July 17, 2024
Thirteen NATO Allies are gathered in southeastern Alberta for interoperability training during Exercise PRECISE RESPONSE 2024, with scientific support from Defence Research and Development Canada (DRDC)’s Suffield Research Centre. More than 400 military members, including 27 Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) members from the 3rd Canadian Division, are participating in simulated NATO task forces to practice chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) defence scenarios. DRDC staff are coordinating the safe handling of live agents before, during, and after the realistic training scenarios at a remote location at DRDC Suffield.
“We’re hearing from our NATO Allies, particularly in Europe, how valuable they find this training. Developing these common procedures for responding to CBRN scenarios, and developing common decontamination processes will ensure NATO task forces are able to effectively work together,” says Exercise Director LCol Trevor Waaga.
Defence Research and Development Canada’s Suffield Research Centre offers unique facilities and expertise to enable defensive chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear training scenarios for NATO Allies.
Exercise PRECISE RESPONSE is also an opportunity for scientists from Canada and NATO Allies to advance CBRN defensive research. For example, during this 2024 event, the NATO Centre of Excellence for Joint Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Defence is conducting a review of past interoperability training and Norway is evaluating a new deployable biological lab.
“The realistic scenarios and access to a large group of international personnel at PRECISE RESPONSE help work out the curveballs that could arise in an operational deployment, while in a lower risk setting,” explains Boyd Garrecht, head of CBRN training at DRDC Suffield. Those curveballs include the logistic considerations of physically moving the lab, which is approximately the size of a six-metre sea canister, laboratory equipment, dealing with samples from different nations, processing a variety of swabs, powders, and liquids, as well as maintaining chain of custody for samples in different languages.
During the exercise, participants will employ their decontamination procedures for after the release of a biological agent. While wearing protective equipment, participants will enter a scenario and carry-out their training objectives. Decontamination lines will then be employed to decontaminate those participants. Samples will be collected from the participants’ personal protective equipment at various stages of the decontamination process. DRDC will use the data collected to provide feedback on the effectiveness of the biological decontamination.
Similarly, on the chemical side, DRDC Suffield staff will validate procedures for incidents with a low vapour chemical agent that is undetectable to human perception and most chemical vapour detectors. In this scenario, CAF members enter a room where there is an odourless chemical agent and they don’t know where it is. The scientific staff validate the procedures such as glove changes and boot baths during the decontamination processing line. With samples throughout the process, DRDC validates if the member was contaminated with the chemical and whether they are clean following decontamination.
“The members are permitted to exercise their skills operating in a hazardous, contaminated environment, collecting valuable information, detecting responses, and sampling chemical materials. Afterward, the members also receive immediate feedback regarding contamination control through the use of UV [ultraviolet] fluorescent powder, with quantitative evaluation later in the exercise,” explains Mike Lukacs, analytical chemist with DRDC Suffield.
DRDC Suffield is the only place in Canada where the CAF can practice defensive CBRN operations, training, capability development, and sustainment with live chemical warfare agents. Canada has committed to defensive CBRN capabilities, including through the Chemical Weapons Convention, since it came into force in 1997.
Related links:
- Exercise PRECISE RESPONSE 2023: Coordinating Common (De)Contamination Procedures
- Defence Team News: Exercise PRECISE RESPONSE 22
- Remote Threat Detection: DRDC tests the limits of sensors on drones in NATO trial
- Defence Research and Development Canada
- Defence Research and Development Canada Suffield Research Centre