Government of Canada’s Announced Our North, Strong and Free: A Renewed Vision for Canada’s Defence

On April 8, 2024, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Bill Blair, Minister of Defence released their updated defence policy, titled Our North, Strong and Free: A Renewed Vision for Canada’s Defence. This new policy is intended to address two core objectives: strengthening the foundations of the Canadian Armed Forces and acquire new capabilities to deal with new threats. As part of this policy, the Government of Canada has identified the most urgent and important task as asserting Canada’s sovereignty in Arctic and northern regions in light of the changing physical and geopolitical landscapes that has created new threats and vulnerabilities to the country. The major themes of this policy includes: support our people; strengthen our foundations; build an innovative industrial base; defend Canada; defend North America; and defend Canada’s global interests and values.

As part pf the Our North, Strong and Free: A Renewed Vision for Canada’s Defence policy, the federal government will invest $8.1 billion over the next five years and $73 billion over the next 20 years. These new investments, which is to be announced in Budget 2024, will bring Canada’s defence spending-to-GDP ratio to 1.76%. This is intended to be the first step towards Canada’s NATO commitment to reach a 2% spending-to-GDP ratio.

Support our People

As part of this updated defence policy, Canada has made the commitment to support Canadian Armed Forces Members and their families, including investing to improve housing, health data continuity between provinces and territories, and childcare.

Canada has also committed to explore adjusting personnel policies related to compensation and benefits, human resources, leave, and other supports for work-life balance for those serving in the Canadian Armed Forces.

Strengthen Our Foundations

The Government of Canada will maintain and renew national defence infrastructure to support training, operations, and day-to-day military activities under this policy, and, in addition, increase the number of civilian specialists in priority areas to improve the purchase of new equipment, recruit, and train new soldiers, and upgrade infrastructure.

Build an Innovative Industrial Base

The Our North, Strong and Free: A Renewed Vision for Canada’s Defence policy, has allocated funding over the next 20 years to sustain military equipment under the National Procurement Program to ensure the Canadian Armed Forces can preserve its ability to deploy on operations, as well as accelerate the establishment of new artillery ammunition production capacity in Canada and invest in a strategic supply of ammunition.

There has also been funding committed under this policy for Canada to Participate in the newly established NATO Innovation Fund, which is the world’s first defence-focused multi-sovereign venture capital fund, providing investment in start-up firms developing dual-use, emerging and disruptive technologies critical to defence.

Defend Canada

As part of the Government of Canada’s aim to defend Canada, funding has been allocated to:

• Acquire specialized maritime sensors to conduct ocean surveillance;
• Build a new satellite ground station in the Arctic;
• Acquire a more modern, mobile, and effective tactical helicopter capability;
• Establish a greater year-round presence across the Arctic and the North through Northern Operational Support Hubs; and
• Standup a joint Canadian cyber operations capability with the Communications Security Establishment.

The Government has also stated they will explore options for renewing and expanding the existing submarine fleet, acquire new all-terrain vehicles adapted to ice, snow, and tundra, and enable our Arctic and Offshore Patrol Vessels to embark and operate maritime helicopters at sea.

The measures detailed in this updated policy is aimed at Canadian Arctic sovereignty and defence.

Defend North America

The federal government’s commitment to defend North America include improving Canada’s ability to detect, track and prioritize airborne threats sooner, respond faster, and better coordinate with the United States when required, including contributions to NORAD, and acquire long-range missile capabilities to enable our forces to deter threats to Canada at greater ranges.

The policy also intends to ensure the contributions of Canada’s new airborne early warning and control aircraft and previously announced platforms such as such as the Canadian Surface Combatants,

Explore ground-based defences for critical infrastructure and acquire long-range air- and sea-launched missiles.

Defend Canada’s Global Interests and Values

In order to defend Canada’s global interests, the Our North, Strong and Free: A Renewed Vision for Canada’s Defence policy, the government has committed to sustaining the navel fleet, acquiring a comprehensive worldwide satellite communication capacity, modernizing the artillery capabilities, upgrade or replacing main battle tanks, upgrading or replacing Canada’s light armoured vehicle fleet, establishing a production program to replenish the light armoured vehicle fleet, and acquiring a suite of surveillance and strike drones, and counter-drone capabilities.

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