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....

 

[suffolkowner]

Isnt it better to launch closer to the equator? We need a southern colony, maybe Haiti?

 

[GR66]

There's not much of a business case for a fully independent launch capability. There's no cost advantage launching from Nova Scotia. And while an argument can be made for a sovereign capability, we would need a whole pipeline of GOGO or GOCO that could sustain the launch capability. That requires serious funding. Not impossible. But not a current reality. Our mil space community would be absolutely happy to get that kind of growth.

The NS option isn't looking great due to the US involvement

A new agreement between Canada and the United States is reigniting the possibility of a spaceport in rural Nova Scotia.

Federal cabinet minister and Nova Scotia MP Sean Fraser announced in Halifax Friday that the two countries have negotiated a Technology Safeguards Agreement, which would allow the use of U.S. space launch technology, expertise and data for space launches in Canada.

A domestic launch system like Reaction Dynamics that can handle relatively low cost, small capacity launches would be extremely useful for the small cube-type satellites that are increasingly common and extremely useful for communications constellations.

From their website:

Founded in 2017, Reaction Dynamics (RDX) has pioneered the next-generation of hybrid propulsion technology, solving a 90-year-old challenge in rocket propulsion.

With a patented hybrid rocket engine design featuring a low part count and simplified production process, we are driving down costs, reducing the carbon footprint of space launches, all while increasing reliability and performance.

Our solutions are built entirely in Canada, making us one of the few ITAR-free rocket providers.

For larger satellites we'd likely have to look to commercial launch companies.

 

[Oldgateboatdriver]

Yes, near equator launches are more efficient for geostationary satellites. Last I checked, Arianne rockets with launches from French Guyana are still a commercial option.

 

[lenaitch]

so St. Thomas would work nicely

Greenfield perhaps, but the old Ford plant property has been sold. If you are going to greenfield, then pretty well anywhere that has road and rail could work. Alliston was a sleepy farm town until Honda showed up.

 

[YZT580]

Isnt it better to launch closer to the equator? We need a southern colony, maybe Haiti?

The Turks and Caicos In Haiti your entire base would be stolen before it was even off the truck

 

[YZT580]

There's not much of a business case for a fully independent launch capability. There's no cost advantage launching from Nova Scotia. And while an argument can be made for a sovereign capability, we would need a whole pipeline of GOGO or GOCO that could sustain the launch capability. That requires serious funding. Not impossible. But not a current reality. Our mil space community would be absolutely happy to get that kind of growth.

We had a launch facility in Manitoba once upon a time

 

[ytz]

Yes, near equator launches are more efficient for geostationary satellites. Last I checked, Arianne rockets with launches from French Guyana are still a commercial option.

DND has used ESA, SpaceX, Boeing and ISRO. We use whatever is cost effective and matches requirements and schedules.

 

[ytz]

A domestic launch system like Reaction Dynamics that can handle relatively low cost, small capacity launches would be extremely useful for the small cube-type satellites that are increasingly common and extremely useful for communications constellations.

We (the CAF) don't currently use Cubesats. And like I said earlier, if we're going down that road, it requires real investment. Not just a desire to randomly launch more space junk.

The government's first commercial priority should be Telesat's Lightspeed. There's a whole pile of strategic implications that those outside space don't understand.

1) MDA is building a production line that will continuously pump out satellites for Telesat. This is the first time, Canada will have the ability to reconstitute in Space.

2) MDA is building the satellite buses with extra room. In theory, this allow the government to buy extra payloads on there too allow other capabilities (SIGINT, Missile Warning, surveillance of space, etc). It's a question on how willing the government is to spend.

3) Telesat has chosen an altitude that is above Space X. This has some downsides on the comms business. But it has real value for certain military applications.

4) Constellations create shells which has control implications. A constellation at a given altitude increases conjunction risk. This means that nobody else can then launch through your altitude without risking collision. Everyone has to tell you when and where they will go through. That information is valuable.

CAF Space actually does understand the value of Canada's geography and capabilities in space. Given enough money, we could do a lot more. I hope we start looking at offensive capabilities soon.

