(Ottawa) As part of his duties, Bob Auchterlonie must always be ready for the next crisis, whether it is a wildfire, a major flood, a hurricane or war on another continent.
As Commander of Canadian Joint Operations Command, the Vice-Admiral has had a busy 2023.
He notably had to coordinate the air repatriation of Canadians who were trying to flee Sudan and Israel, plan possible evacuations in Lebanon and Haiti, all while managing the requests for military aid which are increasingly greater right here in country.
Looking ahead to 2024, Auchterlonie expects pressure to continue to increase within the Canadian Armed Forces as Canadians become “too comfortable” about their security in an ever-changing world .
In an end-of-year interview with The Canadian Press, the vice-admiral returned to the various international issues that he follows closely, including the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the military operation led by Israel in the Gaza Strip. to fight against Hamas.
A series of coups in African countries, frictions in the Balkans and challenges in South American countries have also captured his attention in recent months.
“We are in the middle of this situation and I am not sure that everyone understands that the global security and defense context has deteriorated considerably,” he said.
According to Mr. Auchterlonie, Canadians have always felt relatively safe, since their immediate neighbors are the United States and two oceans.
But as part of his duties, the vice admiral must always be aware of what could happen. And he’s not optimistic.
“I am very happy that Canadians feel safe. I also think it’s very naive,” he mentioned.
Investments criticized
Commander Auchterlonie recalled that competition is increasingly fierce among the world’s major powers, especially in a context where some countries, such as China, Russia and Iran, are challenging the rules-based international order.
This factor makes it more difficult to be a middle power, according to Mr. Auchterlonie, especially a power that has not kept pace with investments in new security capabilities.
Even if he does not go so far as to say that Canada has less influence than before, Mr. Auchterlonie noted that he is now asked questions that he is not used to answering.
“Our closest allies ask me about our commitment and doubt whether we are truly a reliable partner. They are calling into question our investments in the coming years,” he explained.
Defense spending commitments have been a problem for Canada for years.
NATO member countries have agreed to spend at least 2% of their gross domestic product on defense. A fifth of this sum must be used to purchase new equipment.
However, Canada has still not presented a plan to increase its defense spending to reach the 2% threshold, advocating a different formula to help it achieve its objectives.
The federal government has notably launched multi-billion dollar projects to acquire new Arctic and offshore patrol ships, F-35 fighter jets, P-8A surveillance planes, unmanned drones and aircraft surface combatants, many of which will not be used for several years.
Staff shortage
Furthermore, the armed forces are still facing a shortage of personnel. Its senior leaders did not hesitate to speak of a “crisis” to describe this problem.
The military has about 16,000 vacancies, although it has made recruiting its top priority since late 2022.
In an end-of-year message to members, Chief of the Defense Staff, General Wayne Eyre, indicated that the strength of the armed forces is “beginning to stabilize” but that continued efforts will be required. recruiting efforts for several more years.
This fall, officials argued before the House of Commons Standing Committee on National Defense that up to 10,000 troops lack the training they need to be ready for deployment.
At the same time, Canada is committed to strengthening its presence on NATO’s eastern flank, in Latvia and in the Indo-Pacific.
Canadian soil requirements
The Canadian military has also been called upon to travel to many locations across the country following natural disasters and extreme weather conditions, at an unprecedented rate in recent years.
Mr. Auchterlonie said all of this means “there has to be compromise within the Canadian Armed Forces and within the Government of Canada.”
More than 2,000 members of the armed forces were deployed to fight wildfires across Canada for 131 consecutive days in 2023.
Among other things, the military worked to plan evacuations in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, in mid-August when fires threatened the town.
In this case, the army was the force of last resort, Commander Auchterlonie confirmed, since it was the only one with the necessary specialized equipment. But he insisted that is not always the case.
Demand for military aid is unlikely to slow down in Canada. Climate change is causing more extreme weather events and National Defense Minister Bill Blair has already said Canadians are reassured to see uniformed troops helping out during disasters.
Mr. Auchterlonie, however, wants to see a critical debate on the place of the army in responding to disasters and on the possibility of seeing emergency management agencies take over.
Until then, the armed forces “will respond to the government’s requests, as we always do,” he promised.