Key Points and Summary: Canada’s military is facing a readiness crisis, with only 58% of its forces prepared to respond to a crisis, according to an internal report.
-Personnel shortages, low equipment serviceability rates (with over half of naval and air force equipment unserviceable), and defense spending well below NATO’s 2% of GDP target are contributing factors.
A Canadian Army Leopard 2A4M tank fires a round while taking part in the Canadian Army Trophy tank competition at Ādaži in Latvia.
The Canadian Army Trophy tank competition, held in May 2024, allowed participating nations to show off their gunnery skills while building camaraderie.
-While Canada has plans for new equipment like F-35s, implementation is often slow and costly.
-Experts warn that this lack of preparedness undermines Canada’s credibility within NATO and its ability to protect its own security interests in an increasingly unstable world.
Falling Behind: Canada’s Military Spending Lags as NATO Allies Ramp Up
Canada’s military preparedness is facing scrutiny thanks to persistent personnel shortages and very low equipment readiness.
Increasingly unaligned with NATO allies choosing to inject significant amounts of money into their armed forces, Canada is instead facing serious structural challenges in force sustainment.
The country’s ability to respond to global challenges is in serious question.
One of Canada’s significant challenges is persistent personnel shortages. The Canadian Armed Forces recruitment goals have fallen short, with thousands of hoped-for recruits never materializing.
Like the United States and many other Western countries, demographic shifts, stiff employment competition from the private sector, and shifting cultural attitudes toward the military have led to a decline in recruits.
Canada: Slump in Military Spending
In addition to manpower shortages, Canada’s military spending as a percentage of gross domestic product is around 1.37 percent for the 2024 to 2025 time period, well below NATO’s recommended spending target of 2 percent of GDP.
This target is expected to increase under the current Trump administration.
Several NATO member countries have radically increased their defense spending in the wake of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Germany, Poland, and the Baltic states have increased their military budgets.
Still, Canada’s spending has remained almost unchanged, and future increases are projected to be modest, raising questions about Canada’s ability to meet its security obligations to its allies within the NATO alliance.
Although Canada has committed to several big-ticket acquisition projects, including F-35 stealth fighters, as well as early warning aircraft and some naval ships, the implementation of these projects is typically slow. It can result in delays or cost overruns.
Unpreparedness
Just 58 percent of the Canadian Armed Forces would be able to respond to a crisis if NATO needed support right now, according to an internal Department of National Defence presentation viewed by CBC News.
“In an increasingly dangerous world, where demand for the CAF is increasing, our readiness is decreasing,” the document says. Just 54 percent of navy equipment is not serviceable, as well as 55 percent and 46 percent of air force and army equipment respectively.
CBC shared the presentation information with former vice-admiral in the Royal Canadian Navy, Mark Norman.” This is borderline atrocious,” Norman said.
Norman added that “readiness is all about measuring the ability of your armed forces to do what it is they’re expected to do. And fundamentally, that’s all about going somewhere and fighting. And, you know, it’s a pretty dire situation when you’re… not where you need to be.”
Speaking also to CBC News, Canada’s former ambassador to NATO, Kerry Buck explains that she was “shocked but not surprised” by Canada’s state of affairs.
“It means that Canada’s falling further down the rank of allies. It means that the gap is growing between our international commitments and our capacity,” Buck said. “It impacts our credibility at NATO for sure, but it impacts our security interests, too. It’s in our security interest to be a credible contributor to NATO.”
Looking Forward
Dire though the current situation is, upcoming Canadian elections in October open the door to a change in trajectory.
However, whether Canada will make significant — and sustained — adjustments to funding, procurement, and personnel remains an open question.
Nonetheless, as NATO allies increasingly prioritize bolstering defense, Canada appears to be marching out of step.
About the Author: Caleb Larson
Caleb Larson is an American multiformat journalist based in Berlin, Germany. His work covers the intersection of conflict and society, focusing on American foreign policy and European security. He has reported from Germany, Russia, and the United States. Most recently, he covered the war in Ukraine, reporting extensively on the war’s shifting battle lines from Donbas and writing on the war’s civilian and humanitarian toll. Previously, he worked as a Defense Reporter for POLITICO Europe. You can follow his latest work on X.
