Operation NANOOK: Howitzers in the High Arctic

March 11, 2026 - Defence Stories

Estimated read time - 1:40

By: Operation NANOOK Public Affairs

Moving artillery from the Prairies to the Arctic is no small feat, challenging equipment, logistics, and people.

This February, soldiers from 1st Regiment, Royal Canadian Horse Artillery (1 RCHA) tested their mettle, projecting two 155mmM777 Howitzers from their garrison at Canadian Forces Base (CFB) Shilo to Victoria Island, in Canada's Arctic Archipelago-a journey of more than 3,500 kilometers.

"The Arctic tests everything: your equipment and your resolve. Our soldiers showed real strength," said Major (Maj) Sthalekar, Commander of B Battery, 1 RCHA. "They adapted, they kept going, and they proved they can operate anywhere."

Rather than fly directly to the Hamlet of Cambridge Bay, Nunavut, the regiment was given an additional task-integrating into a combined road move with other elements of 1st Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group (1 CMBG) between CFB Edmonton, Alberta and Yellowknife, Northwest Territories.

"A big part of this deployment was demonstrating our ability to mobilize, project, and operate anywhere-especially in the Arctic," said Maj Sthalekar.

The team spent months planning and rehearsing, including multiple run-throughs of loading procedures for the CC-130J Hercules aircraft in frigid temperatures.

Departing CFB Edmonton on February 10, the convoy pushed north towards Yellowknife-navigating icy roads, inclement weather, and sparse resources over the long distances that define Canada beyond the 60th parallel.

As Maj Sthalekar observed, "the harsh environment challenges not only sustainment, but also mindset, resiliency, and your will to keep fighting."

After three days on the road, the howitzers were loaded onto a CC-130J Hercules aircraft in Yellowknife and flown to Cambridge Bay, Nunavut.

Along the shore of the Northwest Passage, with a windchill below -50°Cand snow-covered tundra underfoot, soldiers used jackhammers, drills, cement saws, and sheer endurance to carve a firing positions out of the frozen ground.

The troops embraced every challenge.

"Not all equipment works out here; you have to get creative," said Maj Sthalekar. "The first enemy is your own limits. The second is the environment."

Despite blizzard conditions, the battery achieved full readiness. The position was deemed operational, the guns were set, and the data was recorded.

This accomplishment not only highlights the resiliency of these gunners but also enhances understanding of the logistics process of deploying equipment to the High Arctic while preparing for future capabilities such as the High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) and other resources that ensure security in the North.