Canada moves to 2% GDP end of FY25/26 - PMMC

[Jarnhamar]

Based on all the slide decks, the purpose of the LIR will be to be that high readiness unit capable of theatre activation or surging to an existing theatre faster than any of our other forces.

I feel like the light infantry battalions have been in a high readiness cycle for the last 15 years already. They'd come off one cycle and be right back on. There was even a very high readiness thing.

The proposed MRP for the LIR has one Bn at 7 days NTM

Sitting on 7 days NTM shifts for an infantry battalion sure would suck.

 

[PuckChaser]

We'll just do what we do for every other NTM in CA, make sure a bunch of random boxes are green on MonitorMass with giant gaps in the TO&E and then just shut down a Bde to panic waive requirements and deploy anyone who has a heartbeat.

Proper high readiness involves isolating that unit/sub unit away from superfluous tasks with a deliberate R2HR to prevent burnout. It sucks living with your rucksack packed for months on end.

 

[FJAG]

Not normally into posting ads but this one is different,

A Canadian play chasing 500 BCAD of Canadian Government defence investment.

Did you notice who the executive-director and co-founder is?

We'll just do what we do for every other NTM in CA, make sure a bunch of random boxes are green on MonitorMass with giant gaps in the TO&E and then just shut down a Bde to panic waive requirements and deploy anyone who has a heartbeat.

Proper high readiness involves isolating that unit/sub unit away from superfluous tasks with a deliberate R2HR to prevent burnout. It sucks living with your rucksack packed for months on end.

You know during my 12 years in the RegF in the 70s early 80s we got along quite well without managed readiness. We all knew readiness was shitty after the APS and that it would take us into late Oct, early Nov to get back in the groove. By February we had advanced the yardstick by way of our regimental schools and Mar to Jun was when we were in the groove and ticking on all cylinders. That's the natural rhythm that is created by virtue of public schools, vacations and posting cycles. Anything else is an unnatural veneer that is pasted on top that just screws the troops.

Without an MRP we could meet real world emergencies, floods, fires the, October Fest 1970, prison guard strikes, Cyprus rotations, flyover reinforcements to 4 CMBG etc. All our exercises included DAGs and exercising the bug-out call. "Snowball" had a different meaning in those days.

We trained a lot and didn't sweat the "readiness" cycle because we all knew that APS was a real thing that units needed recovery time. Maybe our leadership was less risk averse; maybe we didn't have so many side issues to keep our focus off the ball; maybe we had the parts and maintainers to keep all of our gear on the road; maybe its because we were never below 90% of manning establishments and didn't have half of the battery on MELs . . .

I could go on. I won't.

 

[PuckChaser]

I'm sure we did a lot of things better back in the day @FJAG (and I don't mean that sarcastically), but MRP is absolutely required with the current operational tempo. The entire Bde is gone 1 year of every 3. Some units are 1.5 years of every 3 because of the distribution of specialties. That doesn't include committed other year after the Bde is tired from taking every serviceable human to Latvia.

The younger soldiers crave order and schedules more than the flexibility of years past. We also know a lot more about how to get 4, 5, or 6 deployments out of someone in 20 years without burning them out than we did in the 1970s. Part of that means removing the chaos and unknown when it's not required and that's what MRP means to do. Is it perfect? Absolutely not but its a plan and if it works for the 90% then we can apply staff horsepower to analyze and fix the 10% that crops up.

 

[mariomike]

Without an MRP we could meet real world emergencies, floods, fires the, October Fest 1970, prison guard strikes, Cyprus rotations, flyover reinforcements to 4 CMBG etc.

I could go on. I won't.

Please do. Like what was the real world emergency at October Fest 1970?

< beer emoji

 

[FJAG]

Please do. Like what was the real world emergency at October Fest 1970?

< beer emoji

2 1/2 months service with brand new pips on my shoulders and I was commanding my troop of armed gunners with live ammo in the streets of Montreal. No MRP, just a flight in and a 1/2 hour briefing from a JAG in a large hanger where half of the 700 of us that were there couldn't hear what was being said.

 

[mariomike]

Ohhh. Hilarious! Fest = Crisis. LoL

We are regulars at Hansa Haus. That's what I thought you meant.

I joined the RCASC that year when I turned 16 with my parents consent.

 

[FJAG]

The younger soldiers crave order and schedules more than the flexibility of years past. We also know a lot more about how to get 4, 5, or 6 deployments out of someone in 20 years without burning them out than we did in the 1970s. Part of that means removing the chaos and unknown when it's not required and that's what MRP means to do. Is it perfect? Absolutely not but its a plan and if it works for the 90% then we can apply staff horsepower to analyze and fix the 10% that crops up.

