From 28 thousand up to 400 thousand reservists. Canada is planning a gigantic expansion of its army

The Canadian army intends to increase the number of reservists to 28,000. up to 400 thousand – Canadian newspapers report. Chief of the General Staff, General Jennie Carignan, believes it will take five to 10 years.

The Globe and Mail wrote on Tuesday that the planned recruitment of volunteers who, after training, will join the reservists aims to increase the army's ability to intervene in both natural disasters and military attacks.

In turn, the “Ottawa Citizen” daily reported earlier that the guidelines on this matter were signed by General Carignan and Deputy Minister of Defense Stefanie Beck in May this year. They indicated the need to increase the number of reserve forces from over 23,500. currently up to 100 thousand and increasing other reserve groups from almost 4.4 thousand. up to 300 thousand.

A special team has been working on preparing the recruitment plan since June, whose task is also to determine the necessary legislative changes and necessary investments. The Ottawa Citizen cited unclassified documents in which Beck and Carignan emphasized that the plan to increase the number of reservists would require a whole-of-society effort.

“To ensure Canada's defense against domestic threats, from responding to low-impact natural disasters to large-scale, high-intensity combat operations, the Defense Mobilization Plan (PAP) will be developed to enable a timely and scaled response across society,” the document states. It recommended consultations with allies, including Finland, which “is a recognized leader in this field.”

In October, Auditor General Karen Hogan presented a report to Parliament highlighting that the Canadian military was not recruiting and training enough troops to meet operational requirements.. The report noted that, for example, in the years 2022-2025 the army planned to recruit over 19.7 thousand. soldiers, but ultimately 15,000 of them were accepted. Moreover, only one in 13 people willing to serve in the army had undergone basic training, which means that thousands of interested people had never completed it. The army did not always know why those interested in military service were rejected in the recruitment process. The audit also noted that although recruitment among Canadian indigenous people and ethnic minorities has increased, still – contrary to the assumed goals – few women are accepted into military service.

From volunteer to conscript. Differences in building an army

There is no military draft in Canada, and reservists are volunteers who serve in the military on limited hours. In addition, reservists are former soldiers who declare their readiness to serve if necessary. However, Finland, which is cited by the army and the Ministry of Defense in the document, has conscription and military service for men aged 18-60, while women can serve in the army if they apply. After serving in the army, soldiers of both sexes are transferred to the reserve.

The Canadian think-tank Macdonald-Laurier Institute warned in a report in August this year that Russia and China are building a strategic partnership in the Arctic and want to exclude Western countries, including Canada, from influence in this region.

Last Thursday, Dan Rogers, director of the Canadian intelligence service CSIS (Canadian Security Intelligence Service), presented in Ottawa the threats to the country, including that Russia is trying to buy Canadian companies through fake European companies, and China is interested in the Arctic. He emphasized that China is trying to take strategic positions in the Arctic, while Russia has a large military presence in the Arctic and is an aggressive country.

The Ottawa Citizen recalled that in June this year, Brigadier General Brendan Cook, director general of air force development, warned that Canada must arm itself in the event of a possible war with China or Russia. In his opinion, war may break out as early as 2028–2030. But in October 2023, then-Chief of Staff General Wayne Eyre warned that actual war with China and Russia was already underway.

From Toronto Anna Lach (PAP)

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