U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth welcomed Canadian Defence Minister David McGuinty to the Pentagon on September 22 for discussions on the nations’ long-standing defense relationship and close military-to-military cooperation. “Defending North America remains our top priority,” McGuinty said on his first visit to Washington as defense minister.
Canada is one of the United States’ closest defense partners, and both nations share responsibility for defending the continent through the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), the only binational military command in the world. “Our great nations have served together in many wars. … And today our warfighters continue that, serving together through joint exercises, defending the homeland,” Hegseth said.
The secretary of defense said much work needs to be done in the United States and Canada to modernize their military forces. “The threats to North America require a strong U.S.-Canada defense relationship — there’s no doubt,” Hegseth said. “And I know Canada has committed at the [NATO] summit to increasing defense spending to 5% of GDP [gross domestic product] by 2035, which is incredible to see. A very strong step.”
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney announced in June an additional $9.3 billion in defense spending. That brings Canada’s defense commitment to 2% of GDP, five years ahead of schedule.
“It’s not just spending for us anymore,” McGuinty said. “It’s a game changer. These investments are building combat-ready forces, recruiting and retaining the best, modernizing critical infrastructure on 33 bases, upgrading our cyber, our digital defenses, sharpening our ability to fight shoulder to shoulder with folks like you.”
Canada is also working to bolster its defense industrial base. “We’re launching a major new defense industrial strategy for the country. Cutting through red tape to deliver faster, improving resilience, securing access to vital resources like critical minerals. Turns out we have lots of those,” McGuinty said.
“These hard power capabilities are going to ensure we’re ready to strike back and defend whenever and wherever we’re needed,” he said. “So, as we ramp up to meet our NATO commitments, we’re stepping up in the Euro-Atlantic, the Indo-Pacific regions. But make no mistake, defending North America remains our top priority.
“That starts in the Arctic — our shared front line. Canada’s locked in to protect the North, its people, its environment, and its strategic advantage. It’s where our sovereignty, our national security and our partnership with the U.S. comes together strongest,” McGuinty said. “So, from NORAD modernization to Arctic surveillance and infrastructure, we’re taking major and fast, bold, decisive action to shore up our collective defense.”
McGuinty emphasized his nation’s respect for the United States and its military in a time of evolving world threats and instability. “We know the heavy burden the United States … has carried over the decades; the scale, the strength, the resolve of the military leadership here,” he said. “Fighting on front lines across the world and through every generation — it’s unmatched. We see it. And in Canada, we actually deeply respect it. … This is a transformative moment, and Canada is stepping up.”