After more than a decade of involvement, Canada’s special forces are dropping out of a U.S.-sponsored military exercise in Africa, with Ottawa saying it needs to reconsider where to deploy its resources. The decision to stop participating in the annual Flintlock exercise, a key Pentagon priority in Africa, could be a sign that the Department of National Defence is stretched...
Canada ordered 88 F-35s in 2023, but began reassessing its options after Trump took office. Senior executives from Lockheed Martin will be in Quebec on Tuesday to confirm that they plan to service Canada's F-35 aircraft at the L3Harris facilities in Mirabel, which are currently used to maintain Canada's CF-18 fleet. The announcement will be their first major outing on...
The Canadian government says it has extended its bidding process to pick a submarine builder so the two entrants vying for the prize – among the largest defence contracts in this country’s history – can sweeten their bids. It’s an acknowledgment that Ottawa wasn’t satisfied with the economic and industrial benefits promised in the bids, submitted ahead of a March...
The Canadian government has given the two submarine builders vying for a massive defence contract an opportunity to revise their filed bids – a move that also provides the companies an opportunity to enrich the industrial benefits they would provide to Canada. Both South Korea’s Hanwha Ocean and Germany’s TKMS already submitted their bids weeks ago to meet an early...
Swedish firm pitches centre as means to keep mission-critical data out of U.S. hands. As part of its pitch to lure Canada to buy Gripen-E fighter jets, Saab has offered to establish a secure, sovereign data centre in Montreal to house critical, top-secret mission data and intelligence, CBC News has learned. The company is framing it as a "unique advantage"...
Formed in 1949, in the wake of a world war which cost tens of millions of lives, 12 countries signed the NATO charter in Washington, D.C. The aims were to deter Soviet expansionism, to prevent the rise of nationalistic militarism in Europe, and to promote European integration. A lot has changed, in Trump’s America.
Formed in 1949, in the wake of a world war which cost tens of millions of lives, 12 countries signed the NATO charter in Washington, D.C. The aims were to deter Soviet expansionism, to prevent the rise of nationalistic militarism in Europe, and to promote European integration. A lot has changed, in Trump’s America.
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said Thursday he understands U.S. President Donald Trump’s “disappointment” in the alliance for not immediately helping him with his war with Iran, but also backed Trump’s decision to not inform allies ahead of time. Speaking at the Ronald Reagan Institute in Washington a day after meeting with Trump privately to discuss the president’s criticisms, Rutte expressed...
Canada is talking to Britain, Japan and Italy about obtaining observer status in their joint program to develop a next-generation fighter aircraft. Ottawa is sending letters to all three countries formally requesting this, a senior Canadian government official said. The Globe is not identifying the source because they were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly.
The Canadian military is studying what kind of tanks and armoured troop carriers it will need in the future and how quickly those projects can and will be advanced, says the commander of the army. An internal presentation, delivered to a closed-door audience in the United Kingdom last winter, suggested the timelines for buying new armoured fighting vehicles (AFVs) and...
'It was a nonsensical operation from beginning to end,' national security expert says. Canadian Armed Forces members used their own personal social media accounts, computers and networks at home during the COVID-19 pandemic and gathered information about Canadians, violating intelligence-gathering rules, according to a newly released report. The internal military report obtained by CBC News provides a new look behind...
The research gauged the opinions among Canadians on their general impression of the Canadian Armed Forces, their views on whether a career in the CAF is a good option for young people today, whether the CAF makes them feel proud to be Canadian, whether they would be willing to serve in the CAF in either a full time or part...
An increasing percentage of Canadians say that they would be willing to serve in the Armed Forces if Canada were involved in a major conflict, suggests a new poll. The public opinion survey, conducted by Nanos Research for The Globe and Mail, also shows that a majority of respondents said they have a positive view of the military and would...
President Donald Trump's comments to a British newspaper this week revived speculation about whether he is ready to pull the U.S. out of the NATO defensive pact, of which Canada is a member. Venting his frustration over what he claimed is the failure of allies to help America in its war against Iran, Trump told the Daily Telegraph NATO is...
The federal government should consider a one-to-two-point increase in the GST and slower growth in non-defence spending to finance a massive jump Canada’s military budget, according to a new report from the C.D. Howe Institute. “Some combination of tax increases, spending cuts, or taking on more debt is required,” wrote authors Colin Busby and Nicholas Dahir. The analysis warns that...
