[Mohoender]

The Arctic Reconnaissance Force: The Arctic Reconnaissance Force (ARF ) is Canada's specialist Arctic warfare unit which has mastered the art of operating in the depths of the harsh arctic tundra. Although largely used to train other units of the Canada Army and its allies in arctic warfare it also has its own operational sub-units and special formations. The ARF was only formally created in 1996, however it has its roots in several Rangers units some of which reach back over fifty years.

History: The arctic tundra is at the top of the world around the North Pole, which includes vast areas of northern Greenland, Alaska and Canada. One of the conclusions reached after the Twilight War was that the Canadian Rangers had no real capability to fight in Arctic conditions. In response the Armed Forces Council proposed to dual-role a new independent armoured brigade for both rapid reaction and arctic operations. To back this up it was deemed necessary to create a new unit to investigate methods of survival and operations in the arctic tundra and also provide a specialist reconnaissance element. This was to be known simply as the Arctic Reconnaissance Force.

In fact Canadian Ranger Battalions had some specialisation in arctic tundra operations. The Canadian Ranger Battalions are a Reserve component of the Canadian Forces that provided a limited military presence in Canada's North. The main duty of this largely aboriginal part-time force was to conduct surveillance and sovereignty patrols; they were very sparsely equipped with such items as WW2-era rifles and snowmobiles. They were only the resource available to the Canadian government to assert its territorial claims in the Arctic. At the start of Twilight War, Canada had some 4000 Canadian Rangers serving in the Canadian Forces Canadian Ranger Battalions, at 165 communities; which reach strength of 4800 by the year 2000. Attempts were made to incorporate their expertise into the new regular ARF .

Formation: The first CO of the ARF was Lieutenant Colonel Kenton Reeves of the 2nd Battalion, Canadian Grenadier Guards. Reeves hoped that volunteers from the Canadian Ranger Battalions and the Canada Army he could form the core of the ARF. By the end of 1997 the ARF consisted of two under strength squadrons, A and B, and a training and HQ wing. However the basing at Fort Richardson was unsatisfactory and causing retention problems. Reeves decided to move the whole operation down to CFS Whitehorse, Yukon and set up a tented camp, although living near that infamous mining town and its 'social' diversions caused some problems it began to build up an ethos in the ARF . That ethos was in its dedication to conducting its operations in the hardest of conditions, the ARF had little but what it could make for itself or 'steal' from others.

Reeves looked for any opportunity to test his soldiers. Aside from routine operations they also accompanied Royal Canadian Mounted Police patrols to the remoter communities and participated in search and rescue tasks. In the meantime the ARF was also aiding the establishment of the Arctic Warfare School at the new base near Raddison in the James Bay Territory, from where the new 6 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group was due to begin Arctic operations training in 1998.

Reeves were continuously concerned about recruitment for the unit which was far from the public and even military eye. He received a continuous stream of aboriginal recruits, many with prior service with the Canadian Ranger Battalions, but other sources were problematical. Recruitment from the small communities in the territories was limited, most of those who joined the military were looking to get away from the arctic. Volunteers from outside the region often had little idea of what was involved in joining such a unit. Within the military Reeves concentrated on building the regiment a strong reputation for professionalism.

Regiment: The early months of the regiment were spent in its core role of learning how to survive and fight in the Arctic. Showing commendable thoroughness the ARF investigated and evaluated every technique and trick for arctic survival. In addition they developed doctrine for slowing and confusing a vastly superior enemy advance using their own light weapons. Early on it became obvious that no man in a Patrol could be carried or allowed not to pull his or her weight in the deep arctic. Patrols became ruthless in weeding their ranks of those who could not 'hack' life in the arctic, sometimes these were found roles in the HQ Sqn or in other Patrols but more usually transferred to other units. In particular officers with any illusions of the nature of their privileges were usually cut down to size in quick order. The ARF quickly developed a very strong willed NCO cadre.

After the initial months of establishing the regiment and its techniques, setting up courses for the AWS the regiment formed its C Squadron. Soon after the ARF hit a crisis of confidence with some concern it had reached a cul-de-sac and was over-established for its tasking. Instead Lieutenant Colonel Will Griffith, Reeves' successor went hunting for roles and training opportunities. He succeeded forging close links with both 6 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group and 115th Reconnaissance Battalion as unofficial reconnaissance troops and by providing specialist knowledge to Special Forces.

Griffith also managed to solve the regiment's perennial manpower problems by recruiting and integrating ex-Russian and ex-American soldiers to its ranks to bolster the individual squadrons when required. The ARF also worked hard to widen local awareness and its media profile, aiding the Royal Canadian Mounted Police on patrol in the arctic especially in the pursuit of fugitives from justice (these normally become rescue missions rather than manhunts). Also quick reaction teams from the ARF are on stand-by to reinforce Royal Canada Airforce Force's Emergency Rescue Teams should any incidents occur in the Arctic. Today the ARF is under the command of a Major and has established itself as perhaps the premier specialist arctic operations unit. However the unit has a very low profile amongst the Armed Forces Council, being perceived as teachers rather than doers and overlooked in favour of more generalist units with more aggressive reputations.

