'Hard on the body': Canadian troops train for Arctic defense

‘Hard on the body’: Canadian troops train for Arctic defence in face of sovereignity threats

OTTAWA, April 13 — In normal conditions, Canadian Air Force helicopter pilot Jonathan Vokey uses the treeline to gauge his altitude. But in the Arctic, where the landing zone is an expanse of white snow, he has to adjust. “Operating in the cold, it’s hard on the body, but it also can be challenging with the aircraft as well,” Vokey, an Air Force captain, told AFP during an exercise aimed at preparing Canadian troops to operate in the country’s e…

‘Hard on the body’: Canadian troops train for Arctic defence

Canada is making a significant push to boost its military strength in the Arctic amid climate change and growing risk of confrontation with rivals.

'Hard on the body': Canadian troops train for Arctic defense

In normal conditions, Canadian Air Force helicopter pilot Jonathan Vokey uses the treeline to gauge his altitude. But in the Arctic, where the landing zone is an expanse of white snow, he has to adjust.

Around it, everything is blindly white, and as you approach the ground, the aircraft lifts up a large amount of snow making visibility even more arduous. This captain of the Air Force, who participates in an exercise to prepare Canadian troops to operate in the far north of the country, is not a novice. But flying in the Arctic winter for the first time is nothing simple. Elsewhere, thanks to the trees, you have an idea of the height, the distan…

Prepping for Struggle With Russia on the Ice and Snow

The Finnish Protection Forces despatched out an pressing message: We’re being invaded. We want assist. Tons of of American troops — a part of a brand new Arctic division — boarded planes in Fairbanks, Alaska. Their flight curved over the North Pole and landed at Rovaniemi Airport, in northern Finland. The troopers shortly unpacked their M-4 assault rifles, rocket tubes and belt-fed machine weapons and deployed to the quiet snowbound forests, wea…

Hard on the body: Canadian troops train for Arctic defense #Canadian #Defense #Military

In normal conditions, Canadian Air Force helicopter pilot Jonathan Vokey uses the treeline to gauge his altitude. But in the Arctic, where the landing zone is an expanse of white snow, he has to adjust. “Operating in the cold, it’s hard on the body, but it also can be challenging with the aircraft as well,” Vokey, an Air Force captain, told AFP during an exercise aimed at preparing Canadian troops to operate in the country’s extreme north, a reg…