Ex NS traditionally takes place each year at CFSCE, Kingston during C&E Week festivities. Its purpose is to verify our tertiary means of intercontinental communications using HF sky-wave propagation. Teams from across the globe participate and attempt to establish comms with the most teams, under various conditions, in a competitive format.

Over the years, the exercise continued to increase in size with more domestic and international teams registering to compete. This year, Ex NS witnessed an all-time high of 180 teams. Competitors came from multiple Canadian units spanning the Regular and Reserve Force as well as representatives from the USA, UK, Peru, Latvia, New Zealand, Australia, Italy, Poland, Libya, Iraq, and Haiti.

This year’s winning team was our very own 34 Signal Regiment from Westmount, Quebec.

As a means to provide an incentive to this growing pool of teams, a trophy was purchased for the 2018 iteration of the competition to commemorate the winning teams for years to come. The Trophy will be updated yearly with the winning team’s name with the trophy displayed in a place of prominence at the C&E Museum.

It should be noted that the hard work and dedication of Branch members are the real back bone of such a successful International exercise. From the planning, training, and execution; Ex NS has a fantastic staff that worked seamlessly to make it all happen. This year was no exception. During competition, MGen François Chagnon – the C&E Branch Leader – took the opportunity to recognize each member with a Branch Coin. Below is a photo with the Branch Leader and Branch Chief (CWO Gilles Philibert) with the deserving recipients.

From left to right:
Sgt P.A.W. Berresford, MCpl R.C. Haack, MGen Chagnon, MCpl J.C. O’Hearon, MCpl J.S. Doiron, and CWO Philibert (Missing: MCpl D.F. Normore)

For any C&E members that wish to test their HF abilities, I offer that you register for NS 2020 and engage! https://Nobleskywave.ca