Canadian Army Trophy
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The Canadian Army Trophy (CAT) competition was established to foster excellence and competition among the armoured forces of the NATO countries in Western Europe. First held in 1963, the event was so named for the hosts, the Canadian Army Brigade forward deployed in West Germany. It was decided to hold the competition every two years at Bergen-Hohne (and later also Grafenwoehr), Germany, from 1963 to 1991. Each member country was invited to field a 'team' to represent their respective Armies. Nations represented include Canada, Belgium, Great Britain, the Netherlands, West Germany and the United States.
The failures of a nation's entrant to place well at the CAT have had considerable defence industry impact. The showing of the Great Britain's Royal Hussars at the 1987 competition was the subject of a front page story in London's Sunday Telegraph, June 21, 1987, titled "NATO Allies Outgun Britain's New Battle Tanks". Critics have used the results of CATs to criticise the way a nation's army trains, the quality of its soldiers, and its procurement policies.
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The M1 Abrams, the US Army Main Battle Tank, debuted at the Canadian Army Trophy Competition in 1983. Representing the US Army was Charlie Company, 3rd Battalion, 64th Armor stationed in Schweinfurt, West Germany. C Co. 3/64 AR beat the second place team (Belgians) by twice their score. It was the first time the US Army won the Canadian Army Trophy Competition.
