I think Russia and China have both in the near past made threats of trying to lay claim to land up north. But not sure how viable it really is, but not something to ignore completely.
Informing the Army’s Future Structure
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And what forces does the US hold at readiness domestically?
And why is your bossman, and his predecessors, asking us to do more domestically?
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I would posit that he (and Biden, and Obama, and Dubya, and, and, and…) were asking us to do more externally to share their expeditionary load. We ignored them.
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Just did some quick figuring based on on-line numbers.
A budget of something between 200 and 500 million CAD would suffice to supply a body of 32,000 with:
Uniforms, PPE, a smart phone, a side arm and a carbine.
A C9 and an M320 GL for each fire team.
A C6, a DMR and a CG84 for every two fire teams
A new Silverado 1500 4x4 Crew Cab every 4 years for every fire team.
....
In a 5% of GDP Universe (100 Billion CAD a year, 400 Billion every 4 years or 1 parliament), those numbers amount to rounding errors.
Ensure the primary reserve has at least those capabilities then you can start building your real army on top.
A budget of something between 200 and 500 million CAD would suffice to supply a body of 32,000 with:
Uniforms, PPE, a smart phone, a side arm and a carbine.
A C9 and an M320 GL for each fire team.
A C6, a DMR and a CG84 for every two fire teams
A new Silverado 1500 4x4 Crew Cab every 4 years for every fire team.
....
In a 5% of GDP Universe (100 Billion CAD a year, 400 Billion every 4 years or 1 parliament), those numbers amount to rounding errors.
Ensure the primary reserve has at least those capabilities then you can start building your real army on top.
PrairieFella
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Which in all fairness was totally justified. The Americans laid the pressure on heavy for us to join two of the worst geopolitical disasters of recent times, the Vietnam and Iraq Wars.
daftandbarmy
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While legislation isn't sacrosanct, I like to start with what is available off-the-shelf. That means full-timers and part-timers broken into easy to work with classes: primary, supplementary and Canadian Rangers (and yes cadet instructors) One needs a plan as to what the end product is that you want.
Regular is easy - who do I need today and every day. So is Primary - who do I want trained and equipped today at tiered readiness for when I need them tomorrow. So is Supplementary - who do I want to keep around for a while when their term of service as regular and primary is complete. All of those have to be relatively fit.
The class you are looking for as your primary feed stock is the Rangers who we underutilize in the extreme. We need to stop thinking of them as small aboriginal force on snowmobiles in the north. With just a smidgin of imagination and a pipeline to leadership and equipment you can turn them into a cheap multi-purpose force throughout Canada.
Try as I might, I can't find a budget line for them but it has to be the lowest human resource cost per annum, per capita. There's a lot of room as to how we utilize and administer them.
No problem but you really need to know the size of the force and its roles in order to build the right stocks and secured warehouses and compounds etc. - do we need pickups, buses, rifles, C-UAV etc etc?
Like all things in life you need priority lists, budgets, and plans. We're all talking revolutionizing structure to organizations that have had few original thoughts in decades and tend to fine tune the familiar. Good luck.
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But not just there, but in many other theatres. For instance, we have been pressured a lot by Washington lately to take up the mantle in Haiti. And usually when our answer to Vietnam and Iraq was “No”, their next ask is “Where can you deploy so we can redeploy our forces?” I’m sure they would be tickled pink if we deployed a couple divisions to the Baltics.
However, my overall point was that Washington (bipartisanly) is not asking us to increase our defence spending for domestic defence.
Don’t forget about the $100 million for the armoury to house less than 100 effectives. Seriously, in some, maybe most, cases the most expensive part of equipping a reservist is not the gear in his hands, it’s the roof over his head. Infrastructure has to be factored in.
Is a dedicated DND armoury required?
On the prairies there are warehouse with office buildings almost everywhere. Oil &Gas love them and leave them. Fenced compounds. External pads, even plug in parking. Lease rather than use capital dollars
GK .Dundas
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I have suggested this before and also note that a lot of them come with either rail sidings going through them or nearby.
As well as easy access to the local highway system.
The CAF has been using a wide variety of solutions, including new builds, legacy/heritage buildings, and buildings abandoned by the Reg Force (NDMC is one). All are expensive options. There’s also been an experiment in using modular FOB-style buildings - 30 Fd Regt RCA moved into this when their old legacy building self-divested, can’t speak to the cost but it might be the way forward.
KevinB
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Not in a million years. I don’t think you understand what things actually cost to procure, let alone maintain.
1.5B CDN would be in the low end of the range.
I can make a breakdown if you disagree
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You just described the home of the 20th Independent Field Battery out at Lethbtidge airport.
daftandbarmy
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If there were fewer 'independent regimental castles' and more 'shared, collaborative working spaces' you might see more space become available.
KevinB
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Just for shits and giggles.
Individual Equipment for a Section of 10 personnel is around 1/2 Million USD.
That is solely equipment worn on the body, weapons, PPE, basic secure comms and VAS, plus Rucksack and sleeping gear.
