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....

 

[MilEME09]

I was going to bring this up earlier...

I was recently told that to be competitive as a PO1 I should be working on getting a degree. Not because after 21 years as a Met Tech a degree would make me a better leader, or better forecaster/inspector, but because it's extra points on the scrit.

Leaders can't/don't actually focus on their jobs, because the CAF is too busy encouraging them to do the "extras" required to advance.

And extras shouldn't be requirements...

 

[Furniture]

And extras should be requirements...

 

[kev994]

I was going to bring this up earlier...

I was recently told that to be competitive as a PO1 I should be working on getting a degree. Not because after 21 years as a Met Tech a degree would make me a better leader, or better forecaster/inspector, but because it's extra points on the scrit.

Leaders can't/don't actually focus on their jobs, because the CAF is too busy encouraging them to do the "extras" required to advance.

It’s not about whether you can lead troops in battle, but whether you can organize the base commander’s golf tournament.

 

[Halifax Tar]

I was going to bring this up earlier...

I was recently told that to be competitive as a PO1 I should be working on getting a degree. Not because after 21 years as a Met Tech a degree would make me a better leader, or better forecaster/inspector, but because it's extra points on the scrit.

Leaders can't/don't actually focus on their jobs, because the CAF is too busy encouraging them to do the "extras" required to advance.

Preach Mon Ami!

 

[Halifax Tar]

It’s not about whether you can lead troops in battle, but whether you can organize the base commander’s golf tournament.

That's beautiful! Mind if I steal that ? Would look great in my email sig

 

[Navy_Pete]

Canada's top soldier says the military is on the 'cusp' of rapid change​

Question - can the words 'rapid' and 'change' be in the same sentence together when talking about the CAF in its present form?

In a speech delivered to one of Ottawa's "Mayor's Breakfast" networking events, Eyre said the military will need to adapt swiftly to changes in technology, geopolitics and culture to be effective.
"We are on the cusp of so much change that has to come."
Eyre said the military needs to focus on improving its capabilities in new technologies like artificial intelligence, robotics, quantum computing and hypersonic weapons.
He said the "skyrocketing" cost of housing is affecting the military and the armed forces is short of between 4,000 and 6,000 housing units on bases across the country.
Eyre said the armed forces faces a recruiting shortfall as well. The pandemic has undermined the CAF's ability to recruit and train, he said. "Our numbers are not where we'd like them to be, and they've gone down since the pandemic began," he said. we're going to become irrelevant as an institution." The military recently reported that it's around 7,600 members short of full strength. Currently, the CAF has roughly 65,000 regular members.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/wayne-eyre-military-challenges-future-1.6419663

I absolutely hate the innovation stuff. Not because it's not necessary, but because it gets the spotlight, resources and efforts whiile we are still struggling to implement things from 10-15 years ago.

I can't buy off the shelf items for basic safety equipment and get them sent to units because we lack bodies to process the demands and each time we get close more hoops get added on, but some assclown has 'dashboards' and all sorts of other flashy nonsense.

Maybe we can innovate by not adding additional layers onto existing processes. Maybe we can innovate by listening to our internal expertise the first time, instead of paying consultants to look at a problem and identify the same solution 2-3 years later (with a fancy dashboard report). Maybe we can innovate by having our big giant heads as external organs.

Or maybe I'm just bitter, I don't know.

 

[OldSolduer]

The CAF suffers from IEADHD.

You all like those acronyms - Institutionally Enforced Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.

Something new and shiny -or old and rotten - seems to derail the CAF all the time

 

[rmc_wannabe]

I think we have misconstrued "Innovation for the sake of appearing innovative" with genuine innovation.

A lot of the new policies and directions we are heading are kind of a rehash of what we already have been doing/other forces have done previously. Its the "iPhone 12 is new (compared to iPhone 11)" but is functionally just catching up to a Samsung Galaxy. No new capabilities, functionality, or improvements; just new ad campaigns and a sleek new appearance.

New dress regs/culture shift look good for a fleeting moment, especially in the sea of bad headlines about Sexual Misconduct et al; the problem is it doesn't address a lot more of the issues that cause organizational problems. Those cost a lot more time and money to fix, plus a lot of personal capital to be expended by Senior Officers and DMs.

If we want to become a new fighting force for the 21st century, it's going to take a lot of people planting seeds in a garden they won't ever see bear fruit. That, unfortunately, doesn't yield immediate gratification for politicians or people looking for a quite place in NDHQ to be put out to pasture.

 

[WLSC]

New dress regs/culture shift look good for a fleeting moment, especially in the sea of bad headlines about Sexual Misconduct et al; the problem is it doesn't address a lot more of the issues that cause organizational problems. Those cost a lot more time and money to fix, plus a lot of personal capital to be expended by Senior Officers and DMs.

This has been a ''hot topic'' for at least 5-6 years. It will get that shinny subject of the way like it did for the boots and beard. Granted, it still need to be enforce and this where we are having a hard time because, being a cool and popular leader is so nice...

