To entice Canadian soldiers, give them the tools they need to do the job

OTTAWA—Last week at the Conference of Defence Associations Institute’s annual conference, senior military leaders painted a grim picture of the current state of the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF). In a bold attempt to put a positive spin on the situation, Minister of National Defence Anita Anand told the Ottawa Conference on Defence and Security attendees that the government will be fast-tracking three key military procurement projects. According to Anand, the Canadian Army will purchase anti-tank, anti-aircraft, and anti-drone systems through an urgent purchasing process that was last used during Canada’s decade-long war in Afghanistan. The rationale used for such a rapid acquisition of complex combat systems is the Russian invasion of Ukraine. “Canada’s largest foreign military deployment, as I’m sure you know, is on NATO’s eastern flank in Latvia,” Anand told the crowd on March 9. “And our troops there must have the equipment that they need to protect themselves and to do their jobs, especially at this crucial time.” For the record, Canada has had troops in Latvia since 2017 as part of NATO’s Operation Reassurance. There are additional NATO battle groups assigned to Estonia, Lithuania, and Poland as a physical deterrent to Russian aggression in the Baltic. Russian forces invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022, which was nearly 13 months ago. In those first shocking days as Russian armoured columns rolled towards Kyiv, nobody was giving the Ukraine Armed Forces a snowball’s chance in hell of turning back the invaders. Most western pundits were already playing the guessing game of which country Russian President Vladimir Putin would invade next after he subdued Ukraine. In those first frightening days, the idea of the Canadian battle group in Latvia actually going to war against Russia seemed highly likely. However, by the end of the first week of hostilities in Ukraine, it was readily apparent that the mighty Russian military was a myth. Years of corruption had turned what looked like a formidable fighting force on the parade square into a toothless tiger in actual combat. The most astonishing shortfall in the performance of the Russian army was that of logistics. After only a few days of battle, hungry Russian soldiers were scavenging food, and armoured vehicles were simply abandoned for want of fuel. Now that the conflict has settled into a bloody stalemate, it seems highly unlikely that Russia will be able to hold on to its meagre gains in the Donbas region, let alone start invading NATO countries in the Baltic. Yet it is now, with an imminent threat averted, that the Liberal government is going to start looking to purchase these three combat capabilities for the protection of our forward-deployed soldiers. Even with the fast-tracking of these purchases, analysts believe it will still take another year before such capabilities can actually be acquired and fielded in Latvia. Then there is the fact that over the past year, Canada has drained our arsenal significantly in order to keep Ukraine in the fight. We have provided tanks, armoured vehicles, anti-tank rocket launchers, artillery pieces, grenades, and ammunition. For those who closely follow the CAF, it will come as no surprise that these pieces of equipment and munitions were in no way surplus. All of this kit will need to be replaced before the CAF can be restored to a state of full operational readiness. But wait, the news gets worse. According to Major-General Lise Bourgon, the acting chief of military personnel, Canada’s military is presently 16,000 members short of its authorized regular and reserve force strength of 101,500 personnel. For those doing the math, that is close to a 16 per cent shortfall. It is Bourgon’s assessment that due to the current recruiting shortage and a retention problem, “the rate of attrition is higher than it has ever been.” For the record, United States military doctrine notes that any unit suffering a 10 per cent casualty rate can no longer be considered combat effective. In recent months, the CAF has amended dress code regulations to no longer be restrictive to a specific gender. It has also removed restrictions on personal grooming, such as haircuts and facial hair. Visible tattoos and piercings are also no longer prohibited. One of the most recent attempts to cast a wider recruiting net was the removal of Canadian citizenship to join the ranks of the CAF. As of Nov. 5, 2022, permanent residents of Canada are also allowed to enlist. While I do not object to any of these amendments, I think the best way to address both the recruiting and retention dilemma would be to ensure our troops are equipped with modern weaponry. Giving away the Army’s arsenal, and then fast-tracking defensive weapon systems a full year after our forward-deployed soldiers should have had them in place, is not something overlooked by the troops. It is not good for morale. Scott Taylor is the editor and publisher of Esprit de Corps magazine. The Hill Times CORRECTION: This article was updated on March 16 to reflect that the Armed Forces' 16,000-member shortfall is among both its regular and reserve force strength.