Canada's army rebuilding plan stalled, former minister says

While parts of the original plan were later resurrected, they have languished within the Department of National Defence and Public Services and Procurement Canada. Several critical weapons systems identified in the 2010 plan, including ground-based air defense, modern anti-tank systems, and long-range artillery, are now items the current Liberal government is urgently trying to procure, mirroring a broader trend among allied nations seeking to bolster their defenses against a resurgent Russia.

Senior defense officials have indicated the urgency of these acquisitions, with one planner noting that less complex items could still take up to 18 months to procure. In the interim, Canadian troops stationed in Latvia, facing a volatile Russian army, must rely on their current equipment or the support of allies.

Gen. Wayne Eyre, chief of the Defence Staff, emphasized the pressing need for new equipment, stating in a recent interview that it "cannot arrive fast enough." The military is specifically looking for ground-based air defense systems to protect against aerial threats, anti-tank weapons similar to the U.S.-made Javelin, enhanced electronic warfare capabilities, and systems to counter drones.

Former Conservative defense minister Peter MacKay, who initiated procurement projects for medium fighting vehicles, ground-based air defense, anti-tank weapons, and long-range rocket artillery systems as part of the post-Afghanistan reconstitution, described the original plan as "robust" and detailed with short, medium, and long-term goals.

Andrew Leslie, a former army commander and Liberal MP who co-authored the 2010 proposal, stated that the plan was designed to address gaps identified during the counter-insurgency war in Afghanistan and was sequenced for delivery between 2010 and 2020. Leslie expressed regret that the plan was not fully implemented, noting that "The plan seemed to get picked apart." He also mentioned that within a year of agreeing to the plan, he moved on from his army commander role, and MacKay was subsequently shuffled to a different ministerial portfolio.