Government hints at boosting Canada’s military spending

I have long said that you could fund the CAF to 4 percent of GDP, but we would still lag behind in NATO and be much the same where we are.

It's never the money, it's politics. It's procedures. It's the pork-barreling in our defence spending that makes us a paper tiger in NATO.

My only hope in all of this for the CAF and the GoC, whatever the political stripe that may be, is that it will rouse them out of the "Peace Dividend" slumber. The world has been unstable since 1945. We have used geography, proximity, and association as a Defence Policy ever since. ICBMs don't care how close to the U.S. or how far from Russia/China we are.

Don't give us a dime more, but let us spend money on defence like it matters. The fact we follow the same rules for purchasing a fighter aircraft as we do for buying office furniture for a Service Canada office is disgraceful. Don't treat defense procurement as a stimulus package for Canadian Industry. There I said it.

We spend so much money, time, and effort trying to get that money to stay in Canada; be it by awarding contracts to companies with no capability to produce items without first "retooling" and"developing the production lines", or by hamstringing perfectly competent and competitive bidders by forcing the project to be made in St. Margaret de Poutain de Champignon, QC because the ruling government either lost the seat in the election, or won it with promises.

We spend so much money and staff hours jumping through TBS regulations that are great for other departments, but are terrible for defence procurement. Some items you have to sole source, because there are technologies and capabilities no one else makes. By doing the bid process, you get companies clamoring for a project they can't deliver on, but because they tick the bright boxes on the score sheet....

I truly and honestly belief we need to split from PSPC and legislate that its not beholden to TBS, only to the PBO/PCO. The guiding principles of this new Defence Procurement department should be "Off the shelf, from somewhere else" if there isn't an industry in Canada.

BOOTFORGEN has demonstrated how well we do when we are able to actually get what we need, instead of lining the pockets of a Canadian company that got lucky.

That, but with tanks, fighters, ships, weapons systems....

 

[ytz]

We need to double down on a green economy and move away from our natural resources is what I hear.

This either/or is exactly part of the problem. Can we do all of the above? Just look at what Norway is doing. They sell oil and gas to Europe, bank all money, use the expertise to build offshore wind and deploy lots of EVs, so they can send even more oil to Europe.

 

[Quirky]

They sell oil and gas to Europe, bank all money, use the expertise to build offshore wind and deploy lots of EVs, so they can send even more oil to Europe.

Canada is skipping step 1 going straight to the end. Without maximizing our potential as O&G exporters we can't go green.

 

[ytz]

Canada is skipping step 1 going straight to the end. Without maximizing our potential as O&G exporters we can't go green.

In no small part because it's a culture war thing. When Conservatives are in office, they will gi completely against green things, even when it makes economic sense (see Doug Ford ripping out already installed EV chargers at GO stations, for example). Then Liberals get in and do the same to oil and gas. The Conservatives get in and rip out green stuff and around and around we go.

If you're left leaning and can't see a role for oil and gas, and if you're right leaning and can't see any value in cleantech, you're part of the problem.

 

[GK .Dundas]

Nevermind the environmental issues, but by all means include them in the below.
Given the current political crisis of a possible Anschluss and the possibility of the war in Ukraine spreading.
I can't think of a better time for a coalition government .
Given the current grasp of reality shown by our political class. I suspect that it will occur at roughly the same time as the heat death of the sun.

 

[Kirkhill]

Flip side is that a lot of Conservatives seem to believe that they if they just suck up harder, Trump will go with a Special Military Operation in Mexico and forget about us. Our entire political spectrum needs to understand that what we face is a different era.

And you were doing so well...

 

[Kirkhill]

This either/or is exactly part of the problem. Can we do all of the above? Just look at what Norway is doing. They sell oil and gas to Europe, bank all money, use the expertise to build offshore wind and deploy lots of EVs, so they can send even more oil to Europe.

One thing about Norway... their electric plugs are never far from a waterfall.

 

[Kirkhill]

In no small part because it's a culture war thing. When Conservatives are in office, they will gi completely against green things, even when it makes economic sense (see Doug Ford ripping out already installed EV chargers at GO stations, for example). Then Liberals get in and do the same to oil and gas. The Conservatives get in and rip out green stuff and around and around we go.

If you're left leaning and can't see a role for oil and gas, and if you're right leaning and can't see any value in cleantech, you're part of the problem.

You're getting better.

 

[ytz]

And you were doing so well...

I see nothing wrong in what I said. There are too many people who think if we only appease the tiger, he'll focus on someone else. He may eat us last. But he will come for us.

 

[ytz]

One thing about Norway... their electric plugs are never far from a waterfall.

Which is part of their strength. And also one we possess.

 

[Kirkhill]

I see nothing wrong in what I said. There are too many people who think if we only appease the tiger, he'll focus on someone else. He may eat us last. But he will come for us.

