Canadian Land Forces: 2300AD Reserve Forces
Canada has traditionally relied on Militia or reserve forces for the defence of the mainland. This was most recently during the Twilight Era when the militia protected their own communities from Soviet invasion in the west and marauders from both sides of the border. Today the Militia continue in this role and man some 14 brigades in armoured, mechanised and infantry roles. Joint Militia and regular personnel also provide manpower for 2 divisional headquarters capable of taking control of a number of mobilised Militia Brigade Groups. The individual Brigade Groups are capable of independent action and can stand alone within their regions. Voluntary military service is well regarded and popular in Canada, however many units suffer from an excess of maintenance on ageing equipment during training periods. Most units can muster around 50% manpower for annual training, but could swiftly come up to maximum strength in times of crisis.
The 2nd Canadian Division is a headquarters manned by regular and reserve forces and assigned an number of combat, support and service support units from the Militia. On mobilisation the Division is assigned to the 'flanks' of Canada on either seaboard. It generally controls light formations. The Division directly controls two reconnaissance regiments, two air defence regiments, one field artillery regiment and a field engineering regiment trained for seaborne operations. It has also recently gained a dedicated Combat Walker unit, equipped with CW-3. The Division also has the services of a specialist intelligence unit that also has a information warfare function.
The 3rd Canadian Division is organised in the same way as the 2nd Division. However the Division is assigned to support the 1st Canadian Division and specialised in manoeuvre warfare, generally controlling Brigade Groups drawn from the central states of Canada. This Division controls a similar number of units as its counterpart although it has no engineering formation.
The Western Area Group is the administrative formation that controls all of the formations based in the West of Canada in peacetime. 10 Canadian Infantry Brigade Group 10 CIBG is trained in amphibious operations along the coast of British Columbia. It frequently operates alongside 3 Cdo, SSF and the RCN's Pacific Command. It is a well regarded brigade with good levels of combat readiness.
14/15 Canadian Infantry Brigade Group 14/15 CIBG is trained as a mountain warfare unit which makes excellent use of training areas in the Rocky Mountains. The brigade is very lightly equipped and is also ski trained. Movement is by mountain capable all-terrain vehicles and fire-support is provided by a regiment of venerable 165mm Light Guns.
16/17 Canadian Mechanised Brigade Group This prairie based brigade is a mechanised formation still equipped with obsolete Cromwell and Fusilier vehicles. Whilst much training time is taken up with vehicle maintenance, when the unit actually exercises as a whole it frequently uses the Joint Commonwealth Battle School training facilities near Medicine Hat.
The Central Area Group is the administrative formation that controls all of the formations based in the heavily populated central portion of Canada in peacetime. This is by far the largest region with some nine Brigade Groups being recruited from the area. 21/26 Canadian Infantry Brigade Group 21/26 CIBG is a urban operations trained light infantry brigade that also specialises in small boat operations on the Great Lakes.
22/23 Canadian Mechanised Brigade Group This mechanised brigade is equipped with older generation American AFV's.
24 Canadian Infantry Brigade Group 24 CIBG is a light infantry brigade that has increasingly been trained in operations in mountainous and arctic regions. This results in much travelling by its units, and whilst training standards have increased manpower levels have decreased because of the increased commitment.
25 Canadian Mechanised Brigade Group This brigade is equipped with obsolete British AFV's.
27/54 Canadian Infantry Brigade Group This brigade has two major roles. It operates as a urban operations specialist infantry brigade, whilst also being responsible for providing ceremonial parties for the Canadian government at Ottawa-Hull and other locations.
28/29 Canadian Mechanised Brigade Group 28/29 CMBG is a mechanised formation equipped with obsolete British AFV's.
51e/53e Groupe-Brigade Blindé du Canada 51/53 GBBC is a unique unit within the Canadian Land Forces as it is equipped with heavy tracked AFV's acquired from Manchuria in the late 2260's. This came about after an embarrassing conflict of interests between the government of the day and the Defence Forces which resulted in the purchase of Manchurian tracked AFV's. However the regular army had no intention of converting one of its mobile mechanised brigades and instead the big Type-27's and their APC counterparts were issued to the militia. 51/53 is a hard hitting unit, that has started to suffer from the age of its equipment causing an increasing maintenance burden and eating into training time. It should be noted that the 3rd Battalion of the Régiment de Mont-Royal is organised as a specialist urban close assault infantry unit.
52e Groupe-Brigade Infanterie du Canada 52 GBIC is trained as an urban operations infantry battalion.
55e Groupe-Brigade Mechanise du Canada 55 GBMC is a well equipped brigade equipped with older model American AFVs. It trains to deploy into the north of Quebec and the Labrador region.
The Eastern Area Group is the administrative formation that controls all of the formations based in the East of Canada in peacetime. The Eastern Area has quite a high priority and would be amongst the first forces to be mobilised in a general war. 31/33 Canadian Mechanised Brigade Group 31/33 CMBG is a well equipped mobile force, having recently received 1 CABG's old Makwa and Tecumseh armoured fighting vehicles (still far more modern than what the brigade had been using). It gains from its co-location with the regulars of 6 CMBG and share a similar mission of securing the eastern seaboard and possible reinforcement of Greenland.
36 Canadian Infantry Brigade Group 36 CIBG is the Eastern Area equivalent of 10 CIBG. It is trained for amphibious operations along the eastern seaboard. It is also trained for a possible intervention should tensions with the Scandinavian Union again rise over Greenland, so places a high priority on cold weather warfare. The brigade has a high priority in equipment and training budgets. It also exercises frequently with Anglo-Canadian Atlantic naval assets, and trains frequently with 2 Cdo, SSF and British Royal Marines. Many of its soldiers have undertaken Commando training with both organisations.
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