On December 19th, the EU endorsed the ‘bilateral agreement with Canada’ under the ‘Security action for Europe (SAFE) regulation.
Canada’s procurement strategy, going forward, will be focused on the ‘ 150 billion euro defence instrument that supports those EU member states (and now, Canada) that invest in defence industrial production through common procurement, focusing on priority capabilities.
This new ‘joint defence cooperation’ agreement is designed to ensure that the cost of components originating outside the EU, EEA-EFTA states, Ukraine and Canada is not higher than 35% of the estimated cost of all components of the end product.
This assists Canada by a joint commitment to strengthening Canada’s resolve to its overall defence readiness, in particular reducing strategic dependencies, particularly with the United States, while addressing critical capability gaps and strengthening the EDTIB, the European Defence Technological and Industrial Base.
It further enables and provides access to Canadian defence contractors in order to integrate their research with European defence contractors and act within SAFE, which is the first pillar of the ReArm Europe Plan/Readiness 2030.
SAFE is also an important instrument to support Ukraine’s closer integration along with the European defence industrial base, accelerating capability development, and enhancing Europe, and now Canada’s defence readiness in response to shared security threats.
Canada can no longer afford to put its security in the hands of the United States. Now, a country that threatens Canada with annexation or economic servitude. Canada’s sovereignty is not for sale and the Arctic region of Canada will be protected by an increase in both capability and size of the CAF and Canada’s future Supplemental Defence Force, Canadian Armed Forces reserve and of course, its regular forces.
By increasing Canada’s armed forces dramatically, and by training, arming and equipping 300,000 members of Canada’s citizenry to the level of ‘basic’ trained soldiers, Canada will be taking steps to provide a whole nation defence strategy. Each supplemental soldier will receive one of Canada’s standard infantry assault rifles and basic training for soldiering. This will enable Canada’s soldier citizenry to be capable of assisting in the defence of Canada and integrating with the CAF’s regular forces in a time of war.
The objective will enable the Supplementary Reserve to take part in more advanced training throughout their service and to transfer to the Canadian Armed Forces Regular Forces or the Canadian Armed Forces Reserve Units.
As throughout many nations in Europe, integration and training will greatly enhance Canada’s defence strategy, which while not entailing full conscription as of yet, will serve to assist in its acceptance. If Canada then can field a force structure of 488,000 armed personnel, (88,000 regular members of the CAF, 100,000 reservists, requiring annual service, and 300,000 supplemental reserve members) it will be more than possible to provide regular forces units of the CAF with the necessary trained personnel to function as fully-integrated units within NATO, on a rotational serving basis.
However, world events are not predictable and conscription may well be warranted. Approximately 200,000 to 210,000 Canadian men turn 19 each year. If in order to secure Canada’s military, men aged 19 were to spend one year in the CAF’s, learning a trade or improving their military skills, including them then being eligible for supplementary assistance for post-secondary educational opportunities after completion of service, it may well bolster Canada’s productivity and provide a mechanism for youth to integrate into a knowledge economy, while still affording Canada the protection it requires.
On a personal note my service with the CAF’s was a time I remember fondly, and the discipline I learned there continued throughout my life.
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