Building Canada's Sovereign Missile Capability - Canadian Global Affairs Institute

As NATO countries increase defence spending amid rising geopolitical tensions, Canada faces pressure to strengthen its military. The federal government has committed billions of dollars to modernizing the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF), but increased spending does not automatically translate into greater military capability. Major defence projects have faced years of delays, while personnel shortages and challenges in recruitment, retention and training continue to limit the CAF’s readiness.  The capacity of Canada’s defence industry to meet growing military demands presents an additional challenge. Defence procurement is one of the clearest examples of this problem. Buying new aircraft, ships, weapons, and other military equipment can take years, and sometimes decades. Other NATO countries face many of the same challenges, but some have taken different approaches to buying equipment and working with their defence industries. Comparing these systems with Canada’s offers useful lessons about what can be done differently.