My tables wouldn't upload from numbers, but that is the Low end of the modern soldier.
High End Equipment would see that 1/2M number at the INDIVIDUAL Soldier level.
There is another near 1/2Million for Platoon equipment - so you need to use 2.5M USD as a Platoon equipment cost -- that is before any reach back ability or vehicles. That is solely capital equipment costs, not any log stock.
Individual Equipment for a Section of 10 personnel is around 1/2 Million USD.
That is solely equipment worn on the body, weapons, PPE, basic secure comms and VAS, plus Rucksack and sleeping gear.
My tables wouldn't upload from numbers, but that is the Low end of the modern soldier.
High End Equipment would see that 1/2M number at the INDIVIDUAL Soldier level.
There is another near 1/2Million for Platoon equipment - so you need to use 2.5M USD as a Platoon equipment cost -- that is before any reach back ability or vehicles. That is solely capital equipment costs, not any log stock.
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And how long do you expect the equipment to last?
1 year? 5? 10? Adjust your expenditure accordingly.
Also note that for transport and comms the requirement is for off the shelf, off the line standard commercial items.
50 grand for a pickup
Replaced every 5 years
10,000 a year.
Fire team of 4 per truck.
2500 per person per year.
Service at the local dealer.
And 700 for a pistol.
3000 for a rifle.
10 year life expectancy.
10 to 20 grand for an MG or other platoon weapon and 20 year life.
Happy to take 2 BCAD per year and spend it.
GDP in 2030 is projected north of 2500 BCAD.
5% is 125 BCAD.
2 BCAD is still less than 2% of that budget or 0.8% of GDP.
5 years of 125 BCAD is 625.
10 years is 1250
20 years is 2500
Any way you slice it effectively engaging the citizenry in a volunteer force to support and feed the defence effort is a low cost endeavour.
....
Here's a starting point. 482 MCAD on heritage and ceremonial.
Evaluation of Military History, Heritage, Honours and Ceremonial Activities - Canada.ca
Evaluation of Military History, Heritage, Honours and Ceremonial Activities
KevinB
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What are you wanting this force for?
I'm not disagreeing that an engaged citizenry is a bad thing, but the question is where is the focus?
If you are looking for a "Home Guard" then I think you can cut the support weapons off, and put a C20 DMR in your 4 person team.
Get C8A4's in a semi-auto only configuration as well.
If they are an Aid to Civil Power add on, then the question is what specific type of operations do you want then for.
Fires/Floods/IceStorms are a lot different in equipment needs and training than a force designed for Crowd Control, Prison Riot Suppression, Ground based SAR etc.
Identify the short falls first.
Also you keep using the term volunteer - which in an all Volunteer Army is somewhat confusing -- I assume you want unpaid forces who conduct training for the CA?
I believe you are missing significant expenditures on infrastructure to support these forces.
The GoC isn't going to want these folks taking all their equipment (and weapons) home - so there will be a need for some secure centralized storage - as well as training facilties, then the training cadre etc.
daftandbarmy
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Not assuming anything but here's what he's thinking of, I believe...
Home Guard patrolling the docks, 1940
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Adam Ferguson supported an armed militia, not for military superiority, but to cultivate civic virtue in citizens. He argued that a militia fostered a sense of duty, courage, and public spirit essential for a healthy republic, contrasting it with the potential for corruption and decadence in a standing professional army. His arguments, particularly regarding the importance of civic virtue and the potential dangers of commercial societies becoming weak, put him in direct opposition to his contemporary, Adam Smith.
Ferguson's arguments for a militia
Ferguson's arguments for a militia
- Civic virtue:
Ferguson believed that the regular exercise of military duties in a militia would help prevent the "languor" and corruption that commercial, polished societies were prone to.
- Public spirit:
A citizen militia provided a vital opportunity for men to demonstrate public virtue and be engaged in the defense of their own society.
- Contrast with standing armies:
He disagreed with Adam Smith, who argued that a modern, professional army was necessary due to the scientific and technical advancements in warfare, a view reinforced by the military's suppression of the Jacobite risings. Ferguson believed that a professional army could become a separate interest from the public, while a militia was more closely tied to the people it served.
- Historical context:
The fear of a French invasion in the 1750s, which highlighted Britain's dependence on foreign troops, provided a real-world context for Ferguson's advocacy for a national militia, as explained in this Cambridge University Press article.
- Smith's position:
Smith argued for the necessity of a disciplined, professional standing army due to the increasing specialization and science of modern warfare, stating that a militia would be "much inferior".
- Ferguson's rebuttal:
Ferguson, a prominent member of the Poker Club which advocated for a militia, publicly disagreed with Smith on this specific point, as detailed in this Adam Smith Works article.
- Philosophical difference:
Their disagreement reflected a broader philosophical split, with Ferguson emphasizing the moral and civic benefits of a militia, while Smith focused on the practical military and economic realities of the time.
Ferguson's Reflections Previous to the Establishment of a Militia (Chapter 4) - Adam Ferguson
Adam Ferguson - October 2025www.cambridge.org
