The top military leader in Canada, Gen. Jennie Carignan, is preparing recommendations to significantly grow the Canadian military’s size. The proposal includes expanding the reserve and regular force, potentially adding 300,000 citizen soldiers, 100,000 primary reservists, and 85,500 regular force members.
With allies like Germany advancing their military programs, there is mounting pressure on Canada to finalize its expansion plans, especially with the government’s accelerated procurement of new equipment. The Canadian military currently faces challenges in maintaining existing equipment due to personnel shortages.
Gen. Carignan indicated that various expansion options will be presented to the government soon. The plan draws inspiration from Ukraine’s experience following the Russian invasion, where a surge in volunteers overwhelmed the military’s capacity to equip and train them.
Canada’s current military strength, set in 2017 at 71,500 full-time and 30,000 part-time members, falls short of its authorized targets. Prime Minister Mark Carney emphasized the commitment to growing the military and reserves as a multi-year plan.
Despite recent efforts to boost recruitment through incentives like paid skills training, the military still faces obstacles in meeting its expansion goals. The government’s fiscal support for the mobilization plan has been questioned by critics for potentially lacking the necessary resources.
Retired major-general Dean Milner highlighted the need for urgency in Canada’s mobilization strategy, citing the country’s struggles to reach established personnel targets. The defense department acknowledges that hitting the authorized strength goals set in 2017 may not be achievable until 2029, with training system challenges possibly persisting until 2032.