Captain Keun Woo Kang
4CRPG Public Affairs Officer

  • Canadian Rangers trained with NORFORCE during Exercise SOUTHERN CROSS 2025 in Australia.
  • Training included survival skills, wildlife safety, Indigenous cultural exchanges, and tactical comparisons.
  • The exercise deepened Canada-Australia military ties, with the next exchange in 2026, Exercise NORTHERN LIGHTS.

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From July 8-28, the 4th Canadian Ranger Patrol Group (4CRPG) and Australia’s North-West Mobile Force (NORFORCE) conducted Exercise SOUTHERN CROSS 2025 (Ex SC25) in Australia.

This Small Unit Exchange (SUE), which began in 2011, alternates bi-annually between the two allied units. Since its founding, the exchange has offered opportunities for participants to enhance interoperability and camaraderie while also introducing them to unique traditions and cultures. This year, NORFORCE hosted three staff members and 12 Canadian Rangers from 4CRPG. The exercise began in Darwin, Northern Territory, at NORFORCE’s Darwin Squadron Headquarters.

Here, Canadian Rangers received various forms of training to prepare for the Australian wilderness and learn skills essential to NORFORCE’s operations. Rangers trained with the F89 Minimi and HK416 assault rifles and engaged in water safety training that included 100-meter uniformed swims, treading water exercises, and capsized vessel drills. Wildlife safety briefings also covered hazards such as crocodiles and jellyfish. The group then moved to Shoal Bay for survival training, which included friction fire lighting, night navigation using the Southern Cross constellation, and plant identification. Following the Darwin phase, the group flew to Broome, Western Australia, to train at Kimberley Squadron’s Forward Operating Base, Robert Knox. Canadian Rangers were divided into two smaller groups for concurrent training. One group conducted amphibious operations at Ngamakoon in King Sound and Cone Bay, while the other trained at Neem Campground and Beagle Bay. Activities included shoreline surveillance and covert observation posts via capsized vessel and Regional Patrol Vessel, as well as medicinal plant identification. Rangers also engaged with mud crabbing, an activity guided by a Yaburara Elder who shared the history of the Beagle Bay Mission. Kimberley Squadron also delivered specialized coastal training.

Throughout Ex SC25, Canadian Rangers and staff explored the similarities and differences between 4CRPG and NORFORCE. While both units face common challenges operating in remote areas within their respective Areas of Responsibility (AOR), their techniques and procedures differ, with NORFORCE’s covert border security tactics contrasting with 4CRPG’s domestic assistance focus. Additionally, NORFORCE provides equipment, whereas Canadian Rangers rely on personal gear. Despite these differences, both units depend heavily on local community input and support.

To Major (Maj) Jonathan Spiess, Officer Commanding of 4CRPG’s “B” Company, NORFORCE’s reliance on local communities mirrors 4CRPG’s approach.

“Isolated communities in our AORs should be considered key terrain in mission analysis,” said Maj Spiess.

Another key value of Ex SC25 was the opportunity to gain irreplicable insights based on variables like environmental factors, which require firsthand experience to truly understand and adapt to. As Master Corporal (MCpl) Joline Couture noted, NORFORCE’s Australian environment posed challenges for those unaccustomed to water. Engagements with specific local communities also provided unique learning experiences, with 4CRPG personnel able to connect with Indigenous communities on the Dampier Peninsula and learn their traditions while strengthening ties.

Although this SUE has existed for over a decade, it continues to evolve, with Ex SC25 uniquely operational in nature. Ex SC25 also facilitated tactic sharing and fresh insights on remote operations. Following the exercise, participants noted it as an undoubted highlight of their career.

Next year, the SUE will return to Canada with Exercise NOTHERN LIGHTS, once more strengthening the CanadaAustralia alliance.