National Defence

The committee met to receive a threat analysis of the Euro-Atlantic and Indo-Pacific regions. Appearing were Ty Curran, Deputy Director General of International Security Policy at the Department of National Defence; Major-General Robert Ritchie, Director of Staff of the Strategic Joint Staff at the Canadian Armed Forces; and Eric Laporte, Executive Director of Defence and Security Relations at the Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development.

Ty Curran opened by outlining Canada’s commitments from the recent NATO summit, including meeting the 2% GDP defence target this fiscal year and a pledge to reach 5% by 2035, with 3.5% for core defence and 1.5% for industrial base and resilience. He highlighted the extension of Operation Reassurance in Latvia for three years, Canada’s role as a framework nation for NATO’s forward land forces, and over $22 billion in aid to Ukraine since the full-scale invasion, including $6.5 billion in military assistance. He recommended continued investment in defence industrial base and Arctic capabilities, noting their complementarity to European force projection, and stressed the need for a whole-of-society approach to counter hybrid threats like cyber-attacks and critical infrastructure targeting.

Major-General Robert Ritchie detailed the Canadian Armed Forces’ presence in Latvia, with approximately 2,200 troops on the ground and up to 3,000 when including air and maritime contributions, and confirmed that the force generation cycle has been optimized with pre-deployment training now conducted in Latvia. He noted that sustaining this commitment alongside potential new missions in Ukraine under the coalition of the willing would require careful management of fixed forces. On threats, he reported that Russia violated Polish airspace with drones on September 10, prompting NATO’s Article 4 and a new Eastern Sentry activity, and that China is perfecting military capabilities toward a 2027 readiness goal, making warning signs harder to detect. He recommended investments in air defence, drone technology, and Arctic surveillance, and noted that the Coast Guard merger will enhance maritime domain awareness without militarizing the service.

Eric Laporte discussed Canada’s new security and defence partnership with the European Union, including negotiations to access the SAFE program for defence industrial co-operation, while affirming that NATO remains the core guarantor of transatlantic security. He described Canada’s active role in countering Russian disinformation through the G7 rapid response mechanism and noted that sanctions have increased Russia’s dependence on China, though India continues to buy Russian oil. On the Indo-Pacific, he emphasized that the South China Sea is a key escalation risk, with over 200 Chinese vessels operating daily, and that Canada maintains a one-China policy while opposing any conflict in the Taiwan Strait. He recommended continued diplomatic engagement and export controls to prevent Canadian technology from reaching the Chinese military, though he acknowledged challenges in tracing components through opaque corporate structures.

On undersea cable security, Curran and Ritchie confirmed that Canada monitors incidents off the east coast but does not have a dedicated cable repair capability, relying on industry partners. Ritchie added that the Coast Guard merger will improve surveillance but does not include a law enforcement role. On Arctic defence, Ritchie noted 5,000 Canadian Rangers and forward operating locations in Yellowknife, Inuvik, and Iqaluit being upgraded under the northern basing initiative, and that NORAD modernization includes over-the-horizon radar investments. Curran confirmed that the Coast Guard budget will count toward NATO’s 2% target, a point disputed by some members who argued it provides no kinetic capability. On Taiwan, Laporte declined to speculate on Canada’s response to a potential conflict, while Ritchie noted that China’s increasing military activities make it harder to detect an imminent attack. The committee also discussed the integration of lessons from Ukraine, with Curran and Ritchie highlighting investments in drone technology and AI for decision-making, and the need to balance domestic readiness with international commitments.