Canada Fleshes Out New Defense Plans

Details of the Canadian government's plans to boost spending on defense have been posted quietly on the Department of National Defence's website. The new strategy was announced on May 12 by Prime Minister Stephen Harper, but drew criticism then because of its lack of detail. Now the government has laid out its planned funding profile and procurement roadmap.

The plan lays out C$490 billion (c$480 billion) in defense spending over 20 years from fiscal 2008-90 to 2027-28. Of that, C$15 billion will go on previously announced procurements including C-17s, C-130Js, CH-47Fs, offshore patrol ships and trucks. Another C$20 billion is earmarked for future major fleet replacements, as follows:

- 15 ships based on a common hull design will replace Canada's destroyers and frigates, starting in 2015;

- 17 fixed-wing search-and-rescue aircraft will replace the ageing Buffalos and C-130s, starting in 2015;

- 65 new fighters will replace the existing fleet of 85 upgraded CF-18s, starting in 2017;

- 10-12 new maritime-patrol aircraft, plus unmanned air vehicles, will replace the Aurora fleet, starting in 2020;

- progressive acquisition of of a new family of land combat vehicles, with the earliest investments aimed at use in Afghanistan.
white paper
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Wow.... and where will this money be coming from? That's right, the taxpayer. And this will result in money being cut from needed services elsewhere. I strongly oppose this.

[edit on 6-22-2008 by CPYKOmega]

480 Billion over... 20 years LOL

yeah Canada will go broke...

new defense policy, more mounties.. continue to allow the Americans to have no health care while being obligated to defend all of North america... from the nobody that will ever think of mounting a land invasion against a continent...

lets pray greenland doesn't attack

This will be at the cost of healthcare. The burden will be placed upon the people of Canada while the Canadian military will be used to protect the oil interests of Big Brother.

The more I study Prime Minister Harper, his Christian and Missionary Alliance church, his zealous drive to make Canada more like the United States of America and his insane prayer group that meets to pray for him on a weekly basis the more I see how the USA Christian right has infiltrated the free nation of Canada in order to force feed their way of life upon the backs of all Canadian's. The cost of not going along with Canada's new religeous right is to be shunned by those "who know what is best" for the masses.

Yeah, there are other things this country is in need of. Yes, this will cost money. But our military has been in a sad state for far too long and this is the bare minimum that needs to be done. I'd like to see a development of a northern territories naval base added to this list.

Sure, military spending is distasteful to the Canadian psyche, but don't delude yourself into thinking it isn't necessary. I'm with you on the fighting of illeagal wars and the like, in fact I'd like to see Canada go neutral much like the Swiss or the Swedes, but that would require a larger military, not a smaller, more poorly equipped one.

LOL...I don't even know what to say about all this.Thats alot of money for nothing.They don't even need navy,no joke but its either you love Canada which everyone does or well you don't know they are there.

Originally posted by alienstar
LOL...I don't even know what to say about all this.Thats alot of money for nothing.They don't even need navy,no joke but its either you love Canada which everyone does or well you don't know they are there.

We don't need a navy? With three oceans on our borders?

Originally posted by mopusvindictus
...new defense policy, more mounties.. continue to allow the Americans to have no health care while being obligated to defend all of North america...

And now it's our fault the Americans don't have universal health care?

Guys, I think you need to read a newspaper or two, just to get a little context.

With the military Canada has... Russia or China would eat the Great Northern way for breakfast and for no reason without our military...

same goes for Europe and I'm not blaming Canada for us not having healthcare...

you spend 400+ Billion over 20 years and we spend 1 Trillion a year...

Sorry but, The US has no natural enemies... more than Canada Europe borders the middle East and Russia. Nato is a giant waste of American resources and it has at least played a part in the military industrial complex overpowering my homeland...

Get your own Army, same goes for Europe... particularly when Canadians and Europeans are so vocal about American policy... put up or shut up, it's easy to be so socialist and liberal when you have a big brother defending you

I'f America only watched it's own borders... we could save your 20 year budget... every dang year. Do you have any idea how good my life would be if Canada provided the northern defenses against Russia, maintained a Strong and useful Pacific and Atlantic fleet, moitored the north pole properly for Russian aggression and was an ally not a leech?

ay?

and no blame to canada personally, but come on, you guys think in this century you really are "unnoticed" that no one has use for all that land and Water?

American policy allowed this, but really if Europe and Canada took thier own defense in line properly, America wouldn't be what it is... I'd prefer to be a little less of a global military power and more like Canada and Europe... Not undefended by our own hands lol... but a bit friendlier a better education system... some bullet trains would be nice... you know, pay your way.

As it stands your subject to every bad policy, every enemy and every decision we make Because you don't project the power yourself...

