Canadian Manoeuvre Training Centre

The Canadian Manoeuvre Training Centre (CMTC) is the Canadian Army's functional centre of excellence (FCoE) for collective training (CT) and is the army CT training authority on behalf of its higher headquarters, the Canadian Army Doctrine and Training Centre (CADTC). It is housed by 3rd Canadian Division Support Base Detachment Wainwright, in Denwood, Alberta.
Overview.
CMTC's mission is to deliver collective training within a realistic and immersive contemporary operating environment. CMTC also provides support to exercise design, delivery, and execution for the Canadian Army and its Allies. CMTC executes its mission through a combination of force-on-force exercises, simulation training, courses, professional development, and exchanges with Allies.
History.
CMTC was established in 2004 and delivered its first exercise, Ex MAPLE GUARDIAN in 2006, but assisted in running the Brigade Training Event (BTE) in 2005. In 2006, the primary focus of CMTC was to train Task Forces deploying to Afghanistan. Since the end of the Canadian combat mission in Afghanistan, CMTC continues to design and deliver collective training exercises to maintain the warfighting capabilities of the CA's brigades and battlegroups.
Formation Structure.
CMTC manages exercise design, delivery, and execution through leveraging its sub-components
CMTC Headquarters (HQ).
CMTC HQ is the unit responsible for exercise design and planning. The HQ conducts planning conferences, writing boards, and site recces with exercise participants in order to design exercises that will best fit their training aims. During in-house exercises, CMTC HQ leads the exercise control (EXCON). CMTC HQ is also responsible for maintaining connections with Allied training centres and industry partners to incorporate best practices across a wide network.
CMTC Operations Group (Ops Grp).
CMTC Ops Grp is the unit responsible for the execution of exercises. This is done through the employment of its sub-units, which provide a rich training environment, facilitate learning, and inform EXCON. Ops Grp consists of:
Observer Controller Trainers (OCT).
OCTs are experienced officers, warrant officers and non-commissioned members who coach and mentor the training audience, by leveraging their experience, knowledge of doctrine, and interpretation of discrete and aggregate data. CMTC's OCTs support all CMTC-led exercises, and often support other excises for the Canadian Army and Allies. They also provide courses for Canadians and Allies on how to be an OCT, and how to conduct an After-Action Review.
Contemporary Operating Environment Force (COEFOR).
COEFOR provides unconventional, para-military, and host-nation forces and key personalities to role-play in exercises. They cover any gaps the spectrum of personalities in the battlespace, between the Opposing Force (OPFOR), training audience, and the population base. The employment of COEFOR causes soldiers to consider each and every person in the battlespace, and forces them to remain aware throughout the entire exercise. CMTC's COEFOR also supports Allied exercises around the world.
Support Group (Sp Grp).
CMTC has an integral administration and network support capability that provides admin services to its own members and the exercises it leads.
Formation Training Group (Fmn Trg Grp).
Fmn Trg Grp provides training to the Canadian Army at the formation level. This includes the design and delivery of Ex UNIFIED RESOLVE and the provision of the Canadian Army Exercise Planning and Execution Course (CAEPAC) and the Civilian - Military Interagency Planning Seminar (CMIPS).
Army Collective Training (Army CT).
Army CT is a responsible for upholding CMTC's duties as the FCoE for CT doctrine. CMTC's exercises are designed around the achievement of Battle Task Standards (BTS), which are derived from operational needs and implemented in doctrine. Army CT ensures that doctrine is updated as the operational environment shifts, to ensure exercises are relevant to the needs of training audiences.
Exercises.
Ex MAPLE RESOLVE (Ex MR).
Ex MR is the Canadian Army's cornerstone exercise for proving brigades, battlegroups, and their soldiers in the contemporary operating environment. During the exercise, soldiers test their ability to integrate with Allies and other government departments as they hone their warfighting skills within a realistic, complex and demanding environment. The exercise challenges soldiers with fourteen days of force-on-force exercise in an environment that closely models modern conflict, complete with simulated villages populated with professional actors who maintain a pattern of life and interact on a simulated social media environment. There are approximately 5,000 personnel involved in each serial of Ex MR.
Ex UNIFIED RESOLVE (Ex UR).
Ex UR is the Canadian Army's largest and most complex computer-assisted training exercise. The training plays a key role in confirming the operational readiness of the Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group command and control elements and tests their ability to plan and conduct missions, as directed by the Government of Canada, anywhere in the world. During the six day simulation, participants react to computer-generated scenarios to conduct deliberate attacks, mobile defence and humanitarian assistance which simulate an army response to a realistic situation.
Integrated Capstone Exercise (ICE).
CMTC conducts the ICE as part of the CAF's contribution as the Framework Nation for the enhance Forward Presence Battlegroup (eFP BG) Latvia. ICE confirms that the eFP meets the Supreme Allied Commander Europe's (SACEUR) requirements, and that the eight Sending Nations and Framework Nation are effectively integrated into one multinational battlegroup.
Canadian Patrol Concentration (CPC).
CMTC plans and executes the CPC at the request of the Canadian Army. Each team consists of eight soldiers, who cover over 40 km throughout a 72 hour patrol window. Teams must respond to operational challenges in a contested environment with a persistent enemy threat. The scenario includes events such as obstacle crossings, reconnaissance tasks, and responding to enemy actions. CPC is attended by sections from both the Regular and Reserve Force, from Canada and around the world.
Exercise Features.
Weapons Effects Simulation (WES).
The WES system is a live simulation system that represents people, vehicles, and equipment in combat situations. The system includes both vehicle and person-worn systems with laser detectors and projectors, linked to a GPS system that allows each individual soldier's actions and fate on the battlefield to be centrally tracked. The system is provided by CUBIC.
Civilians in the Battlespace (CIBs).
CMTC contracts a population of CIBs who populate several villages and an urban area with approximately 200 actors, the contract is currently held by Allied Container Systems (ACS). Contracted actors speak a language other than English or French – training soldiers to integrate interpreters and operate in an environment where the population can communicate without them understanding, and does not always understand them. The CIBs have an integral make-up and production team that coordinates and executes the representation of casualties with realistic injuries.
Exercise Network (EXNET).
CMTC has the capability to run a simulated social media network on top of an isolated network. This allows everyone in the battlespace to interact in a public forum. Access to the network is granted through internet cafes and cellphones in each community. This network reinforces to training audiences that actions in the physical domain impact the information domain, and vice versa.
After-Action Reviews (AARs).
CMTC builds after-action reviews into the various stages of its exercises. CMTC AARs are informed by feedback from OCTs who observe the battle in person and from command nodes, data as shown by WES, and the OPFOR and COEFOR. CMTC's OCTs coordinate all of the available inputs for Commander's to conduct their own AARs.
Multinational training environment.
CMTC seeks and accommodates allied partners for all major exercises. CAF members deployed on operations can almost always expect to be working in a multinational context. The regular inclusion of Allies into training opportunities better prepares our soldiers for the realities of integrating people, capabilities, and equipment from other nations.