DND warns availability of Canadian military equipment is dropping

Article content

The percentage of navy and army equipment that is supposed to be ready for training and operations has continued to decline, warns a new report from the Department of National Defence.

A lack of money and staff as well as aging equipment were the cause of the problems, according the Departmental Results Report 2023-2024. “There is a risk that DND/CAF may have difficulty maintaining its materiel capabilities at the right level to support operations,” the report, released Dec. 17, pointed out.

Article content

The percentage of key naval fleets that are serviceable to meet training and readiness requirements in support of concurrent operations dropped from 51.2 per cent in 2022-2023 to 45.73 per cent in 2023-2024, according to the report. The target for the navy is this area is supposed to be at least 60 per cent.

For key army fleets that serviceability rate dropped from 56 per cent to 49 per cent during the same time frame. The target for the army in this area is supposed to be at least 80 per cent. Serviceability rates for air force fleets increased slightly but were also far off the target. Those rates went from 43.88 per cent in 2022-2023 to 48.9 per cent in 2023-2024. The target in the air force is supposed to be at least 85 per cent.

The report also lists what DND considered the three key risks associated with not having forces ready. Those include the overall lack of military personnel, the lack of specific skilled staff and the problems with maintenance.

For instance, the report pointed out that during the fiscal year 2023-2024, the Royal Canadian Navy did not meet its serviceability targets due to aging fleets, the introduction of new ships and the lack of sailors. In some cases the problems were the result of issues with new equipment, such as the Arctic and Offshore Patrol Ships, which have had ongoing mechanical problems.

Article content

For the army, the issue was a lack of money as well as “the aging and increasingly obsolete fleets,” the report added.

The Royal Canadian Air Force was dealing with “a limited number of qualified technicians, and the ongoing transition from legacy platforms to new capabilities.”

DND officials did not provide comment by deadline.

The report noted that DND and the Canadian Forces spent $33.5 billion during the fiscal year 2023-2024.

DND did report that it was able to cut $211 million by reducing travel and the hiring of consultants. Additional savings are expected to be found in the coming year in those areas as well, according to the report.

Despite the setbacks, the message from Defence Minister Bill Blair in the report was upbeat. He highlighted the Liberal government’s promises to invest heavily in the Canadian Armed Forces or CAF in the future. “The top priority of the CAF is defending Canada, which also contributes to protecting our shared continent with the United States,” Blair wrote in his introduction to the document. “Canada is reinforcing our commitment to the North American Aerospace Defense Command with an investment of $38.6 billion over 20 years.”

Article content

In April, the Liberal government released its long-awaited defence policy update, promising to increase the military’s annual budget from around $30 billion to almost $50 billion by the end of the decade.

In the policy update, the Liberal government also announced a series of new equipment purchases. The government will buy specialized maritime sensors to improve ocean surveillance as well as build a new satellite ground station in the Arctic. It will also establish additional support facilities in the Arctic for military operations.

The Liberals have also committed to buying new long-range missiles for the Canadian Army.  In addition, they will accelerate the establishment of a new artillery ammunition production capacity in the country.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has also committed to buying new submarines in the future.

The Liberals have been under intense pressure from the U.S. and NATO to spend more on the Canadian Forces. That pressure is expected to increase significantly once Donald Trump becomes U.S. president in January.

The policy update will bring Canadian defence spending up to 1.76 per cent of GDP, which still falls short of a NATO agreement of two per cent of GDP.

Article content

Trudeau has defended the Liberal government track record on defence, noting that when he came to power the previous Conservative government was only spending one per cent of GDP on the military. “We started to invest massively in the Canadian Forces,” Trudeau added.

David Pugliese is an award-winning journalist covering Canadian Forces and military issues in Canada. To support his work, including exclusive content for subscribers only, sign up here: ottawacitizen.com/subscribe

Article content