The Canadian military appears to be making an effort to keep pace with global technological progres
The Canadian military appears to be making an effort to keep pace with global technological progres
By Kris Osborn, Warrior
Despite being plagued by a small budget, recruiting problems and ineffective modernization, the Canadian military appears to be making an effort to keep pace with global technological progress and integrate AI, networking, hypersonics and small drones into its Concepts of Operation.
These positions are articulated in Canada’s 2024 Defence Paper titled “Our North, Strong and Free: A Renewed Vision for Canada’s Defence.”
Referring to Canada as a key “founding” member of NATO, the Defence paper seeks to map out Canada’s military transformation into the digital age and the era of unmanned systems. However, Canada is experiencing problems with its tank fleet, as many of its German-made Leopard 2 tanks have not been maintained or sufficiently modernized, and the fleet itself is dwindling. While the Canadian Defense paper talks about the military’s commitment to NATO, and indeed Canada has sent tanks to Latvia to help NATO deter Russia, its own tank fleet is in a state of disrepair.
Canada’s military modernization problem
Despite this tank problem, the Canadian military appears to be disproportionately emphasizing a handful of next generation technologies, at the expense of maintaining heavy armor. This is somewhat destructive to Canada’s overall military progress, because the country’s military is already behind in critical areas such as AI, hypersonic defense or drone swarm tactics. Citing objectives can be a useful beginning, yet the Canadian paper was at almost a complete loss to suggest any potential solution to the hypersonic threat.
“Hypersonic technology enables missiles to move at faster speeds than ever before and in unpredictable patterns, making them much harder to detect and intercept. Along with cruise and ballistic missiles, hypersonic missiles threaten to overwhelm our existing air defence systems and impose new constraints on our ability to support allies and partners around the world,” the Canadian Defence paper states.
In similar fashion, the text of Canada’s military paper emphasizes the large and well-known degree to which small drones are changing warfare, but neglects to offer any potential solutions or path forward necessary to address the threat.
“Small drones are now being manufactured at high volume and low cost, and are changing warfare from Ukraine to the Red Sea. They are used for reconnaissance and striking targets; in some instances drones that cost just a few hundred dollars have destroyed multi-million dollar platforms. Canada must be prepared to counter these threats as well as deploy robust drone capabilities,” the text states.
Canadian tank problem
While these initiatives are important, the Canadian military is operating with a great tank and armored vehicle deficit. AI, drones and hypersonics are both defining and here to stay, yet Ukraine has shown the world that there is still very much a need for heavy armor and tanks when it comes to gaining and holding ground.
High speed networking, AI-enabled computing and drone swarms can certainly achieve a combat impact by destroying targets, exacting a toll on an enemy and defending critical areas, they are insufficient to actually maintain or hold gained ground in any kind of land war. Swarms of drones might blanket the perimeter with ISR or defensive explosives, yet tanks are ultimately what is needed to “break” through enemy fortifications and advance forces into new territory. This is where Canada continues to have a problem, given the small fleet size and inadequate maintenance, sustainment and modernization related to its tanks.
Canada’s tank problem also makes deterrence and any kind of defensive posture quite difficult as well, given that strong, updated tanks would be needed to repel any kind of large scale land attack or attempted amphibious landing. Heavy fires with an ability to advance, maneuver and maintain position could protect the shoreline against any potential invader wishing to attack Canada’s shoreline from the ocean. Canada is not likely to be invaded by land, given its geographical position, yet its Western border could be quite vulnerable to amphibious attack, and it may be an area where any potential adversary intended to attack North America might attempt to gain a land foothold on the North American continent.