Canada’s ambitious pledge to raise defence spending to 5% of GDP by 2035 marks a decisive shift in national priorities. This analysis by Emma Zhang examines whether the Carney government can strike a balance between defence spending and social welfare, and turn defence investment into sustainable economic growth.
While Canada’s military is often seen as a strong and modern fighting force, it also lacks many assets that are key to ensuring defensive capabilities, including Northern surveillance. Canadian ambitions to acquire Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) aircraft will revolutionize Northern intelligence gathering in order to bolster NORAD’s effectiveness and Canadian sovereignty. The Canadian Read More…
In his latest article, James Lautens explores the discussion around military conscription as a means of deterrence in global security. By comparing conscription policies in NATO countries, he outlines the cultural, political, geographic, and historical factors behind conscription policies and argues that, in an increasingly unstable world, Canada should consider all options – including conscription – to strengthen its defences.
On January 20th, 2025, Donald Trump was officially sworn in as the President of the United States for his second term after winning the 2024 US election. With this, a new age of global politics is in the offing. Trump’s policies during his first administration were largely guided by an “America First” agenda, reflecting a Read More…
For decades, NATO has maintained a clear benchmark for defence spending: 2% of a nation’s GDP. This figure signifies a commitment to collective security. However, as of 2024, Canada spends only about 1.4% of its GDP on defence. With increasing pressure from NATO allies and a shifting global security landscape, Canada faces the pressing question: Can Read More…
With the growing reach of social media and communication technologies, misinformation and disinformation have become so prevalent that it can now be difficult to discern between what is true and false. While “misinformation” refers to false information, “disinformation” denotes the deliberate propagation of false claims. One of the most recent disinformation crises to grip society Read More…
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had expressed concern that the risk of direct involvement by NATO forces in the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine threatened to escalate tensions and lead to a wider conflict with Russia. However, since then, he has committed Canada to bolstering Ukraine’s war effort. This raises the complex issue of whether Canada should increase defence spending Read More…
In December, 2022, the Canadian Minister of National Defence, Anita Anand, presented a report to the Canadian parliament that related the progress of the Canadian Armed Forces’ (CAF) efforts at reform in the face of widespread reports of sexual assault in its ranks. The last three years have seen the resignation of many high-level Canadian defence officials, Read More…
As a group of thirty nations, NATO militaries are required to standardize their ammunition, logistics, tactics, and ranks to make it easier to operate as a whole. In actual combat conditions, a multinational coalition of soldiers might suddenly need to operate equipment from another member state’s military, and standardizing equipment ensures their ability to keep Read More…
Canada has often faced calls to contribute more to NATO in the past; focusing on the Arctic theatre offers it a way to do just that.