I agree with every word you said in this post. And I will probably be voting for Poilievre.

 

[PuckChaser]

Which is part of their strength. And also one we possess.

And with our hard left population/judiciary, we're not getting to build more of those plants. Seems all the viable solutions (nuclear and hydro) are opposed by the left as they bleat for more sustainable energy, just not THAT kind of sustainable energy.

 

[OldSolduer]

And with our hard left population/judiciary, we're not getting to build more of those plants. Seems all the viable solutions (nuclear and hydro) are opposed by the left as they bleat for more sustainable energy, just not THAT kind of sustainable energy.

The green folk and the left leaners move the goal posts constantly. Nothing is ever good enough or right.

 

[Kirkhill]

Meanwhile....

“Just in time is dead”​

Just in time is dead: How European manufacturers are gearing up for land warfare

Just in time delivery has vulnerabilities that primarily arise when uncertainty or variability in demand are likely.

euro-sd.com

I went looking for European missile manufacturers. We need to add Japan, S. Korea and Taiwan to the list of potential suppliers.

I came across this.

Table 1 is far from comprehensive, and does not represent the totality of land platform orders that European manufacturers are facing. Hundreds more vehicles have been ordered since 2022 leading Tommy Gustaffson-Rask, to state, “just in time is dead, you need to plan differently, take more time, and work more proactively in the supply chain to manage it. COVID and the war in Ukraine have brought big changes to our supply chains,” in a press interview at Eurosatory 2024. At that point in June, Hägglunds had 450 CV90s on its order book as well as 700 of the BvS10 family, the company’s total order book exceeded EUR 6 billion, driving investment in its production plant with another EUR 300 million to be spent by 2027. “We need to realise that we are stretching the capacity to deliver all over Europe. There are three challenges: We have been supporting Ukraine, we have to replenish what we have sent to Ukraine, and for too long, we have had too little stock,” Gustaffson-Rask explained.

For Europe’s manufacturers of armoured fighting vehicles (AFVs), and indeed those abroad, just in time delivery has made some sense for a long time. Many AFVs rely on commercial powerpacks that are produced at scale and orders can be increased or decreased as required. Vehicle armour can be challenging as Europe has very few steel mills capable of producing large stocks of steel qualified for use in armoured vehicles.[1] However, vehicle orders have tended to be predictable in size and intermittent, which allows manufacturers to prepare their supply chains for contract awards and commence production and assembly. Similarly, Europe’s armed forces have limited the use of their vehicles and systems, which has allowed production capabilities of consumable components such as barrels to atrophy. With the possible exception of France, few European nations have used their howitzers enough in the past ten years to justify production of 155 mm and 120 mm barrels at scale.[2] Orders for new vehicles have kept these production lines alive but in a minimal form. The war in Ukraine has laid these challenges bare, since February 2022, there have been hundreds of land platforms ordered in Europe alone, an overview of some known orders for 2024 is provided in Table 1.

Business opportunities for Canadians. Licensed production of proven designs for the CAF and allies.

 

[MilEME09]

Meanwhile....

“Just in time is dead”​

Just in time is dead: How European manufacturers are gearing up for land warfare

Just in time delivery has vulnerabilities that primarily arise when uncertainty or variability in demand are likely.

euro-sd.com

I went looking for European missile manufacturers. We need to add Japan, S. Korea and Taiwan to the list of potential suppliers.

I came across this.

View attachment 91621





Business opportunities for Canadians. Licensed production of proven designs for the CAF and allies.

need some out of the box thinking too, example lets take our older A4 leopards, rip the obsolete turrets off, and place the Skyranger turret on them.

 

[ytz]

Money aside. After today's shitshow we need to start talking about realignment. Cause you can bet Europeans are right now. What the point of the G7, G20, etc any more? What is the point of NATO when this is how the Americans behave? Poland, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, etc will all have to consider their own nukes. At least the EU has mutual defence pledges of their own. But there's nothing for Canada to join.

 

[Kirkhill]

What happens if the Euros just stop talking to Rubio?

Line's engaged....

 

[suffolkowner]

What happens if the Euros just stop talking to Rubio?

Line's engaged....

the Europeans would have to step up quite a bit and start walking the talk to ignore the current US administration

 

[Kirkhill]

the Europeans would have to step up quite a bit and start walking the talk to ignore the current US administration

But the current administration is making it easier and easier to put them on ignore. If they are not helping then they are of little use.

 

[OldSolduer]

A few days late and a few billion short.

 

[ytz]

the Europeans would have to step up quite a bit and start walking the talk to ignore the current US administration

The Europeans were ramping defence spending already. After this? I think they will see this as a full mask off moment from the Trump Admin. They will understand they have no choice now.