The Canadian Forces is facing “a death spiral” when it comes to recruitment, even as the government is “constrained” on more defence spending, Defence Minister Bill Blair says.
Blair made those remarks after speaking to a crowd attending the Ottawa Conference on Security and Defence on Thursday, though stressed the government’s commitment to spend more on defence.
But the CAF will pay if you want to add a penis or cut one off!
Only 58 per cent of the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) would be able to respond if called upon in a crisis by NATO allies right now — and almost half of the military’s equipment is considered “unavailable and unserviceable” — says a recent internal Department of National Defence (DND) presentation obtained by CBC News.
The presentation, which touches on everything from readiness and equipment to recruiting and ammunition supplies, is dated Dec. 31, 2023.
It’s the latest comprehensive snapshot of the state of the military.
Three new public opinion surveys suggest Canadians are growing more concerned about the state of the country’s military — and about Republican presidential frontrunner Donald Trump’s threats to abandon allies who don’t invest in defence.
The Angus Reid Institute released new data Tuesday showing a larger share of Canadians — 29 per cent — are choosing military preparedness and the country’s place on the world stage as their top political priority. Almost a decade ago, that figure was just 12 per cent.
“Slightly more than half (53 per cent) say Canada should increase its spending level to two per cent or beyond,” the survey analysis said — a reference to NATO’s spending benchmark, which calls on member countries to spend the equivalent of two per cent of their gross domestic product on the military.
Only 61 percent of the Canadian Armed Forces is considered ready for operations, a 10 percent dip since last year, according to recent military data.
The Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) says it must fix the “foundation” of its decades-long readiness challenges so it can be ready to respond to an “increasingly challenging international security environment.”
The CAF is striving to reach 90 percent readiness by March 2025, it said in its 2024–2025 department plan released Feb. 27.
Citing everything from troop shortages to dwindling ammunition stocks to aging equipment and technology, a growing number of current and former defence officials are raising alarms about the state of the Canadian military.
Even by its own estimates, only 61 per cent of the Canadian Armed Forces is considered ready for operations, according to the most recent data(opens in a new tab). In an increasingly volatile world, some say that’s serious cause for concern.
The past few months have featured a number of warnings over Canada’s defence capability. Our allies are dramatically increasing their defence spending. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg recently announced that 18 of its 31 member countries will meet or exceed the goal of spending 2 per cent of their GDP on defence this year, which is a substantial increase. He also rather pointedly said that he expects Canada to provide a schedule of when it will reach this target.
The U.S. ambassador to Canada says the world is closely watching Canada’s defence spending commitments, as the NATO alliance scrambles to shore up Ukraine’s supply of military goods.
In an interview that aired Sunday on Rosemary Barton Live, David Cohen praised Canada’s “very significant” military contributions on a variety of fronts, including purchases of new equipment and its activity around Ukraine, the Arctic, NORAD and more. But he also applied some pressure when it comes to military spending.
“By the same token, I have been quite clear — and the United States has been quite clear — that NATO and the world is watching what Canada is doing with respect to its commitment…. It’s not something we’ve imposed on Canada. But the world is watching,” he told CBC chief political correspondent Rosemary Barton.
Of all the areas of public policy, defence procurement is perhaps the greatest source of frustration and misunderstanding. Canadians know something is amiss: they see constant reports of cost overruns, delays and poor performance. But they have little understanding of the underlying issues and challenges.
Still waiting for the War Carriage.
OTTAWA—On paper, she seems to be exactly what the Canadian military needs. An enthusiastic would-be recruit, married to a current soldier, and already living on the Canadian forces’ base at Petawawa.
But it has been months, she said, and she hasn’t heard back on even the first step of her application — despite a number of failed attempts to wrangle information from a recruitment call centre. Added to this was the discovery of what she claimed was lead paint on the walls of their army-issued house, and the couple is on the verge of quitting for civilian life.
“I’ve always wanted to be part of the forces and represent our country, especially as a woman,” she said, speaking to the Star on condition she isn’t identified.
Most Canadians may not appreciate the hard choices that lie ahead as Canada prepares to meet its NATO commitment of devoting 2 per cent of this country’s gross domestic product to defence.
Politicians are shielding voters from that harsh reality. They won’t be able to shield them much longer.
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg declared this week that Canada must provide a hard date for meeting the 2-per-cent floor that all NATO members committed to last summer.
An aggressive China in the Indo-Pacific, an ambitious Iran in the Middle East, a dangerous Russia in Europe and an arms race in Asia are just some of the potential flashpoints that could erupt into a hot war that could drag in Canada.
It will be for Trudeau to decide if Canada sides with China or Iran in a future conflict.
h/t DS
Who will fight for Canada? With all the sabre-rattling happening around the world, and the possibility of an isolationist president south of the border, it is a question Canadians must start asking themselves.
For decades, we’ve blithely basked under the U.S. defence umbrella. But should that shelter be withdrawn, we and other nations in the free world would be exposed to the icy whims of autocracies like Russia and China, whose war machines are ready to go. At last week’s Munich Security Conference, an annual gathering of military and world leaders, the prevailing theme was not if there will be more conflict, but when. And how to prepare for it, starting with military capabilities.
Given enough time Trudeau would initiate a pedophile recruitment drive for the armed forces.
In the fall of 2022, a little more than six months into the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, two of Canada’s major ammunition manufacturers submitted proposals to the Liberal government to drastically increase production of artillery shells.
Almost a year and a half later — with Canadian stockpiles drained by donations to dangerously low levels, and with Ukraine running out of ammo — a major agreement to ramp up production in this country still hasn’t been signed.
And there doesn’t appear to be one on the immediate horizon, despite pressure from allies who already have moved to increase their own munitions capacity.
The defence department’s cyber force is being hindered by a lack of staff and training as well as security clearances that take far too long, according to an internal review obtained by this newspaper.
The force, made up of military and civilians, is supposed to handle cyber operations and protect networks at National Defence and in the Canadian military.
Canadian military police have decided not to charge a sex worker who they alleged had unlawfully used army uniforms.
Police had threatened in December to charge Kingston-area sex worker Christina Lea Gilchrist, who offers discounts to Canadian soldiers for her services. They alleged Gilchrist broke the law with the “unlawful use of military uniforms,” citing photographs on her website in which she was shown wearing what appeared to be Canadian camouflage uniforms known as CADPAT.
In a time of budget constraint that discount is patriotic.
