VICTORIA, British Columbia — Self-propelled artillery, submarines and early-warning aircraft are on the purchasing docket for Canada’s new government as part of its agenda to strengthen the country’s military.
Prime Minister Mark Carney named his new Cabinet on May 13 which included David McGuinty as defense minister and former Royal Canadian Air Force fighter pilot Stephen Fuhr as Secretary of State for defense procurement.
“Everyone is expected and empowered to show leadership – to bring new ideas, a clear focus, and decisive action to their work,” Carney said in a televised speech at the Cabinet announcement.
“We will build a stronger Canadian Armed Forces to defend every inch of our territory through unprecedented investments in land, air, sea, and cyber space,” he added.
Carney said his government’s priorities will be announced on May 27.
But his defense platform, released April 19 in the middle of the federal election, has already outlined a significant rearmament program for the Canadian military. That includes the purchase of 80 to102 self-propelled howitzers, a fleet of conventionally-powered submarines, and a fleet of Canadian-made early-warning and control aircraft. A new ground-based air defense system will also be purchased for the Canadian Army. Carney has also promised purchasing additional heavy icebreakers, although he has not provided details on numbers of such ships.
In addition, Carney had already ordered a review of Canada’s purchase of the Lockheed Martin F-35 fighter jet. The Canadian government committed in January 2023 to spending $13.2 billion (19 billion Canadian dollars) for the purchase of 88 F-35s from the United States.
Carney, who linked the review to U.S. President Donald Trump’s ongoing trade war against Canada, said at this point the country has only committed to purchasing the first 16 F-35s. He noted that he has had discussions with French and British government officials about whether they could provide an alternative to the F-35 and whether that aircraft could be built in Canada.
Carney has also pointed out that Canada has choices on its defense alliance partners.
Trump’s threats against Canada have raised issues about the state of the U.S.-Canada military relationship. “What degree of interoperability do we have in our military in a world that is more dangerous and divided,” Carney asked May 13 when referring to U.S.-Canadian defense arrangements. “So we have big decisions to make there.”
Fuhr will take on the job of overseeing the F-35 review as well as making improvements to the defense procurement process.
Fuhr previously questioned the cost and value of the F-35 in 2011 and 2014 when he was a civilian involved in the aviation industry.
But he was later elected in 2015 as a Liberal member of parliament. Then-Liberal Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who had promised never to purchase the F-35 during the 2015 election campaign, later changed his policy and his government approved the purchase of the fighter jet in 2023.
Fuhr said he has yet to be briefed on his role.
The F-35 review is still in its early stages. Canada’s Department of National Defence has continued to decline to provide a timeframe for when the process might be finished.
“The F-35 review is ongoing and progressing in a timely manner; it is taking into consideration internal, external, and independent input,” Department of National Defence spokesman Nick Drescher Brown stated in a May 15 email to Defense News.
In addition, the Canadian military hopes to start working with industry this summer on the acquisition of a new helicopter fleet that will deal with existing rotary aircraft gaps in firepower and mobility.
The proposed purchase wasn’t specified in Carney’s defense policy.
But a briefing to the aerospace industry and defense analysts noted that Canada will spend $12.9 billion (CA $18.4 billion) on new tactical helicopters. The briefing was prepared by RCAF Brig. Gen. Brendan Cook, director general of air and space force development, and provided to Defense News by the Department of National Defence.
The new fleet would replace the existing CH-146 Griffon helicopter fleet.
David Pugliese is the Canada correspondent for Defense News.