Recruitment: Recruitment into the ARF is a constant struggle for the regiment, especially given the high percentage of drop-outs during training. The regiment concentrates its recruiting effort in Alaska and the Territories, but it accepts recruits from across Canada. The main supply of recruits comes from the area around the City of Yellowknife in the Northwest Territory. These people are primarily Inuit and most hold personal loyalty to their tribe. Aside from Yellowknife, Alaska and the Territories have a very low population density and it has proved difficult to recruit its inhabitants for regular CAF service with the ARF , although the introduction of reserve service in 1996 has improved this situation somewhat. However it has proved difficult to get recruits from this area through the tough basic training and wastage rates are high. Nevertheless there are a number of hardened 'Arcticers' in the ranks of the ARF .
Ironically Canadian Ranger Battalions have proved a continuing source of high quality recruits. Alaska and the Territories still attracts a continuing supply of students, researchers and explorers and many of these end up in the ranks of the Canadian Ranger Battalions. The ARF maintains close links with the Canadian Ranger Battalions, sharing the official mess of CFS Whitehorse, Yukon; and tries to head-hunt promising members of the Canadian Ranger Battalions. Playing on the love of the arctic, the absence of academic or foundation restrictions and the semi-elite status of the ARF they are often successful in bringing across a stream of potential recruits. The remainder of the regiment's recruits are found from across Canada. Very little unites these volunteers except an interest in soldiering in the harshest conditions and around 50% have previous experience in the military. There are also an unusually large proportion of aboriginals in the unit.

Training: ARF Phase 1 training for those with no previous military experience takes place at Macarthur Barracks at Fort Richardson. The barracks is home to the Yukon Regiment and is also responsible for Phase 1 training in that battalion as well as 6th Infantry Division [Light] local defensive militias. In addition to the Yukon Regiment there are strong contingents of soldiers for the Dawson Rifles, 2nd Battalion - 1st Infantry Regiment in addition to sailors of the 1st Royal Naval Infantry Regiment of Canada. ARF recruits are definitely outnumbered. Phase 1 training at Macarthur can be harsh, or very pleasant depending on the season. It always has a strong infantry character and long route marches are a well known feature of the course. The trainers are well aware that 40% of their students are destined for the testing conditions at the Canadian Forces Training Development Centre (CFTDC) and do their best to prepare them.

From Macarthur Barracks the recruits are then sent onto the CFTDC based at CFB Borden, located approximately 100 Km north of Toronto, in the heart of Simcoe County, one of the major tourist areas in Ontario. The CFTDC is the place where the majority of ARF recruits fall by the wayside as many lack the preparation or willpower of their colleagues in the 6th Infantry Division [Light], the1st Royal Naval Infantry Regiment of Canada or Canadian Airborne Regiment. However the fall away of ARF recruits usually occurs early on and results in a hard core of ARF personnel who pass through the training and go on to form the core of a troop. CFTDC is a very testing training process, most of which is conducted in the field in a variety of conditions. The small ARF contingent of instructors at CFTDC concentrate on navigation training a subject in which all ARF recruits are expected to excel or give up their rare spare time until they do.

Unlike many of the specialist forces in the Canada Army the ARF has no formal Phase 3 training. Instead the class of recruits from CFTDC are put through the standard Arctic Survival and Arctic Warfare cadres at the AWS. Some will then go on to undertake Airborne Jump School, places on which are always available to the ARF, or just go straight onto join their squadron. The majority of continuation training in the ARF is taught out on the ground with the active squadrons. Skills stressed in the ARF are navigation and mobility, in addition to vehicle maintenance, survival and a high level of competence in the ARF's chosen heavy weapons.

Leadership in the ARF follows the standard pattern with potential leaders undertaking courses at the Royal Canadian Military College, however it should be noted that leadership in the squadrons and patrols does not always follow strictly to military rank. Potential officers in the ARF usually emerge fairly early on with candidates identified as recruits or even potential recruits. Such is the responsibility given to NCOs in the ARF commissioning from the senior ranks is relatively rare. The gap between officers and men in the ARF is very small and only a stupid officer stands on his honour without a measure of good humour.

Units: The ARF is a small unit consisting of only around 500 personnel. These are divided into an operational regiment, an independent squadron attached to the Greenland Brigade, a special pipeline protection party and personnel attached to the Arctic Warfare School. Due to the large numbers of personnel detached to other units as trainers or on secondment, units are rarely up to strength.

1st Regiment, the Arctic Reconnaissance Force: The 1st Regiment, normally just referred to as 1 ARF or simply ARF, is the main component of the ARF. It answers directly to the Commander of the Northern Defensive Zone and has as its main role strategic reconnaissance in Arctic environments. In spite of this streamlined command structure 1 ARF is often overlooked and frequently finds it low on the army's list of priorities.

