A recent report from the Department of National Defence (DND) outlines gaping holes in this country’s military preparedness and says our armed forces lack personnel, have a shortage of specific skilled staff and problems with maintenance.
A recent story in the Ottawa Citizen says that during the fiscal year 2023-24, the Royal Canadian Navy didn’t meet serviceability targets due to aging fleets, while new ships are lacking sailors. Arctic and Offshore Patrol Ships have ongoing mechanical problems.
The army lacks money as well as having “aging and increasingly obsolete fleets,” while the Royal Canadian Air Force has a problem with “a limited number of qualified technicians and the ongoing transition from legacy platforms to new capabilities,” says the article by David Pugliese.
Is it any wonder our allies worry about our military preparedness when the DND is just as skeptical about our capability of defending ourselves? As a nation, we’re collectively shocked when incoming U.S. President Donald Trump calls us out for not meeting our commitment to spend 2% of Gross Domestic Product on defence, yet by our own admission, our military isn’t fit for purpose.
Fair enough, this isn’t all on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s shoulders. Governments of all stripes have ignored the needs of the military. It’s also true, though, that the Liberals play politics with military procurement.
In 1993, Jean Chretien campaigned against Conservative Prime Minister Kim Campbell on a promise to scrap a planned replacement of this country’s aging Sea King helicopters, ordered after a lengthy competitive process by the government of Brian Mulroney. When he came to power, Chretien incurred $478 million in penalties owed to the manufacturer Agusta Westland for cancelling the contracts. They then turned to a civilian manufacturer, Sikorsky, to supply helicopters, setting back procurement by 30 years.
In 2014, prior to becoming prime minister, Trudeau mocked then-PM Stephen Harper’s proposal that Canada send its military to join the war on ISIS.
“Why aren’t we talking more about the kind of humanitarian aid that Canada can and must be engaged in, rather than trying to whip out our CF-18s and show them how big they are?” Trudeau asked.
It would be awfully nice now to be able to “whip out” our fighter jets.
Sadly, they’re in the hangar, awaiting maintenance.