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

[SeaKingTacco]

Can we stay on thread topic? There is already an Alberta separatism thread. Go there.

 

[HavokFour]

Preferably with this operational mode. If it works on an M2, and is cheap enough for the Ukrainians to be able to afford it then it should be an option for all turrets. Safe-Single-Auto-AI.

Ukraine Develops AI-Run Turret to Take Down Erratic Shahed Drones

A team of Ukrainian engineers has developed an AI-controlled air defense turret to down unpredictable attack drones and low-flying cruise missiles.

thedefensepost.com

View attachment 93896

This in particular seems easily do-able even now, United24 has a fundraiser going to raise $1,500,000 USD for 10 systems. So $150,000 a piece assuming there isn't a discount for Ukraine.

Sky Sentinel: fundraiser for peaceful nights

We’re raising $1,500,000 for 10 AI-controlled air defense turrets that will protect Ukrainians from russian attacks.

u24.gov.ua

 

[Kirkhill]

And VAMPIRE is still part of the current solution

US Supports European Allies With Additional VAMPIRE Anti-Drone Order

The US contracted L3Harris for additional Vehicle Agnostic Modular Palletized ISR Rocket Equipment (VAMPIRE) to support European operations.

thedefensepost.com

The Pentagon has contracted L3Harris for additional Vehicle Agnostic Modular Palletized ISR Rocket Equipment (VAMPIRE) systems to support European operations.

The order builds on a $40-million deal in 2023, where the US ordered 14 VAMPIRE systems bound specifically for Ukraine.

While the recent contract value, system quantity, delivery timeline, and specific country recipients were not disclosed, it suggests Washington’s extension of support from Kyiv to a broader scope of European allies’ defense capabilities.

“L3Harris’ VAMPIRE has proven to be a reliable and cost-effective response to the growing counter-UAS threat on the global battlefield,” the company’s VP and GM for Targeting and Sensor Systems, Tom Kirkland, said.

“We will continue to work closely with the Department of Defense and our allied partners to provide formidable counter-UAS technology domestically and abroad.”

 

[Kirkhill]

Can we stay on thread topic? There is already an Alberta separatism thread. Go there.

Seen. Apologies.

 

[Remius]

Why Mark Carney Is Talking like It’s 1939 | The Walrus

The prime minister just gave the most hawkish speech in a generation

thewalrus.ca

Food for thought.

 

[Brad Sallows]

According to their laws you cannot add seats. Congress is set. They’ve tried to but because of partisan issues it has never materialized. Even when Hawaï was admitted they only temporarily increased the amount.

All I would say is good luck with that.

Apportionment it would have to be, then. Since blue states are gradually losing seats to red states, a non-starter for Democrats. I doubt many people who matter are persuaded by "Canadian conservatives are approximately US Democrats" myths.

 

[Remius]

Apportionment it would have to be, then. Since blue states are gradually losing seats to red states, a non-starter for Democrats. I doubt many people who matter are persuaded by "Canadian conservatives are approximately US Democrats" myths.

We’ve been asked to take this to the appropriate thread.

 

[Kirkhill]

This in particular seems easily do-able even now, United24 has a fundraiser going to raise $1,500,000 USD for 10 systems. So $150,000 a piece assuming there isn't a discount for Ukraine.

Sky Sentinel: fundraiser for peaceful nights

We’re raising $1,500,000 for 10 AI-controlled air defense turrets that will protect Ukrainians from russian attacks.

u24.gov.ua

At that rate I would love to see half-a-dozen in every infantry company.

We could follow on from the old 2 pdr



Something that can be dragged by hand, towed by MRZR, dismounted, carried on the back of a pick-up.
Maybe up armed with something in the 30x113 range.

 

[Kirkhill]

Why Mark Carney Is Talking like It’s 1939 | The Walrus

The prime minister just gave the most hawkish speech in a generation

thewalrus.ca

Food for thought.

Not unusual coming from Wesley Wark.
A bit unusual coming from the Narwhal (my error) Walrus?

 

[HavokFour]

At that rate I would love to see half-a-dozen in every infantry company.

We could follow on from the old 2 pdr

View attachment 93899View attachment 93900View attachment 93901

Something that can be dragged by hand, towed by MRZR, dismounted, carried on the back of a pick-up.
Maybe up armed with something in the 30x113 range.

I tried to find details on the system but there isn't much due to it being very new and the origin country being in an active war, but I don't see why it couldn't be scaled up to stuff bigger than an M2. The base model right now appears to be very compact, enough so that it could be slapped on to a bunch of different modes of transport on the ground and water.