I wasn't trying to imply that we were more flexible. In fact quite the opposite. There was a regular rhythm that we had with every year's training plan which always started in Sep and wound down in Jun. We simply took the operational tasking in stride. Life was fairly stable for our folks with most of the time spent at home and with maybe three three-week exercises each year.

I see a big difference between Afghanistan where a proper predeployment program was critical, and Latvia which is basically a tiny fraction of what 4 CMBG was and is made unnecessarily complicated and which is aggravated by the condition of the force back home. IMHO there is little surprising about the middle of the CAF pulling the plug.

I'll be honest with you. I really don't know how bad things really are. Everything that I know about the current situation is anecdotal from what I read on this forum and the many interviews that I've done over the last four years. With few exceptions the picture painted by the officers is mixed and that from the NCMs overwhelmingly negative. Bitching is a soldier's right but one does get a feel for when its legitimate.

Don't get me wrong. We had our problems too. Losing 2,000 PYs, half of the arty branch, in one year wasn't fun. Losing target acquisition, air defence and nuclear rocket batteries was a challenge. The training year wasn't one of them.

 

[Ostrozac]

Sitting on 7 days NTM shifts for an infantry battalion sure would suck.

That level of readiness implies every 3rd Christmas is spent in close proximity to the garrison. You’re not maintaining 7 days NTM if half the battalion is on leave a continent away.

 

[Maxman1]

2 1/2 months service with brand new pips on my shoulders and I was commanding my troop of armed gunners with live ammo in the streets of Montreal. No MRP, just a flight in and a 1/2 hour briefing from a JAG in a large hanger where half of the 700 of us that were there couldn't hear what was being said.

And a few months later, RCR got called out to respond to the Kingston Penitentiary riot. The rioting prisoners surrendered immediately.

Jumping off the trucks with bayonets already fixed is a choice.

 

[Halifax Tar]

I feel like the light infantry battalions have been in a high readiness cycle for the last 15 years already. They'd come off one cycle and be right back on. There was even a very high readiness thing.

Sitting on 7 days NTM shifts for an infantry battalion sure would suck.

If it's any consolation, the RDS (Ready Duty Ship) tasking is a PITA as well.

 

[Humphrey Bogart]

If it's any consolation, the RDS (Ready Duty Ship) tasking is a PITA as well.

The Navy just cycles the same 200-300 actual fit and able bodied people from ship to ship in a constant state of high-readiness.

I remember having Post-Deployment leave cut short by two weeks so we could go sail and do ASRT. Oh and then they decided to embark a bunch of trainees onboard to give them some additional training... since we were training.. we may as well embark the full compliment of sea training as well and basically run a mini BSRT while we are at it. Oh.... and we also decided to loop in a dog & pony show for some Govt Officials for good measure LOL.

I think about 70% of the Ship's Company put in their walking papers after that.

 

[Cloud Cover]

Once again, the only hard requirements are jobs and votes….

 

[FJAG]

Once again, the only hard requirements are jobs and votes….

It ought to be a big one. We need to aim to on-shore all military equipment production.

 

[Czech_pivo]

Once again, the only hard requirements are jobs and votes….

View attachment 101990

That facility is almost within spitting distance of the recently announced enlarged artillery shell facility.
I still would like to see us producing artillery barrels, 155, as well as 25 and 30’s.

 

[Cloud Cover]

It ought to be a big one. We need to aim to on-shore all military equipment production.

Wouldn’t it also require moving the Silverado from Oshawa?
Trucks like the ones in the ISV Heavy should be in continuous production of basic cabins, frames and engines with the custom armoured body work going out to vendors right across the country, since the whole country pays for them. But the main and key point is continuous, with updates as applicable.

 

[Eaglelord17]

It ought to be a big one. We need to aim to on-shore all military equipment production.

First goal should be to get the kit we need as fast as possible, South Korea being the best option to meet that goal. Even if it is only 1-2 div worth of equipment it is the speed which matters.

Long term we should look at producing locally, but short term we need that deterrent.

 

[FJAG]

First goal should be to get the kit we need as fast as possible, South Korea being the best option to meet that goal. Even if it is only 1-2 div worth of equipment it is the speed which matters.

Long term we should look at producing locally, but short term we need that deterrent.

The two aren't mutually exclusive.