Battalion - Canadian Army

Canadian Army

In the Canadian Forces, most battalions are reserve units of between 100–200 soldiers that include an operationally ready, field-deployable component of approximately a half-company apiece. The nine regular force infantry battalions are each composed of three rifle companies. Canadian battalions are generally commanded by lieutenant-colonels, though smaller reserve battalions may be commanded by majors.

Those regiments consisting of more than one battalion are:

• The Royal Canadian Regiment (3 regular and 1 reserve battalions)
• Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry (3 regular battalions)
• Royal 22e Régiment (3 regular and 2 reserve battalions)
• The Royal Newfoundland Regiment (2 reserve battalions)

Tactically, the Canadian battalion forms the core of the infantry battle group, which also includes various supporting elements such as armour, artillery, combat engineers and combat service support. An infantry battle group will typically be commanded by the commander of the core infantry battalion around which it is formed and can range in size from 300 to 1,500 or more soldiers, depending on the nature of the mission assigned.