Recognizing this strategic importance, the Canadian Army conducted Operation Bulldog III as an exercise to prepare a response to armed invasion of Canada's north, and defend the airfield from foreign attack. Operations Bulldog I and II had taken place in other areas in Canada, predicated on similar scenarios. Operation Bulldog III was a mock invasion of Yellowknife Airport by soldiers of a battalion of the Royal 22e Régiment (The Van Doos), with the defending force consisting of No.7 Company Canadian Rangers. The "Van Doos" from the 22nd were Regular Force soldiers, while the Rangers were part-time soldiers drawn from local hunters, trappers and prospectors.