24 September, 2021
Canada has just come through another federal election where defence and security matters were conspicuously absent from much of the discussion. Successive federal governments have talked about extensive plans and procurement initiatives in order to better defend Canada’s Arctic region. However, this has usually translated to minimal effort and protracted or shelved procurement files. For well over a year now, RAUSI has curated a series of Arctic-related articles with a view to highlighting other nations efforts in this region, which we hoped would lead Canadians to ask, “what is Canada doing in its Arctic region”. The UK’s top military commander, Gen. Sir Nick Carter, has recently asked for increased access and participation in Canadian Arctic military exercises. These efforts will allow UK forces to become familiar with Arctic operations and allow them to confirm best practices with advanced weapons platforms such as their nuclear submarines. It is possible that Canada’s NATO allies are becoming increasingly concerned about Canada’s perceived lack of effort and resources tied to the defence and security of its’ own backyard. The exclusion of Canada from the recently announced AUKUS pact signals that this maybe the case.
We encourage all RAUSI members to engage with their Members of Parliament on this topic. We look forward to your comments.
Britain offers Canadian military help to defend the Arctic (msn.com)