NATO dive-training exercise underway on Vancouver Island
Canadian military divers and NATO partners have convened on the shores of Vancouver Island for a massive training exercise, prepping the military personnel for real-world scenarios.
“We need to make sure as a military that we are ready for whatever faces us whether that is protecting Canadians or for our mandates on behalf of the government of Canada domestically or abroad,” says Lt.-Col. Cindy Legarie with the Canadian Armed Forces School of Military Engineering. “We need to train those skills to make sure we’re proficient,” she says.
Canadian Armed Forces dive teams and military partners from six countries are working out of Pedder Bay in Metchosin, B.C., for the three-week exercise. The annual event is called Roguish Buoy.
“We extend engineering into the water,” says exercise coordinator Capt. Alexander Scott. “The role of the engineers is to provide friendly forces the ability to live, fight and move on the battlefield.”
On Wednesday, a reconnaissance drill was set up around the Department of National Defence’s jetty at Rocky Point. The teams were tasked with a dive mission that put their underwater compass navigation, measurement, and slope assessment skills to the test.
“I like to just be a better soldier and any opportunity I can get to further my skills is a great opportunity in my mind,” says Liam Simoes.
Legarie says the teams also practise conventional munitions disposal underwater and the drills change annually to focus on the most up-to-date skills required.
Military teams from the United States, United Kingdom, France, Belgium, Netherlands and Germany are taking part.
“I think the biggest benefit is to build a platform to exchange, to connect each other, especially for standard operation procedures and to train it,” says cadet Martin Wanucka of Germany’s armoured vehicle battalion. “We are all members of NATO so we have to prepare for the worst case.”
A total of 65 people are taking part in Roguish Buoy from Jan. 29 to Feb. 13. While they’re taking advantage of the island’s mild winter for coastal training, the divers conduct most of their work on inland waterways, working close to shorelines and riverbanks.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Board orders deportation for trucker in horrific Humboldt Broncos crash
The truck driver who caused the horrific bus crash involving the Humboldt Broncos junior hockey team has been ordered to be deported.
Community mourns victims of fatal boat crash near Kingston, Ont.
The three people killed in last weekend's tragic collision between a speedboat and a fishing boat north of Kingston are being remembered Friday.
A woman took her dog to a shelter to be euthanized. A year later, the dog is up for adoption again
Exhausted and short on options after consulting two veterinary clinics, Kristie Pereira made the gut-wrenching decision last year to take her desperately ill puppy to a Maryland shelter to be euthanized.
Group tied to Islamic State plotted fatal Ontario restaurant shooting: Crown
A gunman who is accused of killing a young Ontario man and shooting four of his family members at their small Mississauga restaurant in 2021 was allegedly part of a trio who had pledged allegiance to the listed terrorist group Islamic State, a Crown attorney said in an opening statement in the Brampton murder trial this week.
'A really bad car crash': Why health experts are raising concerns over surging syphilis cases
A sexually transmitted infection (STI) that was once thought to be a thing of the past is now a public health priority for North American doctors.
Purolator truck drivers from Guelph, Ont. save man walking in Hwy. 407 lanes
A pair of Purolator transport truck drivers from Guelph, Ont. are being hailed as heroes for their efforts in helping a person in crisis.
Trudeau responds to American senators calling on Canada to increase defence spending
Stopping short of offering the assurance U.S. senators are seeking, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said his government is aware there's more work to do in order to see Canada meet NATO's defence spending target.
Toddler dies after being struck by recycling truck in Barrie, Ont. neighbourhood
A toddler has died after being struck by a recycling truck in a Barrie, Ont. neighbourhood on Thursday afternoon.
Milk sold in Canadian grocery stores tested for avian influenza; results released
As avian flu spreads south of the border, Canadian officials are now testing samples of milk sold in grocery stores across the country.