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Canadian Army Information

The Canadian Forces Land Force Command (LFC), often called the Canadian Army, is responsible for army operations within the Canadian Forces. The current size of Land Force Command is 19,500 regular soldiers and 16,000 reserve soldiers, for a total of around 35,500 soldiers.[1]

LFC maintains regular forces units at bases across Canada and is also responsible for the largest component of the Primary Reserve, the Army Reserve, which is often referred to informally by its historic name, the "militia". The Chief of the Land Staff is Lieutenant-General Peter Devlin.

LFC is the descendant of the Canadian Army which was the name of Canada's land forces from 1940 until February 1, 1968. At the time of unification all army units were placed under Mobile Command (MC), later changed to Force Mobile Command (FMC) in 1975 when tactical air units were assigned to newly-created Air Command. The name was changed from FMC to Land Force Command in a 1997 reorganization of the Canadian Forces.

Contents

History

Main article: History of the Canadian Army

Following unification of the three armed services in 1968, Mobile Command became in effect the "Canadian Army" though the term "army" did not find favour until the 1980s when it became once again unofficially used to refer to Canada's land forces, both Regular and Reserve. The early organization of Mobile Command included tactical ground attack fixed and rotary wing aircraft, in addition to ground forces, and was akin to the integrated warfare approach of the United States Marine Corps. In a 1975 reorganization of the Canadian Forces, Air Command was created and all air assets were reassigned to that organization. Mobile Command was renamed Force Mobile Command and became an exclusive ground force. In 1997, Force Mobile Command was officially redesignated Land Force Command of the Canadian Forces.

Structure

Main article: Structure of the Canadian Forces Land Force Command

The Canadian Army is not an independent service; rather it is the land component of Canada's integrated defence forces known as the Canadian Forces; as such its proper name is Land Force Command (LFC).

LFC is commanded from Land Force Command Headquarters at NDHQ in Ottawa and is subdivided into four regional command areas:

Each area is responsible for the regular army and militia forces located within its geographical purview - all except the Atlantic Area has a regular army mechanized brigade group under its command, together with between two and three militia brigades.

Each mechanized brigade group contains 3 infantry battalions, an armoured regiment, an artillery regiment, and a combat engineer regiment. Each brigade group also contains a service support battalion, signals squadron and military police platoon.

Leadership

The senior appointment within Canadian Land Forces was entitled Chief of the General Staff until 1964 when the appointment became Commander, Mobile Command with the unification of Canada's military forces.[2] The position was renamed Chief of the Land Staff in the 1993.[3]

The Royal Military College of Canada's mission is to educate, train and develop Officer Cadets for leadership careers of effective service in the Canadian Forces-Canadian Forces Air Command, Canadian Forces Maritime Command and Canadian Forces Land Force Command.

Regular force

Main article: List of units of the Canadian Army

Canadian infantry and armoured regimental traditions are strongly rooted in the traditions and history of the British Army. Many regiments were patterned after regiments of the British Army, and a system of official "alliances", or affiliations, was created to perpetuate a sense of shared history. Other regiments developed independently, resulting in a mixture of both colourful and historically familiar names. Other traditions such as Battle Honours and Colours have been maintained by Canadian regiments as well. Approximately two thirds of the Regular Force is composed of anglophone units, while one third is francophone.

Between 1953 and 1971, the regular Canadian infantry consisted of seven regiments, each of two battalions (except the Royal 22e Régiment, which had three, and the Canadian Airborne Regiment, which was divided into three "commandos"). The three present regular infantry regiments were augmented by three further regiments each of two battalions:

After 1971, the regular force battalions of the QOR and the Black Watch were dissolved (their Militia battalions remained in Toronto and Montreal, respectively) with their personnel distributed between The RCR and PPCLI, while the Canadian Guards were disbanded. The Canadian Airborne Regiment was disbanded in 1995.

