

AutopilotOFF

For all those interested. Saw this on the army.ca boards that I read sometimes.

http://www.canada.com/national/natio...0-d8652ef4a051


Ten years after the Canadian Airborne Regiment was disbanded, the army is creating a strike force of fast-moving, highly trained "ranger" troops that will reprise most of the former elite parachute unit's roles, senior army officers have told the National Post.

The planned Light Force will be able to airdrop into trouble spots around the world on its own or as a backup to the commandos of Joint Task Force 2, Canada's secretive special forces unit.

The Light Force, developed in tandem with the defence policy statement released last month, will form the backbone of a new Special Operations Group, which defence planners foresee as the future "911 Force" for military missions abroad or at home.

Lieutenant-Colonel Dave Galea said the new force will be based on the three existing light infantry battalions -- units of about 600 soldiers with light weapons and equipment and almost no vehicles.

"The aim is for the Light Force not to become special forces themselves, but to be trained to support special forces such as JTF-2," he said. "The supporting groups would not need to be trained to the same abilities.

"They will be tactically deployable by air ... by helicopter or in parachute operations."

Lt.-Col. Galea said the new force will be similar to the Canadian Airborne Regiment, disbanded in 1995 after a series of incidents arising from the ill-fated 1992-93 mission in Somalia.

"There are certainly comparisons you could draw, but I don't think what we're talking about is exactly the same," he said. "The parachuting would be limited in scope, parachuting into a permissive environment. So it's parachute operations as opposed to airborne operations."

"But a comparison you could draw to the Airborne Regiment is [that] we're talking about a high-readiness and rapidly deployable force."

Each of the existing battalions includes a "jump" company of 150 paratroopers -- the remnants of the former Canadian Airborne Regiment -- but Lt.-Col. Galea said it has not yet been decided whether the new force will be consolidated into one regiment or brigade. "It's too soon to tell," he said. "We're going to do an estimate on how best to achieve that concept. There are all sorts of ways to skin the same cat."

Dr. Sean Maloney, a professor at the Royal Military College in Kingston, Ont., who specializes in the modern military, said the planned force could be a valuable addition to any Canadian Forces operation overseas.

"These guys will be the pointy end of our strategic rapid-reaction force, which hearkens back to the original role of the old Airborne Regiment," he said.

While JTF-2 commandos perform small-scale, specialized raids, the new force will give them the bulk to do their jobs more effectively, Dr. Maloney said.

"JTF-2 does very precise, surgical operations.... This force will be there to secure the area so they can do their job and move on."

He said the only possible drawback to the planned force is the chance Ottawa may be reluctant to use it for the potentially risky operations for which the soldiers will be trained.

"Once we have this thing, the question is will the government have the inclination to use it," Dr. Maloney said. "I think we should use it. We should get on with it because we're needed out there."

Lt.-Col. Galea said the new force will fill the same role as the U.S. Army's Ranger battalions or the British parachute regiments.

"But they'll also be able to conduct more traditional infantry-type operations," he added. "We're not looking to overly specialize these guys."

The force should be brought into being over the next five years, Lt.-Col. Galea said. "The plan is to take this in steps ... but we'll find a way to make it happen."

The Light Force arose out of the defence policy statement released last month, which called for troops "capable of integrating with Joint Task Force 2 elements" and acting as pathfinders for larger missions -- the first troops on the ground in a new area.

The defence policy committed the Canadian Forces to increasing the size of JTF-2 and its supporting elements as part of the Special Operations Group, a formation that would include JTF-2, a nuclear, biological and chemical defence company based in Trenton, Ont., and the new Light Force.

The Special Operations Group would also include naval and air force elements to transport troops and give them fire support.



Thoughts?

troung

I wonder how the backup thing would play out....

AutopilotOFF

If you are thinking about the backup for JTF2, I see it like this. JTF 2 are counter terrorist experts, highly trained in CT and hostage rescue. However, if operating on foreign soil or deep within enemy lines, it would be good to have this more sizeable force to offer any assistance required.

No matter how good a soldier, they could always use back-up. IMO.

troung

That is basically keeping them on strip alert. Like a Hatchet Force.

Like in Afghanistan and while Delta was trying to kill Mullah Omar the Rangers took temporary control of Kandahar AFB to provide a safe way to "get out of dodge" if problems came up.

If the unit does get formed they would likely take on such Ranger roles as raids, airbase taking/raiding as well as strip alert IA missions. I don't doubt they would also have to do "mundane" things like peacekeeping to justify keeping such a unit around.

I could not see the Canadians keeping such a expensive unit only to provide a rescue force for JTF-2 units. And I doubt the unit if it gets off the ground is going to want to hang onto airbases and play body guard either...

Officer of Engineers

Every now and then, people try to resurrect the CAR and it's not going to happen, even with the new SOG which requires a standby force of at least coy strength. You can do it with the three light inf bns. You can even do it with the CAR but you cannot deploy the CAR and keep a standby force at the same time, which means that you would form a RHQ for nothing and again the old complaints of the CAR being all prettied up with no dance to goto would surface again.

AutopilotOFF

I just hope the government starts to take the CF more seriously, or they may lose out on any future recruits like myself.

troung

The problem is where to send them. If they do "mundane" missions like peacekeeping then really they would be "wasted" doing something a normal battalion can do just as well. And if they sit around waiting for a major shooting action do play SF "babysitters" then they will sit around and suck up money doing nothing.

Catch 22...

Officer of Engineers

We actually do use SOF quite a bit in peacekeeping, especially during the initial entry phase. Although not the bn lvl. One or two bricks is the norm and since we have not established proper FOPs, they are our only eyes and ears while we're getting set up.

The SOG aims to give immediate punch to any deployment and not wait for the 2-3 weeks that would take a force to setup in theatre. The SOG would withdraw once the SCTF, later the MSTF, achieves operational status in theatre.