The federal government has set aside about $1.5 billion to maintain and service the Royal Canadian Air Force's new fleet of Husky aircraft. Canada is acquiring nine CC-330 Husky tanker and transport aircraft -- four brand-new, five used -- to replace the aging CC-150 Polaris. The Defence Investment Agency announced three new contracts to support the tankers' continuous operations --...
Imagine a Canada ruled by a “mini-Trump.” It’s not so implausible, lawyer Frédéric Bérard told the Supreme Court last week. Western nations are teeming with clones of the American president these days. If such an illiberal leader were to come here, Bérard argued, we would simply have to hope that our politicians do the right thing...
The CEO of the Swedish manufacturing company Saab says there are still “intensive” talks underway with the Canadian government around the potential purchase of Gripen fighter jets, but that he has no timeline for when Canada will finish its review of the American-made F-35s. The federal government launched a review a year ago of its plan to purchase dozens of...
Army commander warns current force structure isn't fit for rising threats. The military's operations command is currently drawing up an "all arms defence of Canada" plan which will lead to a major reorganization of the army this fall, says the country's top army commander. Lt.-Gen. Mike Wright, speaking at a land forces conference at the University of Calgary on Thursday...
For the first time since the end of the Cold War, Canada is spending roughly two per cent of its GDP on national defence — a key NATO alliance benchmark Ottawa previously failed to meet. NATO's annual report, released Thursday, contains estimates stating Prime Minister Mark Carney’s government met the key spending benchmark for 2025 by shelling out just over...
Impressive ambition. A needed boost for Canadian sovereignty. Some hope for industrial transition. But when you get down to the math, there is only half the equation. The figures are big. After touring a Royal Canadian Navy ship on Thursday, and boasting that Canada has finally met the NATO target for defence spending, Prime Minister Mark Carney made a point...
After more than a decade of plodding progress, Canada has officially hit the NATO spending target of two per cent of GDP set during the Wales Summit of 2014. According to data in the NATO Secretary-General’s annual report released this morning, Canada spent more than $60 billion on defence in 2025 – an amount that adds up to two per...
Canadian troops may be only days away from deploying to the Middle East to aid the U.S.’s and Israel’s war on Iran. The latest indication is a joint statement expressing concern about Iran’s restriction of oil tankers through the narrow Strait of Hormuz signed by Prime Minister Mark Carney and NATO allies late in the week.
French deterrence in North America would risk inflaming tensions with Washington. A very quiet queue has formed in Europe where some of Canada's long-standing, closest allies are seeking shelter under France's small but robust nuclear umbrella. The initiative of French President Emmanuel Macron, who declared the next 50 years to be the "era of nuclear weapons," is — on paper...
The federal government has outlined criteria under which Canada would help partners in the Middle East endangered by the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran. Ottawa has said it is looking at helping Gulf nations and might contribute to efforts to unblock fuel shipments -- but it hasn't explained what this might involve, beyond stressing that it has no intention of joining...
U.S. President Donald Trump is widening the cracks between the United States and European NATO members with his calls for allies to help him finish the war he started with Iran. Many NATO member countries were already grappling with the future of the alliance after a key member -- the United States -- threatened to take over Greenland, an ally's...
Defence Minister David McGuinty has walked back his remarks about when and how he learned about an Iranian airstrike that may have hit Canadian assets in Kuwait earlier this month. In prepared remarks Thursday -- which he described as a "clarifying statement" -- McGuinty said he first learned about the airstrike in a briefing with government officials, not by reading...
Canada is ready to “contribute to appropriate efforts” to resume safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz, a significant artery in international shipping undergoing a “de facto closure” amid the war in Iran. That’s according to a joint statement released Thursday, co-signed by Canada, the U.K., France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Japan. The countries demanded that Iran halt its...
Defence Minister David McGuinty said he did not learn about a report of potential damage to Canadian assets from an Iranian airstrike on an airbase in Kuwait until a Quebec newspaper reported on it. The minister still refuses to confirm if the attack struck or damaged any Canadian assets at the base. "I didn't know about it until La Presse...