 

[SeaKingTacco]

Isnt it better to launch closer to the equator? We need a southern colony, maybe Haiti?

The latitude of your launch site pretty much dictates your orbital inclination.

Most Canadian launch sites would give relatively high inclination orbits, useful for polar work but not great for geosynchronous work.

 

[childs56]

Isnt it better to launch closer to the equator? We need a southern colony, maybe Haiti?

Belize.
Canada should offer Belize a deal to join us and turn them into a Colony and help support them

 

[Maxman1]

Turks & Caicos has made noise about that in the past.

 

[torg003]

Canada should offer any British Overseas Territories (official name for colonies) in the Caribbean to join Canada (as either a province or territory, depending on population). Of course it would have to be approved by the Brits.
BTW, Belize is a country (albeit a small one), not a colony.

 

[YZT580]

Canada should offer any British Overseas Territories (official name for colonies) in the Caribbean to join Canada (as either a province or territory, depending on population). Of course it would have to be approved by the Brits.
BTW, Belize is a country (albeit a small one), not a colony.

Why would any of them want to? What could we provide them except a share in a massive debt, and a predatory neighbour? Perhaps in 4 years

 

[Rifleman62]

We had a launch facility in Manitoba once upon a time

Churchill. Bristal Aerospace (Winnipeg) launched Black Bart rockets. Saw one launch in the 70's while on a Winter FTX.

Fort Churchill: Historic Sites of Manitoba: Fort Churchill (Churchill)

HMCS Churchill: Historic Sites of Manitoba: HMCS Churchill / CFS Churchill / Churchill Naval Base (Kelsey Boulevard, Churchill)

 

[suffolkowner]

The Haiti suggestion was tongue in cheek. In the same vein may I suggest peurto rico

 

[suffolkowner]

Some US allies contribute, some loaf. Here’s a numerical assessment | The Strategist

Which US allies have paid their bills, as President Donald Trump would see things? Which, having given the United States little support in return for its security guarantee, now risk losing it? The short answer, ...

www.aspistrategist.org.au

interesting little analysis on us allies spending +

 

[daftandbarmy]

stop drop

 

[Good2Golf]

The latitude of your launch site pretty much dictates your orbital inclination.

Most Canadian launch sites would give relatively high inclination orbits, useful for polar work but not great for geosynchronous work.

I’m inclined to go with that…

 

[MilEME09]

Canada should offer any British Overseas Territories (official name for colonies) in the Caribbean to join Canada (as either a province or territory, depending on population). Of course it would have to be approved by the Brits.
BTW, Belize is a country (albeit a small one), not a colony.

British Virgin islands?

 

[ytz]

For all that talk about bricking the F-35, here's level headed analysis from Prof. Justin Bronk of RUSI (I pulled out tweets from a thread):

On F-35 fears, I get it - there is real dependency.
But if all your targeting capacity, BLOS comms, penetrating/orbital ISR and the munitions you assume you’d fight with in a war are US-provided; then dependency on the US for MDFs and ALIS/ODIN for F-35 isn’t your main problem.

The F-35’s capabilities vs Russian air defences also cannot currently be replaced or replicated with other platforms.

For Germany it’s also worth remembering that the F-35 was bought for nuclear DCA role with US supplied B61 Mod 12 so 100% dependent on US whatever the aircraft.

Against the Russian IADS, the gap is very significant. Rafale, Typhoon, Gripen really weren't designed to operate against those systems. They complement the F-35 well and vice-versa against mixed threats. US hostility isn't a contingency that was previously planned for...

If the US is on Russia’s side, a credible plan B force for that scenario would take a decade and vast investment to generate. Uncomfortable but true

Not saying it shouldn’t or can’t be done, but we need a thorough capability audit and honesty about the results as a first step…

https://twitter.com/x/status/1899040201894154459

So I hope we can get past the superficial idea that we can simply swap the F-35 for a Eurocanard and be fine. Mostly an idea usually from non-blue suiters.....

Planning for less dependency on the US will take time. And there's no better time to start than today.