The Department of National Defence has launched public
consultations for the development of a new defence policy for Canada. This
includes a Defence Policy Review public consultation paper, a website and even an e-workbook to be filled in.
Canadian Defence Matters is attempting to come up
with some answers to the ten
questions contained in the public consultation paper.
Under the general heading “Questions relating to
Defence capabilities and the future force, question number five is “should the size, structure, and composition
for the Canadian Armed Forces change from what they are today”.
It would be relatively easy to come up with a
laundry list of options the government could consider on the issue of how the
size, structure, and composition for the Canadian Armed Forces could be changed
from what they are today.
Evenly dividing RCN fleet units between the east and
west coasts, having six military regions- to reflect geographic and political
reality- instead of four, purchasing enough aircraft to allow the RCAF the
depth and balance it currently lack, come to mind with no difficulty.
However the consultation paper attempts to put this
in context with a section entitled:
UNDERSTANDING THE ENVIRONMENTS
”
The Royal Canadian Navy consists of approximately 8,600 personnel. The Canadian
fleet, divided between the Atlantic and Pacific coasts, is composed of 29
warships, submarines, and coastal defence vessels – plus many more auxiliary
and support vessels.
The
Canadian Army, at approximately 22,600 strong, is based in four regions across
Canada. Canada’s land forces operate a range of land combat vehicles, including
the Light Armoured Vehicle and Leopard II tanks. They also leverage a range of
integrated communications tools to support networked operations.
The Royal Canadian Air Force, with
approximately 13,200 personnel, is located in 13 locations across Canada and
operates fighter aircraft, transport aircraft, and search and rescue aircraft –
in addition to operating a fleet of intelligence, surveillance and
reconnaissance aircraft.
The
balance of 23,600 makes up the forces allocated to Canadian Special Operations
Force Command (CANSOFCOM), Canadian Joint Operations Command (CJOC), Canadian
Forces Intelligence Command (CFINTCOM), Chief of Military Personnel (CMP),
Canadian Forces Health Services Group (CFHSG), and various other organizations
that provide operational support.
It would appear that, in general, this is the size, structure, and composition of the
Canadian Armed Forces that the government is asking if we need change from what
they are today. Or at least it would be if the personnel numbers were accurate.
The figures as quoted above show regular force
strength of 68,000. However according to press reports a Defence Department report tabled in the House of Commons
shows a shortage of nearly 1,900 regular force members.
Nor do those figures include reservists, who
currently have a mandated strength of 27,000 as against an actual strength of
21,707, a shortage of 5.300
It should be
remembered that that the Canadian Armed Forces are made up of both the Regular
Force – full-time members who have made military service their career – and the
Reserve Force, or part-time members. While Regular Force members are enrolled
for a specified term of service, members of the Reserve Force are enrolled for
an indefinite period and as such volunteer to keep themselves ready for duty if
and when necessary.
It cannot be stressed often enough that a robust and
well-trained reserve force is critical to the success of CAF operations. Almost
as important is a regular force that is kept at authorized strength.
One way to
insure that our Forces are at authorized strength is to see that monetary
compensation, i.e. pay, is disbursed appropriately and with a minimum of the
bureaucratic delay so beloved of government service in general and the Armed
Forces in particular. Another way is to insure that modern equipment is available
in the numbers necessary for realistic training.
So, the way the “size, structure, and composition
for the Canadian Armed Forces should be changed from what they are today” is by
insuring that those Armed Forces, both regulars and reserves, are maintained at
the personnel levels necessary to achieve the goals set for them.
Defence
Policy Review Public Consultation Paper
Defence
Policy Review
Have
your say: Defence Policy Review 2016
Defence
Policy Review
Canadian
military losing soldiers at increasing rate as headcount drops to level not
seen in years