Canada couldn't defend itself against North Korea let alone any world power without us... so your screwed to take heat on everything we do...

it's worth a 4% tax to have your independence from our often ridiculous policies


[edit on 22-6-2008 by mopusvindictus]

I got to agree with Orwells Ghost. Canada needs to upgrade there military hardware if they want to continue to play a peace keeping role in the world or to be able to bring aid and supplies to places that need it (with our newly aquired C-17's). And as JohnnyCanuck mentioned, we have a whole lot of ocean around our Country. Keeping an up to date Navy is kind of a must in my opinion.

Now what I'd like to know is, what 65 fighters are they planning to replace our CF-18's with. Super Hornet's perhaps?

JRA,

I believe the plan is to replace the CF18's with the F35 some time in the next ten years.

Here are some facts for those who think we don't need a navy:
-At the end of WW2 Canada possessed the third largest navy in the world.
-Canada has the longest coastline of any nation on earth.
-Certain countries, which will remain unnamed, have laid claim to the North-West passage, which one look at a map will clearly show is in Canadian waters.

Originally posted by Jezza
- 15 ships based on a common hull design will replace Canada's destroyers and frigates, starting in 2015;

- 10-12 new maritime-patrol aircraft, plus unmanned air vehicles, will replace the Aurora fleet, starting in 2020;

Canada probably sees a need for more maritime surface and air patrol assets in the near future as the polar ice begins to melt and open up the polar sea. Several countries, Canada included, are already contesting ownership of the rapidly melting waterway.

The heavy transport and vehicle upgrades are likely due to a future (and current) need to secure, (alongside the US), oil fields in the mideast and west Asia. Ensuring Canada access to continually dwindling fuel supplies.

Canada is looking 10-20 years into the future and is adjusting their purchases according to the likely crises ahead.

From a military point of view what would Canada benifit from if they strengthened the military.

I believe that if they placed this much or more into Humint and the such they would be of much more benifit to the USA?

The us military is basically your Canada's backbone military.The us government wouldn't let anyone slide in that coastline or much less attack it.We have major early warning radar installations up there.

With the creation of NORTHCOM,didnt canada join it?I know they join the missile defense shield.At least NORTHCOM would allow the US Military to cross the border and deploy troops anywhere in Canada,in their provinces,as well station warships in Canadian territorial waters.

I think hes making a good move, Im Canadian, I certainly wouldn't want my country to be viewed as a bunch of pussies, we drink our faces off 24/7 and snap over everything, midaswell have some good ships and fighterplanes ready to kick some candy ass when its time to chew the gum!

Wow frankly the lack of knowledge of some of you have posted here is very evident. So in that case I'll ignore it.

But as for the news its really nothing new. The C-17, C-130J, F-35(development) armor, helo and ship procurement has all been in the workings for the past year so no real surprises here.
Now if they had announced say a challenger upgrade or CRJ program for an Arctic patrol plane that would be something new and something thats needed.
A lot of these purchases other then the immediate CC-177 are still open to being removed if the liberals take over in an election soon. Mind you they would be stupid to do so. All that is listed and some that isn't on the list are all concerns that needed to be addressed and fixed. I could go on and on about the issues faced in the fixed wing SAR mission or SeaKing replacement Cr@p.
Yeah we got problems like any military and sure ours are different then the over funded militarycomplex States. YEah some issues aren't fun but they can be solved and I hazard to say that our forces could be fixed quicker with any of the issues they face if the funds are applied.

The US and Canada by the nature of geography and our historical relations are intertwined when it comes to defence policy. Much like XMAS dinner when the family gets together we do have our periods of not getting along, but if Canada was attacked the US would come to its defence without hesatation and vice versa.

That being said, Canada as a nation should not abdicate its sovernity by "outsourcing"" its defence to the USA or any other nation. Its simply not good national policy.

If and when there is a massive hydrocarbon war, it would be nice to be able to mount more than a cursory defence of your resources eh?

reply to post by Canada_EH


I admit my knowledge of Canadian politics are about the center of a doughnut, but why would the liberal government target transport aircraft? Those have purposes beyond combat and the C-17 is ideal for the humanitarian mission.

reply to post by FredT


Fred if you read my post I said "A lot of these purchases other then the immediate CC-177 are still open to being removed if the liberals".
So I don't disagree at all with what you said about transport aircraft and the fact that they wont be cut as that is what I said. But the other items further down the road like the new leopard tanks I believe and ship procurement will all be up in the air possibly when ever the next election takes place.

reply to post by Canada_EH


I wonder why they never went for the M1A1? as opposed to the Leopard?

I can see the tank requirement going bye bye, but the maritime was in perhaps the most vital after the AF IMHO.