Canada's Response to Putin's Policy Shift
Boosting Defense Capabilities: NATO Makes Strategic Moves in Upcoming Plans
Toronto (dpa) — In response to persistent threats from Russia, Canada is looking to bolster its military capabilities to bolster deterrence and defense. "We need more resources, troops, and cutting-edge tactics to stay one step ahead of any potential threat and execute our collective defense plans," said Prime Minister Justin Trudeau ahead of a meeting of defense ministers this Thursday in Toronto. Top priorities include air and missile defense, long-range weapon systems, logistics, and large tactical maneuvers.
According to information from the Canadian Press Agency, the aim is to increase the current military capability targets by a substantial 30 percent. To meet these targets, Canada and other member nations will be assigned new national planning objectives, slated to be officially approved at the defense ministers' meeting.
The new objectives are seen as a formidable challenge, as the current ones are significantly behind. Senior military officials have recently spoken of a shortfall of 30 percent.
Objectives Remain Top Secret
The specific new national planning objectives are currently classified as top secret. However, it's expected that some details will become public after the defense ministers adopt the objectives.
For Canada, military officials estimate that the current active force of approximately 68,000 members in the Canadian Armed Forces would need to grow drastically to meet the assigned planning objectives. Moreover, substantial investments in advanced air defense systems, among other things, are reportedly needed.
Allied Nations Face Billions in Upgrades
The current deficits and new planning objectives also imply planned new targets for defense spending. All NATO nations are expected to commit to the upcoming summit, taking place later this month, to invest at least 3.5 percent of their GDP in defense in the future. This could eventually escalate to an additional 1.5 percent of GDP for defense-related expenditures, such as infrastructure, to reach the five-percent target suggested by U.S. President Donald Trump.
According to Canadian Defense Minister Harjit Sajjan, the share of defense spending in Canada's GDP is set to grow by 0.2 percentage points annually over a period of five to seven years. Starting from 1.3 percent in 2020, this could result in a quota of 3.5 percent by 2036–2037.
On the sidelines of a meeting of the so-called Ukraine Contact Group in Toronto on Wednesday, Sajjan also announced a new initiative for the international reinforcement of Ukraine's air defense. A multinational initiative called "Swift Response on Air Defense" is to be reintroduced for this purpose, he said.
Background to the planning is the assessment by intelligence agencies that, despite the ongoing war of aggression against Ukraine, Russia could be ready for further military aggression in Europe within three to five years. Both the new national planning objectives for defense capabilities and the new quota aim to address the U.S. demand for a more balanced burden-sharing within the alliance. Unlike most other alliance nations, the United States has been spending significantly more than three percent of its GDP on defense for many years. Trump now wants the Europeans to shoulder much more responsibility for security on their continent. Ideally, they should provide all conventional defense capabilities themselves. The U.S. would then only need to guarantee nuclear deterrence in Europe. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg stated that the U.S. rightly expects allies to significantly increase their spending. NATO must become not only a much stronger, more powerful, but also a fairer alliance.
Key Areas for Enhancement:
- Air and Missile Defense: Investments in advanced air defense systems to bolster protection against aerial threats.
- Long-Range Weapons: Acquisition of long-range missiles and artillery to improve strike capabilities.
- Logistics: Enhancements in supply chain management and support infrastructure to ensure efficient military operations.
- Large Tactical Maneuvers: Expansion of ground forces for improved territorial defense and quick-response capabilities.
Financial Commitments:
NATO members are expected to increase their defense spending, with a proposed target of allocating 5% of GDP to defense. A compromise has been proposed where members could allocate 3.5% to military forces and equipment and an additional 1.5% to related infrastructure[1][2]. Although the exact costs for each member state, including Canada, are yet to be revealed publicly, it's anticipated that they will be critical in achieving the proposed military capability improvements.
Canada's Contributions:
- Manpower Boost: Canada is expected to considerably expand its active force numbers to meet the new planning targets[2].
- Investments: Significant funds will be needed for cutting-edge air defense systems and other military capabilities to align with NATO's new capability targets[2].
- In light of the rising tensions and potential threats from Russia, the discussions about politics and general-news revolve around Canada's decision to strengthen its military capabilities, focusing on areas such as air and missile defense, long-range weapon systems, logistics, and large tactical maneuvers.
- As NATO considers boosting defense spending to 5% of GDP, Canada is assessing its contribution, potentially increasing its military force and making significant investments in advanced air defense systems and other necessary capabilities to meet the alliance's new capabilities targets.