The regular forces currently consist of the following regiments:

Infantry

Regular Force infantry regiments and battalions of the Canadian Army are:

  1. The Royal Canadian Regiment
  2. Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry
    • 1st Battalion (CFB Edmonton) - Mechanized Infantry
    • 2nd Battalion (CFB Shilo) - Mechanized Infantry
    • 3rd Battalion (CFB Edmonton) - Light Infantry + Parachute Company
  3. Royal 22e Régiment

Artillery

Canada's regular field artillery has traditionally been called the Royal Canadian Horse Artillery. Canada currently has four Regular Force regiments:

Armour

A Canadian LAV III.

Regular Force units include:

Combat engineers

Electronic Warfare

Canadian Soldiers inspect Browning Hi-Power

Reserve force

A Canadian soldier fires the current issue C7A2 rifle at the range with a C79A2 sight. This particular example is missing the standard TRIAD mount.
  1. Land Force Atlantic Area
    • 36 Canadian Brigade Group
      • 36 Canadian Brigade Group Headquarters
      • 36 Canadian Brigade Group (NS) Band (music)
      • The Halifax Rifles (RCAC) (armoured)(Halifax, Nova Scotia)
      • The Prince Edward Island Regiment (RCAC) (armoured) (Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island)
      • 1st (Halifax-Dartmouth) Field Artillery Regiment, RCA (artillery) (Halifax, Nova Scotia)
      • 84th Independent Field Battery, RCA (artillery) (Yarmouth, Nova Scotia)
      • 45 Engineer Squadron (combat engineer) (Sydney, Nova Scotia)
      • 1st Battalion, The Nova Scotia Highlanders (North) (light infantry) (Truro, Nova Scotia)
      • 2nd Battalion, The Nova Scotia Highlanders (Cape Breton) (light infantry) (Sydney, Nova Scotia)
      • The Princess Louise Fusiliers (light infantry) (Halifax, Nova Scotia)
      • The West Nova Scotia Regiment (light infantry) (Aldershot, Nova Scotia)
      • 33 (Halifax) Service Battalion (service and support) (Halifax, Nova Scotia)
      • 35 (Sydney) Service Battalion (service and support) (Sydney, Nova Scotia)
    • 37 Canadian Brigade Group
      • 37 Canadian Brigade Group Headquarters
      • 8th Canadian Hussars (Princess Louise's) (armoured) (Moncton, New Brunswick)
      • 3rd Field Artillery Regiment, RCA (artillery) (Saint John, New Brunswick)
      • 56 Engineer Squadron (combat engineer) (St. John's, Newfoundland)
      • 1st Battalion, The Royal New Brunswick Regiment (Carleton and York) (light infantry) (Fredericton, New Brunswick)
      • 2nd Battalion, The Royal New Brunswick Regiment (North Shore) (light infantry) (Bathurst, New Brunswick)
      • 1st Battalion, Royal Newfoundland Regiment (light infantry) (Corner Brook, Newfoundland)
      • 31 (Saint John) Service Battalion (service and support) (St John, New Brunswick)
      • 36 (NFLD) Service Battalion (service and support) (St. John's, Newfoundland)
    • 72 Communications Group - Halifax, Nova-Scotia
      • 721 Communication Regiment (Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island)
      • 722 Communication Squadron (Saint John, New Brunswick)
      • 723 Communication Squadron (Halifax, Nova Scotia)
      • 724 Communication Squadron - active unit (Oromocto, New Brunswick)
      • 725 Communication Squadron (Glace Bay, Nova-Scotia)
      • 728 Communication Squadron (St. John's, Newfoundland)
    • 5 Canadian Ranger Patrol Group (Gander, Newfoundland)
    • 3 Intelligence Company (Halifax, Nova Scotia)
  2. Land Force Quebec Area
  3. Land Force Central Area
  4. Land Force Western Area

Army bases and training centres

This section requires expansion.
Land Force Western Area Land Force Central Area Land Force Quebec Area Land Force Atlantic Area
Alberta Manitoba Ontario Quebec New Brunswick Nova Scotia

Equipment

This section requires expansion.
Main articles: List of modern Canadian Army equipment, Future Canadian Forces projects, and List of infantry weapons and equipment of the Canadian military
This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding reliable references. Unsourced material may be and removed. (November 2010)
Soldiers from the Royal Canadian Regiment