The federal government is buying 30,000 made-in-Canada assault rifles for the Canadian Army from Colt Canada in a $307 million procurement deal. That sum covers just the first three years of the contract, after which the federal government has the option of acquiring another 35,000 rifles. Stephen Fuhr, secretary of state for defence procurement, said the order for the new...
Ottawa is spending $1.4-billion to bolster Canada’s domestic ammunition production capacity through the establishment of new facilities to manufacture supplies such as artillery shells and nitrocellulose, a compound used in a range of military munitions. Defence Minister David McGuinty said the funds will be divided between two companies: IMT Precision, based in Ingersoll, Ont., and General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical...
Canadian Armed Forces members are "not engaged" in the "prosecution" of the war against Iran, Defence Minister David McGuinty said Tuesday when asked whether some Canadians are serving in support roles. The Canadian Press asked McGuinty at a news conference in Brampton, Ont., whether the Canadian military is involved in the war — and whether Royal Canadian Air Force members...
Prime Minister Mark Carney has responded to the U.S.-Israeli bombardment of Iran with a mix of support and hesitation, leading some to wonder if his position is in need of clarification, while others praise his strategic ambiguity. For Canadians, there’s little in the way of guess work. New data from the non-profit Angus Reid Institute finds three-quarters of Canadians (74%)...
U.S. President Donald Trump is struggling to persuade other nations to help protect commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz — a development that analysts say is partly the result of treating allies with contempt since returning to the White House last year. Iran has effectively shut down the narrow strait at the mouth of the Persian Gulf, threatening to...
Canada can successfully navigate President Donald Trump's call for NATO allies to secure the Strait of Hormuz without getting drawn into the war, Defence Minister David McGuinty said Monday. U.S. President Donald Trump warned in an interview with The Financial Times newspaper that it "will be very bad" for the future of NATO if alliance members fail to help secure...
Canada is considering eventual membership in a UK-led multinational rapid response force, but its immediate priority is rebuilding its military and reducing reliance on the US, Defense Minister David McGuinty said. Canada is considering eventual membership in a UK-led multinational rapid response force, but its immediate priority is rebuilding its military and reducing reliance on the US, Defense Minister David...
The former secretary general of NATO says he doesn't think allies will be pulled further into the conflict in the Middle East, but he's concerned the ongoing war with Iran will benefit Russia's economy and take the world's attention away from the invasion of Ukraine. "NATO has never played any important role in important Middle East conflicts," Jens Stoltenberg said...
Canada and its allies are prepared to defend the arctic, Prime Minister Mark Carney said Friday in Bardufoss, Norway, after observing NATO's Cold Response exercises. He held a news conference alongside Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. Asked by a German reporter whether the "conflict" over the Trump administration's demands for Greenland is settled, the...
Prime Minister Mark Carney arrived in Norway today, where he will observe NATO's Cold Response exercises alongside the Norwegian prime minister. Carney is on the trip at the invitation of Norway, which hosts these joint NATO exercises every two years. This year, about 25,000 troops from 14 different nations are taking part in the exercises, which are aimed at enhancing...
Prime Minister Mark Carney touched down in Norway early Friday where he will get important face time with the Nordic country’s leader and the German chancellor before taking in a major NATO wargaming exercise that includes Canadian troops. Both countries are backing a bid by German submarine-maker TKMS to sell Canada 12 new submarines — a multi-billion dollar program that...
As Canada approaches its second year of deciding whether to buy a full fleet of American-made F-35 fighter jets, Defence Minister David McGuinty is already thinking of joining a British-Italian-Japanese partnership working on a next-generation air force fighter. Joining the so-called Global Combat Air Programme, or GCAP, could make it much harder for Canada to ditch its plan to buy...
Prime Minister Mark Carney said Thursday the government is putting an additional $32 billion into military forward operating locations in Yellowknife, Inuvik and Iqaluit and Deployed Operating Base 5 Wing in Goose Bay, Nfld. The prime minister made the announcement in Yellowknife on Thursday before taking off for a planned visit to Norway. The $32 billion is part of Canada's...
A Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) base in Kuwait was hit by an Iranian missile attack, during which a fortified shelter was heavily damaged, reveals an investigation by La Presse . The incident, which occurred about ten days ago, was not disclosed to parliamentarians who held an emergency debate on the war this week. The soldiers, who were in another building...