Canada Prioritizes Cyber-Attack
Canadian troops will be asked to do more to battle cyber threats and take a larger role in drone warfare as part of the country's new defence plan, Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan (pictured) said recently.
Flanked by a tank and an armoured vehicle, Sajjan unveiled details of Canada's new defence policy in a hangar at 3rd Canadian Division Support Base in Edmonton
The government plan calls for a surge in defence spending, from $18.9 billion this fiscal year to $32.7 billion in 2026-27, an increase of more than 70 per cent.
Those funds will allow for the hiring of 3,500 new personnel, boosting the regular force to 71,500 people over the next 10 years.
Sajjan said that as one of Canada's largest military bases, Edmonton will see an increase in funding, but did not provide specifics.
"Obviously in Edmonton here there's going to be a significant benefit," he said, citing infrastructure upgrades and spending to modernize the army. However, he said the military is responsible for implementing the plan, which is in its early stages.
Sajjan's visit came one week after Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland said Canada needs "hard power" to achieve its foreign policy goals as the United States under President Donald Trump adopts an increasingly isolationist stance.
The defence plan includes funding for 15 surface warships and 88 advanced fighter aircraft to replace the aging fleet of CF-18 Hornets as Canada beefs up its commitment to Norad and NATO. The US president has been non-committal about the military alliance, accusing some members of free-riding on US defence spending.
The funding also increases the number of military personnel dedicated to "cyber functions," creating a new position called the Canadian Armed Forces Cyber Operator.
Those operators will use technology to counteract adversaries who use the Internet to spread propaganda, recruit supporters and "wreak havoc wherever they can," Sajjan said.
"Our forces need to be equipped with the ability to detect, organise and identify cyber threats and be prepared to take appropriate action," he said. That could include using cyber technologies in offensive operations, Sajjan added.
Canada will also buy more remotely piloted vehicles, including armed drones. Canadian Forces troops do not currently have armed drones, but were involved in spotting for US Predator and Reaper drones in Afghanistan. Those drones could be used for surveillance along Canada's vast Arctic coast, Sajjan said.
With 5,829 regular soldiers and 403 reservists, CFB Edmonton has around one-third of the Canadian army's fighting power. For now, it's unclear how many new soldiers could be stationed at the base as a result of the defence policy.
The new policy aims to "reduce significantly" the time it takes to enroll in the forces and focuses on retaining members, which would aid in recruitment, Sajjan said.
In an email, CFB Edmonton public affairs officer Anthony Wright said the additional funding means there will "definitely be investment in the base, but at this time we have no specifics."
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