September 14, 2020 | Local, Aerospace, Naval, Land, C4ISR, Security
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David Pugliese, Ottawa Citizen, Postmedia News (dpugliese@ottawacitizen.com)
Published: Sep 11 at 7 a.m.
Updated: Sep 11 at 2:01 p.m.
Candidates have been interviewed for the country's top military position but whoever is selected will likely have the tough job of presiding over significant cuts to the Canadian Forces as the federal government tries to get its fiscal house in order.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced July 23 that Gen. Jonathan Vance would leave the position as chief of the defence staff, the job he has held since July 2015. Trudeau said he expected a new CDS to be named in the coming months.
Defence and government sources say interviews for the position were held this week with a number of candidates.
Lt.-Gen. Christine Whitecross, who is heading into retirement, is considered the front-runner for the job if she wants it. Whitecross still has an office at defence headquarters at Carling Avenue and there is an interest in the Liberal government to have a woman in the job of defence chief for the first time.
The view that Whitecross has strong support within the Liberal government was further solidified when Trudeau took the unusual step on July 18 of singling out the lieutenant general on Twitter. He thanked the officer for her three decades of service in the Canadian Forces and for “being a strong voice for gender equality in the military.”
Among the other individuals considered to be candidates for the chief of defence staff job are Lt.-Gen. Mike Rouleau, who recently took over as second-in-command of the Canadian Forces, navy commander Vice Adm. Art McDonald, air force commander Lt.-Gen. Al Meinzinger and army commander Lt.-Gen. Wayne Eyre. Vice-Admiral Darren Hawco's name has also been mentioned. At least eight individuals were to be interviewed, according to various government sources.
But the new CDS is expected to face the challenge of dealing with significant budget cuts because of the financial strain on federal coffers created by the novel coronavirus pandemic.
Spending on various emergency relief programs has resulted in Canada's deficit increasing to $343 billion this year, according to the federal government's economic snapshot released in early July.
Trudeau has acknowledged that the full economic impact of the pandemic is unknown. A second COVID-19 wave could further worsen the economic situation.
Department of National Defence deputy minister Jody Thomas said in a June 5 interview with The Canadian Press that she hasn't seen any indication defence spending, and the government's defence policy called Strong, Secure, Engaged, or SSE, will even be affected at all by COVID-19. There have been no slowdowns and the DND and Canadian Forces has been aggressively pushing forward on implementing SSE, according to Thomas.
Behind the scenes, however, there is significant concern within some quarters in the military about the cuts expected in the coming years. Some organizations within National Defence headquarters have already told staff to prepare for a rocky road in the future.
The Canadian Armed Forces and Department of National Defence, with the largest source of discretionary funds in the federal government, is a ripe target for cost-cutting. DND's current budget is listed as $21.9 billion.
SSE has been billed by the Liberal government and its supporters as “a historical investment in Canada's military” since it promises $497 billion for the Canadian Armed Forces over 20 years. But the policy was always built on shaky foundations, as was the previous Canada First Defence Strategy brought in by the Conservative government and largely undercut by funding reductions at that time.
Despite defence analysts' cheerleading on both policies, the fact is that such strategies only promise future spending. There is no guarantee and plans can be jettisoned as fiscal circumstances change.
In 1994 the Liberal government of Prime Minister Jean Chretien embarked on significant cost-cutting measures throughout the federal government as it struggled to deal with the deficit. The Canadian Forces and the DND were a prime target during that period. Equipment was mothballed. Military and civilian staff were cut.
The coming years could see a replay of similar cost-reduction measures.
Copyright Postmedia Network Inc., 2020
July 7, 2023 | Local, Other Defence
The last policy lacked the two key things necessary for implementation: it wasn't fully funded and lacked agile and timely decision-making processes. That these shortcomings exist is hardly a matter for debate.
