Canadian soldiers may soon be chopping their way through the jungles of South and Central America, the head of the army says.

Lt.-Gen. Rick Hillier told the Toronto Star that he's working on a plan to train troops in jungle warfare.

He said he has no plans to dispatch the army to a specific skirmish, but wants it ready to fight in any environment.

Lt.-Gen. Rick Hillier says Canadian troops need to be ready to fight anywhere in the world.

"We know we're going to operate around the world," the army commander said in a newspaper report published Monday. "We need to make sure we have resident in our army those skills sets."

Under the plan, Canadians would train Central and South American forces in peacekeeping in exchange for a schooling in jungle combat.

The plan moved closer to reality last week, when Hillier and Defence Minister Bill Graham discussed it with their counterparts at a defence meeting in Ecuador.

Hillier said the plan will strengthen Canada's ties with other armed forces while helping southern countries that want a stronger presence on the world stage, such as Uruguay.