Culture will always be there, it's part of the change (a real change, not an artificial one for PER points). I was in the ''Pepsi generation'', then after that the ''Nintendo'' etc. We had the integration of woman in combat arms, SHARPE, OP HONOUR, and I'm missing some. The young leaders will need to adapt quickly and not fight it so they don't go thru an other culture change each 10 years.

The time we spend trying to get it right each time, is time lost to train the troop.

 

[Furniture]

I think we have misconstrued "Innovation for the sake of appearing innovative" with genuine innovation.

A lot of the new policies and directions we are heading are kind of a rehash of what we already have been doing/other forces have done previously. Its the "iPhone 12 is new (compared to iPhone 11)" but is functionally just catching up to a Samsung Galaxy. No new capabilities, functionality, or improvements; just new ad campaigns and a sleek new appearance.

New dress regs/culture shift look good for a fleeting moment, especially in the sea of bad headlines about Sexual Misconduct et al; the problem is it doesn't address a lot more of the issues that cause organizational problems. Those cost a lot more time and money to fix, plus a lot of personal capital to be expended by Senior Officers and DMs.

If we want to become a new fighting force for the 21st century, it's going to take a lot of people planting seeds in a garden they won't ever see bear fruit. That, unfortunately, doesn't yield immediate gratification for politicians or people looking for a quite place in NDHQ to be put out to pasture.

I'm working on a job that should have been initiated by people in my current position 22 years ago. It should have been resolved before I put up my first chevron, but the people who got into the job wanted to relax for their last few years in Winnipeg/Ottawa.

Not all of the problem is the people in the HQs, some of it is the processes that have been developed over the years because we as an organization are terrified of risk. There is kit in use by Nav Canada, and ECCC that we can't get approved for use because it hasn't been tested by the CAF. The CAF will fly to those airfields using their weather data, but we can't use the same kit for our own airfields.

If I was Emperor of Canada I'd be spending some of the new defence budget on buying the Nav Canada HWOS (automated/staffed weather station) for all of our airfields, and sending our Met Techs to Cornwall to learn how to use it. It would free up pers to be used in more operationally impactful jobs, and free up bandwidth at the HQ levels for finding better kit for deployed operations/support.

 

[KevinB]

This has been a ''hot topic'' for at least 5-6 years. It will get that shinny subject of the way like it did for the boots and beard. Granted, it still need to be enforce and this where we are having a hard time because, being a cool and popular leader is so nice...

There have always been "Hot Topic" issues for the CAF - that tend to detract from the actual job of the CAF...

Culture will always be there, it's part of the change (a real change, not an artificial one for PER points). I was in the ''Pepsi generation'', then after that the ''Nintendo'' etc. We had the integration of woman in combat arms, SHARPE, OP HONOUR, and I'm missing some. The young leaders will need to adapt quickly and not fight it so they don't go thru an other culture change each 10 years.

Change is normal - having suffered through many CAF changes from 1987 to 1994 I know the CAF wasted a slew of time in make work projects that sounds like a good briefing point - and could have been implemented much easier but was made increasingly stupider and more worthless as they went on.

The time we spend trying to make it LOOK RIGHT each time, is time lost to train the troop.

Fixed it.
The CAF spends an incredible amount of time on very simple concepts that if actually enforced would be over and done with.
But the desire to make it look more like something is being done usually interferes with something actually being done.
It really isn't hard to make directives, and enforce them.
1) Don't torture prisoners
2) Don't be a racist
3) Don't be a sleazy douchebag
4) Don't accept the above in your units

But no all sort of training is made uo to appear to be doing something. Commands are added and more PY and budget is taken away from the coalface.
Bored troops cause issues, well equipped troops who are conducting useful training or deployed with a clear mission are not.

 

[WLSC]

There have always been "Hot Topic" issues for the CAF - that tend to detract from the actual job of the CAF...

Change is normal - having suffered through many CAF changes from 1987 to 1994 I know the CAF wasted a slew of time in make work projects that sounds like a good briefing point - and could have been implemented much easier but was made increasingly stupider and more worthless as they went on.


Fixed it.
The CAF spends an incredible amount of time on very simple concepts that if actually enforced would be over and done with.
But the desire to make it look more like something is being done usually interferes with something actually being done.
It really isn't hard to make directives, and enforce them.
1) Don't torture prisoners
2) Don't be a racist
3) Don't be a sleazy douchebag
4) Don't accept the above in your units

But no all sort of training is made uo to appear to be doing something. Commands are added and more PY and budget is taken away from the coalface.
Bored troops cause issues, well equipped troops who are conducting useful training or deployed with a clear mission are not.

Absolutely bang on.

Everything is cosmetic when you know, the Master degree take son much time. So many intelligent people and yet so blind.

Ops is everything but a to big portion forget that the main reasons ops will derail is people. It will derail not because of tactical error but because of event like you said. It's generating the never ending circle. Simple notion like ''lead by exemple'' and drinking/living by the Cool-Aid of the POA should mitigate the risk of a culture change every 10 years.