Canada is an industrial nation with a highly-developed science and technology sector. Since the First World War, Canada has produced its own infantry fighting vehicle, anti-tank guided missile and small arms for the Canadian Forces. Land Force Command and Land Force Reserve operate state-of-the-art equipment able to handle modern threats through 2030–2035. Despite the financial cuts between 1960s–2000s, Land Force Command is well equipped.[4] The land force currently operates approximatively 10,500 utility vehicles including G-wagon and 7000-MV and also operates approximatively 2,700 armoured fighting vehicles including the LAV-III and the Leopard 2.[5] The land force also operates approximatively 150 field artillery pieces including the M777 howitzer and the LG1 Mark II.[6]

Coyote Reconnaissance Vehicle from the 12e Régiment blindé du Canada

In the near future between 2011 to 2017 (see also the list of Future Canadian Forces projects), the Land Force Command will receive a new family of combat vehicles including 138 close combat vehicles meant to accompany the main battle tank into combat and to increase combat capabilities of Land Force Command. Land Force Command will also receive a new family of tactical armoured patrol vehicles which will eventually replace the RG-31 Nyala and Coyote Reconnaissance Vehicle. The dismounted soldiers will be equipped with the long-awaited Integrated Soldier System designed to improve command execution, target acquisition and situational awareness. Land Force Command will receive a new family of engineering vehicles especially designed to clear pathways for troops and other vehicles through minefields and along roadside bombs and improvised explosive devices. This new family of vehicles will eventually replace the aging fleet of AEV Badger, ARV Taurus and AVLB Beaver.

Land Force Command infantry uses the C7 Rifle or C8 Carbine as the basic assault rifle, with grenadiers using the C7 with an attached M203 grenade launcher, and the C9 squad automatic weapon.

Uniforms, load bearing and protective equipment

Main articles: Uniforms of the Canadian Forces and Battledress

Canada's battledress developed parallel to that of the British from 1900 to 1950, though always with significant differences, and then increasingly followed the US pattern of separate uniforms for separate functions, becoming distinctively "Canadian" in the process and utilizing CADPAT design. Prior to unification in 1968, the uniforms of the Canadian Army, Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) and Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) were similar to their counterparts in the forces of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth countries, save for national identifiers and some regimental accoutrements. With unification in 1968 all branches started wearing the new rifle green uniform. The present distinctive environmental uniforms in different colours for the army, navy and air force were introduced in the late 1980s and are generally similar to their pre-1968 counterparts.

Meals

Field kitchens and catering are used to feed members of the CF Land Forces personnel at bases and overseas operation centres. For personnel on patrol away from bases, they are supplied Individual Meal Pack.

Rank structure

Main article: Canadian Forces ranks and insignia

Comparison of ranking structure available at Ranks and insignia of NATO. Not shown are the various appointment badges for specialist positions such as master gunner, drum major, etc. Many ranks are associated with specific appointments; for example a regimental sergeant major is usually a chief warrant officer. The title of master corporal also, technically, refers to an appointment and not a rank. Some ranks may have different names depending on the customary tradition of certain army corps, and may not appear here. Two commonly heard examples are the rank of Sapper, referring to a trained private in the combat engineers, and Trooper, referring to a trained private in the armoured trade. In addition, in the artillery, the ranks Trained Private through Master Corporal are represented by Gunner, Bombardier, and Master Bombardier respectively.

Insignia

Governor General

Commander-in-Chief
Officers
NATO Code OF-10 OF-9 OF-8 OF-7 OF-6 OF-5 OF-4 OF-3 OF-2 OF-1 OF(D) Student Officer
Canada No Equivalent General Lieutenant General Major General Brigadier General Colonel Lieutenant Colonel Major Captain Lieutenant Second Lieutenant No Equivalent Officer Cadet
Général Lieutenant-général Major-général Brigadier-général Colonel Lieutenant-colonel Major Capitaine Lieutenant Sous-lieutenant Élève-Officier
Non-Commissioned
NATO Code OR-9 OR-8 OR-7 OR-6 OR-5 OR-4 OR-3 OR-2 OR-1
Canada
Chief Warrant Officer Master Warrant Officer Warrant Officer Sergeant Master Corporal Corporal Trained Private Private Private Recruit
Adjudant- chef Adjudant- maître Adjudant Sergent Caporal- chef Caporal Soldat Soldat Soldat Recrue