The ARF HQ also doubles as 1 ARF 's HQ Squadron. In fact the ARF has an amazingly small HQ element compared with other Canada Army units. Administration in the unit can be somewhat haphazard but usually achieves what it sets out to do sooner rather than later. The small size and family nature of the unit means this is not as great a handicap as it seems on paper. HQ includes a Tactical HQ, a CEME Light Aid Detachment for maintenance of vehicles and weapons, an Admin Section and a Supply Troop. All of the HQ is mobile and can go 'tactical' when required and does so at least twice a year leaving the few civilian employees to run the barracks.

The regiment consists of three sabre squadrons; A, B and C Squadrons and the above mentioned HQ Squadron. The squadrons are each composed of three active Patrols and one reserve Patrol and a small Squadron HQ element.

The Patrol is the basic building block of ARF operations and consists of 3 recce sections and 1 support section. Command of the patrol rests nominally with a Subaltern officer who also commands one of the recce sections but in practice all of the section commanders have a say in the running of the patrol. A recce section is composed of three specially converted Mercedes G-Wagon - General Purpose Military Trucks known as Mercedes G-Wagon LRDV (Long Range Arctic Vehicle), each LRDV is manned by two soldiers a driver/navigator and commander/gunner. The section can have two extra personnel depending on the mission, who each ride in one of the vehicles, the remaining LRDV is loaded with a collapsible Special Forces modified Quad.

Typically each recce section has one LRDV equipped with two equipped with EX-34 Chain Guns. They are always heavily loaded with fuel, water and other supplies. One favourite weapon of the ARF is the Mk.3 anti-armour mine, which is a key part of their arsenal. The section also has two C-6 General Purpose 7.62mm machine guns, whilst all troopers are issued with the reliable and lightweight Diemaco C-8A1 carbine for personal protection. The support sections have four LRDV and are commanded by a Master Corporal. Two of the vehicles carry extra combat supplies, rations, water and fuel, the two remaining vehicles carry 81mm mortars. The Squadron HQ is a small group of 4 vehicles with two command modified LRDV and two Dragoon MAS load carriers.

The primary role of each squadron is very long range, extended duration strategic reconnaissance in the Arctic environment. They are trained to operate dispersed in Patrols and Sections over the widest possible area. Their usual modus operandi is to insert remote or manned Observation Posts and collate information, they are also trained to gain information from local populations. The ARF has only a limited fighting role; usually in counter-recce tasks by ambushing enemy assets or as part of a delaying action. However the unit has strictly limited combat power and these would be hit and run raids only. It has been rumoured that the ARF has begun to investigate a stay-behind guerrilla role for itself. It is common for at least one man in each patrol to be a qualified artillery and forward air controller. Normally one squadron will be attached in support of the Arctic Warfare School, one will be attached to Greenland Brigade and one will be undertaking independent operations. In most cases operational command of the sub units is chopped to the unit being supported.

D Squadron, the Arctic Reconnaissance Force: D Squadron was formed in 1998 as an independent squadron tasked with investigating and developing techniques for use in the Canadian arctic, renowned for being even more inhospitable than the Arctic. Its organisation on formation was a reinforced Sqn HQ and two Patrols (No.13 and No.14) and D Sqn was responsible for much good work in the Canadian arctic but by 1999 was increasingly likely to be wound down. However when the Canada government made an offer of a Arctic trained Battlegroup to reinforce the British/Canadian garrison on Greenland it was decided to include a ARF element in the mixture. Consequently D Sqn was reinforced with an extra Patrol, and soldiers were switched around with other squadrons. Already an independent squadron D Sqn was well fitted to be moved into the new Greenland Brigade.

Alaskan Pipeline Protection Force, the Arctic Reconnaissance Force: The Alaskan Pipeline Protection Force is a 16 man team of men drawn from the ARF whose role is to protect the Alaskan Pipeline. Although they remain ARF soldiers they are deemed to be on secondment (usually for two years) and are paid entirely by the provincial government of Alaska. Their duties are rarely onerous or dangerous due to the Alaskan Pipeline Protection Force general popularity but they have to be aware of random threats to their charge. Most of the APPF are Inuit and are drawn almost exclusively from A Squadron, they receive special protection training from the Royal Canada Mounted Police. The ARF HQ is in two minds about the value of providing manpower for the APPF, seeing it as a drain of trained soldiers that often leaves A Squadron, the prime source of volunteers, undermanned.

Arctic Warfare School: The Arctic Warfare School was established in 1996 at CFB Raddison, James Bay Territory. The ARF is involved mainly in the provision of Arctic survival and navigation training where as personnel seconded from other units, mostly Royal Canada Armoured Corps, are responsible for training in manoeuvre warfare. The AWS runs two courses for individual soldiers and one for units up to battle group level. The individual courses are to provide unit instructors for Arctic Survival and Arctic Warfare. Whilst the Unit course is to train Company and Battle Groups in Arctic operations, and is run depending on the requirements of the training cycle of the Canada Divisions and the Royal Canadian. In addition the ARF provides independent Directing Staff and OPFOR simulating equipment for large scale exercises in the region. The AWS is also home to a large detachment of the Canadian Electrical and Mechanical Engineers, who in investigate the effects of the Tundra on various items of issue equipment. They also produce special equipment modifications, such as the original LRDV variant of the Mercedes G-Wagon - General Purpose Military Trucks.