 

[McG]

The case that 2% of GDP is in fact not enough for the CAF right now (spoiler: it is for rust-out and not because of Putin’s war).

Richard Shimooka: Canada's defence budget fails to address serious gaps

Opinion: Naïveté surrounding how much it costs to field an effective military presents a threat to our troops and to our preparedness as a country.

vancouversun.com

Of course, while this may be true, DND lacks the capacity to spend the money that it has let alone additional money that is still needs.

 

[WestIsle]

Does anyone have the actual

The case that 2% of GDP is in fact not enough for the CAF right now (spoiler: it is for rust-out and not because of Putin’s war).

Richard Shimooka: Canada's defence budget fails to address serious gaps

Opinion: Naïveté surrounding how much it costs to field an effective military presents a threat to our troops and to our preparedness as a country.

vancouversun.com

Of course, while this may be true, DND lacks the capacity to spend the money that it has let alone additional money that is still needs.

I feel like much of this is not an honest argument that is made. There is a lack of ammo, support positions with no money to fill them, most of the gochi goes don't happen anymore, field pay hasn't changed much at all, and everyone is still getting the whole "stop spending money" message at the start of the year from DND. That is also to say nothing of the ancient infrastructure, disgustingly bad PPE, and other minor capital projects that could be done with a change of lines but cant apparently. We cant spend money that they don't let us. Its more an issue that no one at NDHQ has gone and fallen on their sword in public to speak out about what has been happening to the CAF or how the "new spending" really isn't defense spending or how the 1.4% the government says we spend on defense is more like 0.9% as the actual budget for the CAF hasn't seemingly grown despite the "accounting" going on. Generals and the like used to do this back in the day but now no one has the spine to it seems

 

[suffolkowner]

Does anyone have the actual

I feel like much of this is not an honest argument that is made. There is a lack of ammo, support positions with no money to fill them, most of the gochi goes don't happen anymore, field pay hasn't changed much at all, and everyone is still getting the whole "stop spending money" message at the start of the year from DND. That is also to say nothing of the ancient infrastructure, disgustingly bad PPE, and other minor capital projects that could be done with a change of lines but cant apparently. We cant spend money that they don't let us. Its more an issue that no one at NDHQ has gone and fallen on their sword in public to speak out about what has been happening to the CAF or how the "new spending" really isn't defense spending or how the 1.4% the government says we spend on defense is more like 0.9% as the actual budget for the CAF hasn't seemingly grown despite the "accounting" going on. Generals and the like used to do this back in the day but now no one has the spine to it seems

There's been lots of growth at NDHQ under Vance and somehow they can sit there and think that was an appropiate use of limited funds. I know Finance/Treasury limits much but when countries with a third or a quarter of our population can give more to Ukraine than us, that cant be hidden

 

[Czech_pivo]

There's been lots of growth at NDHQ under Vance and somehow they can sit there and think that was an appropiate use of limited funds. I know Finance/Treasury limits much but when countries with a third or a quarter of our population can give more to Ukraine than us, that cant be hidden

Please don’t underestimate the power of ‘warm thoughts/feelings’ and the solid ability to convene meetings and agendas. A lot of our NATO partners are unable to perform these difficult tasks.

 

[OldSolduer]

Please don’t underestimate the power of ‘warm thoughts/feelings’ and the solid ability to convene meetings and agendas. A lot of our NATO partners are unable to perform these difficult tasks.

Sox. They need fancy sox to teach those nasty Russians a lesson.

He is an intellectual lightweight with the sense of a flea.

 

[daftandbarmy]

Sox. They need fancy sox to teach those nasty Russians a lesson.

He is an intellectual lightweight with the sense of a flea.

This is not a new experience, it would seem:

 

[CypressSplit]

Fiscal watchdog raises concern about $15-billion in unexplained military spending in 2022 federal budget

Parliament’s fiscal watchdog is raising concerns about nearly $15-billion of unexplained military spending buried in the 2022 federal budget – money in excess of what’s spelled out in the Department of National Defence’s spending plan

www.theglobeandmail.com

Parliament’s fiscal watchdog is raising concerns about nearly $15-billion of unexplained military spending buried in the 2022 federal budget – money in excess of what’s spelled out in the Department of National Defence’s spending plan released earlier this year.

Mr. Drummond said it’s possible some of the $15-billion is money being set aside to pay for extra spending pending the outcome of this defence review. It could also reflect increased cost projections for existing hardware purchases owing to inflation, he said.

 

[Good2Golf]

Fiscal watchdog raises concern about $15-billion in unexplained military spending in 2022 federal budget

Parliament’s fiscal watchdog is raising concerns about nearly $15-billion of unexplained military spending buried in the 2022 federal budget – money in excess of what’s spelled out in the Department of National Defence’s spending plan

www.theglobeandmail.com

Some may call it a ‘steaming turd false flag’ operation. I’ll be totally not shocked if the GoC ‘adjusts’ the budget forwards to address PBO’s perspective…well-played, Team Red, well-played!