Battles involving the Canadian Army

See also: Category:Battles involving Canada

The Canadian Army has participated in the following campaigns as a combatant:

Second Boer War First World War Second World War Korean War Afghanistan

Publications

See also

Canadian Armed Forces portal

References

  1. ^ a b c "About the Army". Department of National Defence. http://www.army.forces.gc.ca/land-terre/ata-asl/index-eng.asp. Retrieved 31 August 2010.
  2. ^ Dr. Wilf Lund (n.d.) Integration and Unification of the Canadian Forces, CFB Esquimalt Naval & Military Museum, www.navalandmilitarymuseum.org
  3. ^ Major Andrew B. Godefroy CD PhD (2007) Chasing the Silver Bullet: the Evolution of Capability Development in the Canadian Army, Canadian Military Journal, vol 8, no 1, pg 59.]
  4. ^ Lance W. Roberts (2005) 9.3 Military Forces, Recent social trends in Canada, 1960-2000, McGill-Queen's University Press, pp.372-376.
  5. ^ Equipment: Vehicles, www.army.forces.gc.ca
  6. ^ Equipment: Weapons, www.army.forces.gc.ca

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Canadian Forces Land Force Command
· · Canadian Forces

Commander-in-Chief • Chief of the Defence Staff • Vice-Chief of the Defence Staff • Armed Forces Council • Chief of the Maritime Staff • Chief of the Land Staff • Chief of the Air Staff Canada Command • Canadian Expeditionary Force Command • Canadian Operational Support Command • Canadian Special Operations Forces Command • Reserve Force

Maritime Command • Land Force Command • Air Command
Military history - (Canadian Army · Royal Canadian Navy · Royal Canadian Air Force)
Category · Portal · WikiProject
· · Land Force Command
Land Force Areas LFAA · LFQA · LFCA · LFWA
Canadian Mechanized Brigade Groups 1 CMBG · 2 CMBG · 5 CMBG
Canadian Brigade Groups 31 CBG · 32 CBG · 33 CBG · 34 CBG · 35 CBG · 36 CBG · 37 CBG · 38 CBG · 39 CBG · 41 CBG
Small arms C9 machine-gun · C7A1 rifle/C8A1 carbine/C-7A2 rifle · C6 machine-gun · Browning .50 calibre heavy machine-gun · Browning-HP 9 mm pistol · P225, 226 · Long Range Sniper Weapon (LRSW) · C3A1 sniper rifle · C14 Timberwolf · C13 fragmentation grenade · M203 grenade launcher · M72 SRAAW(L)
Crewed weapons Carl Gustav SRAAW(M) · ERYX SRAAW(H) · TOW LRAAW(H) · 81 mm mortar · 60 mm mortar · Javelin short-range air defence missile · Skyguard · C1 close support howitzer · C3 close support howitzer · LG1 Mark II 105 mm towed howitzer · M777 lightweight 155mm howitzer
Armoured fighting vehicles LAV III · Coyote Reconnaissance Vehicle · ADATS · Leopard C2 · Leopard 2 · Bison APC · M113A3 and MTVL · RG-31
Schools Canadian Land Force Command and Staff College · Peace Support Training Centre · Canadian Forces Land Advanced Warfare Centre ·
Category · Portal · WikiProject
· · Evolution of the Military of Canada
Unified Canadian Forces Canadian Forces Land Force Command · Canadian Forces Air Command · Canadian Forces Maritime Command
pre-unified Canadian Forces Canadian Army · Royal Canadian Air Force · Royal Canadian Navy
Canadian military formation Canadian Expeditionary Force · Canadian Militia (Permanent Active Militia · Non-Permanent Active Militia) · Royal Flying Corps Canada · Naval Service of Canada
Military formation in British North America Provincial Marine · Royal Navy · British Army (regulars, provincial regiments and volunteer militia units)
Military formation in New France French Army (Carignan-Salières Regiment) · French Navy (Compagnies Franches de la Marine, Troupes de la marine)

Categories: Canadian Forces | Canadian Forces Land Force Command

 

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