Few more tidbits can be found in this article.

Sky Sentinel: Ukraine to produce anti-aircraft turrets for intercepting drones and cruise missiles - Militarnyi

The fully automated Sky Sentinel turret has already shot down the first Russian drones and is preparing for serial production.

militarnyi.com

 

[Altair]

I kind of thought that if the day ever came that the CAF was actually getting 2 percent of GDP spent on defense that

A) Hell would have frozen over and the leafs won the cup

B) Everyone here would be happy.

I see I was wrong on both counts.

 

[PrairieFella]

I kind of thought that if the day ever came that the CAF was actually getting 2 percent of GDP spent on defense that

A) Hell would have frozen over and the leafs won the cup

B) Everyone here would be happy.

I see I was wrong on both counts.

Some people cant be pleased haha. Personally, I'll wait for the ink to dry on the speech before I pass judgement haha. I look forward to a plan and over the past couple days, ive come to have a suspicion we won't hear anything Army related until the Army modernization team releases their paper in Sept about what our structure should be. That's probably for the best so we can direct money where we need in compliance with that plan.

 

[Kirkhill]

I kind of thought that if the day ever came that the CAF was actually getting 2 percent of GDP spent on defense that

A) Hell would have frozen over and the leafs won the cup

B) Everyone here would be happy.

I see I was wrong on both counts.

I like the verbiage....

 

[Brad Sallows]

I kind of thought that if the day ever came that the CAF was actually getting 2 percent of GDP spent on defense that

A) Hell would have frozen over and the leafs won the cup

B) Everyone here would be happy.

I see I was wrong on both counts.

(B) seems to mostly be "what if we got to 2% by basically doing nothing to improve warfighting capability and it just made the US angrier"?

 

[Halifax Tar]

I kind of thought that if the day ever came that the CAF was actually getting 2 percent of GDP spent on defense that

A) Hell would have frozen over and the leafs won the cup

B) Everyone here would be happy.

I see I was wrong on both counts.

I'm impressed with Carneys announcements. I'm impressed that he wants to do it fast. But I'm waiting for the actions to follow the words right now.

I suspect some easy stuff to happen like pay raises and throwing money at CE will happen fast. But tanks, planes and ships is a whole different ball game.

 

[Altair]

You remember that ReArm Europe fund that Carney wants to sign up for? A packet of European money he can use to buy weapons for you?

France blocking Britain from EU’s massive defence fund

Paris seeking to restrict member states to purchasing weapons made mostly within the bloc, diplomatic sources claim

www.telegraph.co.uk

Macron is for Macron.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/canada-signing-onto-european-rearment-deal-eu-canada-summit-1.7560891

Prime Minister Mark Carney plans on joining a sweeping European plan in Belgium this month to rearm the continent and provide more military aid to Ukraine, CBC News has learned.

France likes us. I think they think we are their little bro.

 

[Remius]

I kind of thought that if the day ever came that the CAF was actually getting 2 percent of GDP spent on defense that

A) Hell would have frozen over and the leafs won the cup

B) Everyone here would be happy.

I see I was wrong on both counts.

Yes, apparently an announcement has to come with immediate action.

That being said, people can be forgiven for being skeptics given decades of promises not followed up on.

I remain optimistic as the tone and the plan seems different this time.

The plan comes with actual structural changes to enable.

 

[Fishbone Jones]

Who's going to pay for all of this? Taxpayers are broke.

 

[MilEME09]

if we really want a lethality increase, I'd be sole souring these from FN right now. With a 40% reduction in weight these .50 cal's would be around 31 pounds, 14 Kg for us metric folks. Which is only a little heavier then C6, suddenly it truly would be man portable!

FN launches lighter-variant .50 cal crew-served weapon system - European Security & Defence

FN has developed a new lightweight variant of its widely fielded .50 cal crew-served weapon system, the company announced on 10 June 2025.

euro-sd.com

 

[Haggis]

I'm impressed with Carneys announcements. I'm impressed that he wants to do it fast. But I'm waiting for the actions to follow the words right now.

I suspect some easy stuff to happen like pay raises and throwing money at CE will happen fast. But tanks, planes and ships is a whole different ball game.

The Poles may have some discounted Blackhawks for sale. Maybe the Mounties would want to buy in as well?

A NATO member U-turned on buying Black Hawks, suggesting Russia's war shows they aren't the best weapons to focus on

Poland postponed its purchase of 32 S-70i Black Hawks, with a military official saying it might be necessary to buy other gear like drones and tanks.

www.businessinsider.com