The Defence Research Establishment Suffield was the name of the
military research facility located north of
Suffield, Alberta
Suffield is a hamlet in southern Alberta, Canada within Cypress County. It is located on the Trans-Canada Highway (Highway 1) approximately northwest of Medicine Hat, and just south of CFB Suffield.
History
Established by the Canadian P ...
, from 1967 to its renaming to ''
DRDC Suffield'' in 2000.
History
After being renamed from the
Suffield Experimental Station in July 1967, the Defence Research Establishment Suffield (DRES) continued to operate under the
Defence Research Board. On August 3, 1971,
Agriculture Minister H.A. (Bud) Olson announce "that a Canadian Forces Base will be established on the military reservation of the Defence Research Establishment at Suffield, near Medicine Hat" where more than 6,000 British troops will train between May and November 1972. A few weeks later, on August 25, 1971, the Canadian Government ratified a ten-year agreement with the British Government that allowed the United Kingdom Forces to use the Military Training Area (MTA) on the
Suffield Block. The MTA occupies the northern three quarters of the military reserve and the remaining southern area was named the Experimental Proving Grounds (EPG).
On December 1, 1971, the Canadian Forces Base Suffield (
CFB Suffield
Canadian Forces Base Suffield (also CFB Suffield) is a Canadian Forces base, host to the largest military training area in Canada. It is located in southeastern Alberta, north-northwest of Suffield, northwest of the city of Medicine Hat and sou ...
) was officially created and allocated to Mobile Command. 162 staff members, over 90 buildings, over 80 vehicles, and the
Crown Village of Ralston were transferred from DRES to
CFB Suffield
Canadian Forces Base Suffield (also CFB Suffield) is a Canadian Forces base, host to the largest military training area in Canada. It is located in southeastern Alberta, north-northwest of Suffield, northwest of the city of Medicine Hat and sou ...
and
CFB Suffield
Canadian Forces Base Suffield (also CFB Suffield) is a Canadian Forces base, host to the largest military training area in Canada. It is located in southeastern Alberta, north-northwest of Suffield, northwest of the city of Medicine Hat and sou ...
was co-located with the Research Establishment.
["Interim Memorandum of Agreement Between the Chief of the Defence Staff and the Chairman, Defence Research Board Relating to (A) the Establishment of the Canadian Forces Base, Suffield (B) the Provision of Services to the Defence Research Establishment Suffield and (C) the Provisions of Services to the Canadian Forces Base, Suffield", signed 27 October 1971]
In 1974, the
Defence Research Board evolved into the Research and Development Branch which was administered under th
Assistant Deputy Minister Materielof th
Canadian Department of National Defence Another reorganization followed on April 1, 2000 when the Research and Development Branch was placed under the Assistant Deputy Minister Science & Technology and renamed to
Defence Research and Development Canada
Defence Research and Development Canada (DRDC; french: Recherche et développement pour la défense Canada, ''RDDC'') is a special operating agency of the Department of National Defence (DND), whose purpose is to provide the Canadian Armed Forces ...
(DRDC).
Large events
Large chemical training events
* Exercise Vacuum was undertaken in the fall of 1968 with the objective "To test, under realistic battle conditions, new defensive doctrine, training agents, clothing and equipment designed as a result of shortcomings brought out in previous trials..." Almost 2000 men participated in Exercise Vacuum, which was held on the
Suffield Block. Simulants (mainly based on the tear gas CS) were used in the experimental phase of Exercise Vacuum.
[C.H. Laforce, "The Use of Human Subjects in Chemical Warfare Agent Experiments: An Ethical Perspective", Canadian Forces College, May 2006]
Large explosive events
*
Distant Plain 6 was a 100-ton detonation (spherical form) in 1967
[G.H.S. Jones, Crater and Ejecta Study, Defence Research Establishment Suffield, 1970]
* The
Prairie Flat 500-ton detonation (spherical form) on 9 August 1968
at the Watching Hill test site formed a 64-meter diameter crater
[Neville J. Price, Major impacts and plate tectonics, University College London, 2000]
* The
Dial Pack 500-ton detonation
[G.H.S. Jones, Complex Craters in Alluvium, Defence Research Board, 1977] on 23 July 1970.
References
External links
Official DRDC Website
{{authority control
DRDC Suffield
Military research installations of Canada
Science and technology in Canada
Science and technology in Alberta