The new cold war

As researchers for the Defence Research and Development Canada, attending field trials, military exercises and operations for data collection purposes is a common and exciting part of the job. Over the past few years while conducting research during Arctic operations (Figure 1) we have experienced the challenges of trying to conduct basics tasks outside in the extreme cold. As civilian scientists, embedded with members of our Canadian Army (Figure 2) in the Arctic, this has been an extraordinary way to appreciate the challenges of the Arctic’s harsh environment. There is nothing like personally suffering from frostbite to appreciate this! Canada has one of the longest Arctic coastlines in the world, and there are significant reasons why the Canadian Armed Forces and its partners have, do, and will need a human presence there to guard this unique part of the world. Global warming and the accompanying opening of east-west passages across the region threatens North American sovereignty in the Arctic, by enabling a greater human presence in the vast expanse of the North for purposes that range from the economic (shipping, natural resources exploration) to new security challenges including criminal activity (e.g., smuggling, illegal immigration, illegal fishing) to increased tourism. The military has a common saying “no plan survives first contact with the enemy”. North of 60 , in the high Arctic, one persistent and capable enemy of the CAF is the extreme cold. The temperatures in Northern Canada, (which comprises the sub-Arctic, Arctic and the high Arctic) during the winter months can range from anywhere from¡10 to ¡60 C. Besides the cold, weather conditions such as fog, ice fog and blizzards present further challenges for operating in the Arctic. Together, these conditions pose a series of challenges that affect the Canadian Armed Forces’ mobility, equipment, human performance, personal health protection, and basic survival when operating in the Arctic.