British Army Training Unit Suffield | |
---|---|
Suffield, Alberta Near Medicine Hat | |
Coordinates | 50°16′24″N111°10′30″W / 50.27333°N 111.17500°W |
Type | Training Area |
Site information | |
Owner | Ministry of Defence |
Operator | British Army |
Website | www |
Site history | |
In use | 1971–present |
The British Army Training Unit Suffield (BATUS) is a British Army unit located at the vast training area of Canadian Forces Base Suffield near Suffield, Alberta, Canada. [1] BATUS is the British Army's largest armoured training facility, and it can accommodate live-firing and tactical effect simulation (TES) exercises up to battle group level. CFB Suffield is seven times the size of the Salisbury Plain Training Area in England and 19% of the size of Northern Ireland, offering the British Army the ability to conduct large exercises that UK military bases cannot accommodate. [2]
A British chemical weapons testing facility was located in French-controlled Algeria. However, upon the conquest of France by Germany in 1940, the facility was lost. The British could find no suitable location in the UK, and an agreement was signed between Canada and the UK to allow the Suffield area to become available to British scientists for testing. Consequently, British and Canadian forces employed the area for a variety of experiments. Upon the end of World War II, the British departed the Suffield area and it was formally taken over by the Canadian Defence Research Board. [3]
In 1969, Colonel Gaddafi led a coup in Libya, took control of the country and proceeded, after negotiations, to close down British military installations located at El Adem and Tobruk, and American installations located near Tripoli. This presented the UK with a problem, as there were no areas large enough to allow the British Army to undertake large-scale armoured warfare exercises in Europe. In 1971 a 10-year lease was signed between the British and Canadian Governments that authorized battle group training to take place in the Suffield area by the British Army. In January 1972, the British Army Training Unit Suffield was formally established. In July, the first live rounds were fired by the 4th Royal Tank Regiment Battle Group. In 1981, the lease for Suffield was extended, and in 1991, the lease was again extended. In 2006, on the expiration of this lease, the British and Canadian governments concluded an agreement that would allow British forces to maintain their training practices in Canada indefinitely. [4]
Reports in September 2020 suggested that tank training at BATUS could be brought to an end as the Challenger 2 tanks age. [5] Mayor of nearby city Medicine Hat, Ted Clugston (along with local MP Glen Motz) expressed concern about this, saying the base has been a "major economic stabilizing force since the 1970s". [6] A 2007 estimate suggested that the unit injects $100 million into the local economy. [7] In November 2021, reports suggested that the base would be closed in favour of the Omani-British Joint Training Area in Oman, however this was denied by Defence Secretary Ben Wallace who added that the base would see "change" but would not close. The MOD Press Office stated that the base would remain "a vital training base for the British Army". [8]
In October 2021, 29 (BATUS) Flight AAC, which provided range reconnaissance, CASEVAC (casualty evacuation) and limited lift of passengers and equipment to BATUS with Gazelle helicopters, was placed in suspended animation, leaving BATUS with no UK aviation support. [9]
In 2023, all British military assets were removed from Suffield after the UK MOD announced reduction of training areas for the next two years. [10]
As of December 2024, the British Army was not using the base. [11]
Due to the hostile winters, BATUS conducts training from May to October each year. This normally consists of four to six battle groups (BGs) each exercising for around 30–38 days, supported by the BATUS permanent and temporary staff and a dedicated enemy (traditionally provided by a single nominated regiment). There are relatively few service personnel permanently posted to BATUS (229 as of 2019, along with 250 dependent children [12] ), but their numbers are significantly increased by temporary staff who form the bulk of the Operations Group (Ops Gp) who design and deliver the most complex live fire and simulated fully instrumented training for Armoured, Infantry and Strike Battlegroups. This, as well a large proportion of the camp-based supporting organisations, including a dedicated logistics squadron and a REME workshop. Permanent postings to BATUS last two years. [13] French-speaking local actors are often hired for exercises, to give soldiers experience of working with non-English-speaking civilians. [2] [14]
A 30-day exercise, Prairie Fire, operates four times a year. It aims to precisely replicate the experience of being transported to a warzone, fighting, and returning to the UK. During the exercise, soldiers fight fictional "Donovians" in "Atropia". [15]
1,400 soldiers and over 1,000 vehicles, including 22 Challenger 2 tanks and 103 Bulldog armoured fighting vehicles (AFVs), are based in BATUS, alongside an undisclosed number of Warrior infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs), AS-90 self-propelled artillery, Trojan combat engineering vehicles, Titan armoured bridge layers and formerly Gazelle helicopters, until their retirement in October 2023 [16] (previously used by 29 (BATUS) Flight AAC). [17] [18]
The Army Air Corps (AAC) is the aviation arm of the British Army, first formed in 1942 during the Second World War by grouping the various airborne units of the British Army. Today, there are eight regiments of the AAC, as well as two independent flights and two independent squadrons deployed in support of British Army operations around the world. Regiments and flights are located in the United Kingdom, Kenya, and Canada. Some AAC squadrons provide the air assault elements of 16 Air Assault Brigade Combat Team, through Joint Aviation Command.
