THE WATCH STAFF
Canadian defense spending is on an “upward trajectory” as the country tries to reach NATO goals in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and in the midst of a host of evolving security threats, the country’s defense minister told business leaders in May 2022.
“We will continue enhancing our capabilities in terms of the resources and support for the Canadian Armed Forces, as well as in terms of our commitments to NATO and NORAD (North American Aerospace Defense Command),” Canadian Defence Minister Anita Anand told the Canadian Chamber of Commerce on May 18, 2022, according to a report by The Canadian Press. “We are on an upward trajectory, which is very, very important, especially in terms of the changing global threat environment.”
Defense spending in Canada is on track to grow by 70% over the nine years beginning in 2017, Anand said. The challenge Canada faces include a nuclear-armed North Korea and security concerns posed by Russia and the People’s Republic of China. The most recent federal budget committed to spending $8 billion in Canadian dollars on the military over five years.
“We will continue to work closely with industry in our ongoing efforts to strengthen both domestic and continental defense, in conjunction with our capabilities,” Anand said, adding that addressing the military’s capabilities requires providing the Canadian Armed Forces with the necessary equipment.
“Equipping the Canadian Armed Forces is … an issue that I take extremely seriously in terms of what we are going to do, vis-a-vis the United States and working closely with them.”
Canada has yet to reach the NATO goal of spending 2% of its gross domestic product on defense, but the country is in the midst of reviewing how best to upgrade its military. For example, Anand said earlier in May 2022 that Canada is contemplating the possibility of joining the U.S. ballistic missile defense system. Her comments come almost two decades after Canada first rejected an invitation to participate, according to a report in Politico.
“We are certainly taking a full and comprehensive look at that question as well as what it takes to defend the continent across the board,” Anand said following a speech to the Canadian Global Affairs Institute. “We are leaving no stone unturned in this major review of continental defense.” (Pictured: U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, left, meets with Canadian Defence Minister Anita Anand at NATO headquarters in Brussels on March 17, 2022.)
Anand added that the defense review will focus on the emerging danger of hypersonic missiles, continental protection and the rising threat of war, Politico reported.
“We do live in a world at the present time that appears to be growing darker,” she said. “And in this new world, Canada’s geographic position no longer provides the same protection that it once did.”
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