'Hard on the body': Canadian troops train for Arctic defense

by Daphné LEMELIN

In normal conditions, Canadian Air Force helicopter pilot Jonathan Vokey uses the treeline to gauge his altitude. But in the Arctic, where the landing zone is an expanse of white snow, he has to adjust.

"Operating in the cold, it's hard on the body, but it also can be challenging with the aircraft as well," Vokey, an Air Force captain, told AFP during an exercise aimed at preparing Canadian troops to operate in the country's extreme north, a region fast becoming a military priority.