A Canadian Forces base or CFB is a military installation of the Canadian Armed Forces. For a facility to qualify as a Canadian Forces base, it must station one or more major units.
The FV4030/4 Challenger 1 is a British main battle tank (MBT) used by the British Army from 1983 to 2001, when it was superseded by the Challenger 2. The majority of the Challenger 1 fleet was subsequently sold to Jordan where it remained in service with the Royal Jordanian Army until withdrawals were announced in 2018. Known locally as Al-Hussein, these vehicles received various Jordanian modifications before being replaced by French-made Leclerc tanks from the UAE and ex-Italian B1 Centauro 8x8 wheeled tank destroyers. The Jordanian Challenger 1 fleet had been retired by January 2023.
5th Canadian Division Support Base Gagetown, formerly known as and commonly referred to as CFB Gagetown, is a large Canadian Forces Base covering an area over 1,100 km2 (420 sq mi), located in southwestern New Brunswick. It is the biggest facility in Eastern Canada, and Canada's second-largest facility.
Canadian Forces Base Suffield is the largest army training area in Canada. The CFB is in southeastern Alberta, 3 nautical miles north-northwest of Suffield, 50 km (31 mi) northwest of Medicine Hat and 250 km (160 mi) southeast of Calgary. It is accessible via Highway 884, a public road that bisects the main hub section of the base.
Suffield National Wildlife Area (SNWA) is a National Wildlife Area located within the boundaries of CFB Suffield in Alberta, Canada.
3rd Canadian Division Support Base Detachment Wainwright, commonly referred to as Canadian Forces Base Wainwright or CFB Wainwright, is a Canadian Forces Base in Denwood, Alberta, adjacent to the town of Wainwright.
41 Combat Engineer Regiment is an Army Reserve (militia) unit of the Canadian Military Engineers/Royal Canadian Engineers (RCE) in Alberta, Canada. The unit consists of:
Beginning with establishment of Fort Calgary in 1875, the city of Calgary, Alberta, has had some degree of permanent military presence throughout its history.
4th Canadian Division Training Centre is a Canadian Forces training facility operated by 4th Canadian Division of the Canadian Army.
The 29 (BATUS) Flight Army Air Corps was an independent flight within the British Army's Army Air Corps that supported British Army Training Unit Suffield.
The Defence Research Establishment Suffield was the name of the military research facility located 5 km (3.1 mi) north of Suffield, Alberta, from 1967 to its renaming to DRDC Suffield in 2000.
The Crown Village of Ralston is east of Highway 884 on CFB Suffield within Cypress County in southern Alberta, Canada. It is approximately 3 km (1.9 mi) north of the Hamlet of Suffield and the Trans-Canada Highway.
A military training area, training area or training centre (Canada) is land set aside specifically to enable military forces to train and exercise for combat. Training areas are usually out of bounds to the general public, but some have limited access when not in use. As well as their military function, they often serve as important wildlife refuges. They are distinct from proving grounds which are designed for purposes such as testing weaponry or equipment.
The Trojan armoured engineer vehicle (AEV) is a combat engineering vehicle of the British Army. It is used to breach minefields and for many other tasks. It is currently in use with the Royal Engineers.
1 Area Support Group was a Canadian Army formation that provided support to other Canadian Army formations and units in Western Canada.
The Biological and Chemical Defence Review Committee, or BCDRC is a civilian body having oversight of the Canadian military's activities in the area of defence against biological and chemical warfare.
3 RegimentArmy Air Corps is a regiment of the British Army and is under the command of the 1st Aviation Brigade Combat Team within Joint Aviation Command (JAC). The regiment operates the Boeing AH-64E Apache attack helicopter, and is based out of Wattisham Flying Station.
The Omani-British Joint Training Area is a training area established in 2019 for joint military training between Oman and the United Kingdom. It is also used as a Land Regional Hub for expeditionary warfare by the British Army.