January 25, 2018 | Local, Land
News Release From National Defence Members of the Canadian Special Operations Forces Command (CANSOFCOM) unload new Ultra-Light Combat Vehicles (ULCV) in Petawawa, Ontario, on January 23, 2018. Delivery of these vehicles will continue through to April 2018. Photo Credit: CSOR Imaging ©2018 DND/MDN January 25, 2018 – Ottawa – National Defence/Canadian Armed Forces In the Strong, Secure, Engaged defence policy, the Government of Canada committed to ensuring the women and men of the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) have the support and equipment they need to carry out their important missions. The Canadian Special Operations Forces Command (CANSOFCOM) has accepted delivery of its first Ultra-Light Combat Vehicles (ULCV). These vehicles, which were procured from Polaris Industries Limited, will help protect members of Canada's Special Operations Forces as they conduct missions in challenging environments. It will provide them with fast, mobile transportation over demanding terrain, and has been specifically configured to support rapid deployment by most Royal Canadian Air Force aircraft, particularly the CH-147F Chinook helicopter. This procurement – which was completed on time and on budget – will help ensure special forces operators have the tools they need to succeed for years to come. Additional Multimedia Members of the Canadian Special Operations Forces Command (CANSOFCOM) unload a new Ultra-Light Combat Vehicle (ULCV) in Petawawa, Ontario, on January 23, 2018. The ULCV procurement initiative will help ensure special forces operators have the tools they need to maintain field superiority for years to come. Photo Credit: CSOR Imaging ©2018 DND/MDN New Ultra-Light Combat Vehicles (ULCV) are positioned in a storage facility in Petawawa, Ontario, soon after delivery. Procured from Polaris Industries Limited, a total of 62 ULCVs were purchased at a value of approximately $23M. Photo Credit: CSOR Imaging ©2018 DND/MDN Quotes “The women and men of our Special Operations Forces deserve the best equipment to do the tough job we ask of them. We are proud of them, and through Strong, Secure, Engaged, our government will continue to make investments ‎in our most important asset: our people.” - Defence Minister Harjit S. Sajjan “The acquisition of the ULCV is a tremendous step forward in light mobility for the men and women of CANSOFCOM. This platform will serve as a unique complement to our existing mobility arsenal and assist CANSOFCOM in its delivery of agile special operations forces effects for years to come.” - Major-General Mike Rouleau, Commander, Canadian Special Operations Forces Command Quick Facts In December, 2016, the Government of Canada announced that a contract valued at approximately $20.6M was awarded to Polaris Industries Limited for the acquisition of 52 ULCV with the option to procure an additional 26 vehicles over a two year period at an additional cost. In July, 2017, CANSOFCOM exercised the option to procure an additional 10 ULCV, bringing the total number of ULCV under this acquisition to 62 and value of the contract to approximately $23M. The ULCVs are being delivered as planned and on budget. Delivery of these vehicles will continue through to April 2018. The contract with Polaris Industries Limited includes technical support services, and integrated logistics support for two years. This includes everything from publications and manuals, to spare parts and driver training. https://www.canada.ca/en/department-national-defence/news/2018/01/cansofcom_takes_deliveryofultra-lightcombatvehicleulcv.html
December 24, 2018 | Local, C4ISR
DAVID PUGLIESE, OTTAWA CITIZEN The National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians (NSICOP) delivered its first annual report Friday to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. The report includes the two substantive reviews conducted by NSICOP in 2018, and its related findings and recommendations. NSICOP examined the Canadian government's process for establishing the national intelligence priorities. These priorities serve to direct intelligence organizations in the collection and analysis of intelligence. NSICOP also conducted a review of the intelligence activities of the Department of National Defence and the Canadian Forces. The committee examined the scope of these activities, their legal authorities and the existing oversight mechanisms for their control and accountability. “This annual report marks the first time that Canada has had a committee of Parliamentarians with access to classified material and cleared to examine issues of national security and intelligence,” NSICOP chair David McGuinty said in a statement. Trudeau will now consider whether there is any information in the report, the disclosure of which would be injurious to national security, national defence or international relations, or which includes solicitor-client information. A declassified version of the report must be tabled in Parliament within 30 sitting days, according to the committee's news release. https://ottawacitizen.com/news/national/defence-watch/trudeau-receives-review-of-canadian-forces-intelligence-activities-and-process-of-establishing-national-intelligence-priorities