Plans at a glance

The Government of Canada’s vision for defence is an agile, multi-purpose and combat-ready military, operated by highly-trained, well-equipped members of the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF), and supported by industry, academia, and the public. National Defence will develop and implement this vision as outlined in Strong, Secure, Engaged: Canada's Defence Policy and a forthcoming Defence Policy Update. The update will propose recommendations for enhancing Canada’s defences in an increasingly uncertain world with a focus on the entirety of the Defence ecosystem: its people; the enterprise; allies and partners, at home and abroad; and military capabilities. The CAF will also align itself with the contemporary security environment, particularly in relation to great power conflict and aggressive activity that straddles the line of open hostilities.

The primary role of National Defence is to provide a force that delivers operational excellence in a manner that reflects Canadian identity and values and of which Canadians remain proud. This role is becoming increasingly more difficult as our geopolitical environment shifts at a rapid pace. In an era of deteriorating global security, the norms, behaviour, and relationships that have underpinned the rules-based international order for generations are under their most significant threat.

There are many challenges facing Canada’s defence that must be acknowledged and understood in order to move forward. Democracy and its institutions are under attack by adversaries who seek to establish an order based on authoritarianism. The CAF, as the institution charged with defending Canada, has an ever more important role to play as global security declines, and in the years and decades ahead, the Defence Team will be called upon more and more to act. While this is a stark reality, it gives the Defence Team focus, purpose, and meaning.

Russia's war in Ukraine has shown many lessons about both the changing character and the enduring nature of war. This is the front line for defending the rules-based international order and the Defence Team must maintain its resolve to see Russian aggression defeated. As China becomes more assertive and grows in influence, Canada is also stepping up as a reliable partner in the Indo-Pacific region to promote security and stability. The recently released Indo-Pacific Strategy is an example of Canada’s commitment, however the Defence Team must be very targeted in what, when, and who is deployed, to balance the capabilities of the Royal Canadian Navy between this region and the rest of the world. Adding to this requirement for balance, Defence will continue to be heavily engaged in Europe with Operations UNIFIER and REASSURANCE, and increasingly so with our presence and expertise in the Arctic and other areas of continental defence.

The increasing regularity and intensity of natural disasters, combined with limited provincial and territorial investment in disaster and emergency management resources, has contributed to the CAF increasingly becoming a force of first choice in responding to domestic disasters. This is occurring in parallel to the increasing demand for international engagement as highlight above.

It will not be easy, and the institution may not be able to satisfy all of these requirements as both the global and domestic environments demand more of the CAF. The Defence Team must fix the foundation of its readiness challenges that have been neglected for decades which include low serviceability rates, dilapidated infrastructure, fragile supply chains, as well as outdated personnel management and administrative processes. In this vein, the Defence Team culture has come under scrutiny in recent years. Having an inclusive, respectful workplace where all feel they belong and can contribute to our larger mission of defending the country is essential. There is concrete action underway at the strategic level as well as grassroots activities at the unit level to drive culture change in accordance with the Arbour Report recommendations however it is most certainly too early to declare success. While we reconstitute and evolve our culture, the operational demand has not and will not subside.

To address these challenges, in FY 2023-24, the Department of National Defence (DND)/CAF will focus on the following four areas:

1. Ensure Canada is Strong at Home, Secure in North America, and Engaged in the World.

In FY 2023-24, the CAF will continue fulfilling Strong, Secure, Engaged core missions as directed by the Government of Canada:

• Detect, deter and defend against threats to or attacks on Canada;
• Detect, deter and defend against threats to or attacks on North America in partnership with the United States, including through NORAD;
• Lead and/or contribute forces to North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and coalition efforts to deter and defeat adversaries, including terrorists, to support global stability;
• Lead and/or contribute to international peace operations and stabilization missions with the United Nations, NATO and other multilateral partners;
• Engage in capacity building to support the security of other nations and their ability to contribute to security abroad;
• Provide assistance to civil authorities/law enforcement including counter-terrorism, in support of national security and the security of Canadians abroad;
• Provide assistance to civil authorities and non-governmental partners in responding to international and domestic disasters or major emergencies; and
• Conduct Search and Rescue (SAR) operations.

In particular, DND/CAF will continue to support NATO deterrence and assurance measures through its standing commitments and its leadership role for the enhance Forward Presence Battle Group in Latvia. This includes the development of options for the possible NATO force expansion to a Brigade in Latvia. In addition, in FY 2023-24, CAF will grow its defence and security activities within Canada’s newly released Indo-Pacific Strategy.

2. Reconstitute the CAF for the Future.

The CAF will feel the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic for years to come. The Regular Force has shrunk just over 4100 members since the beginning of the pandemic (March 2020 – July 2022), while the Primary Reserves declined by about 950. Recruiting efforts – which were challenged before the pandemic – have been about one third their normal intake due to pandemic-imposed restrictions, which also hampered training.

Beyond than just working to refill its ranks, which has resulted in early modest growth to the basic training list, CAF has recognized that there are many functional aspects within the organization that have not changed since the Cold War era. To respond at all levels to the reality of the current and future operational environments, CAF must shift to operating in a dramatically different way, compared to 30 years ago.

Our people are the most important resource. A well organized, well-trained and well-educated, more diversified, healthy, agile, flexible, motivated and combat-ready military and public service workforce enables us to deliver on Strong, Secure, Engaged initiatives and ensures that the Defence Team are well positioned to be an employer of choice.

The CAF Reconstitution Directive outlines the way forward to ensure the long-term viability and readiness of personnel and capabilities by making necessary changes in administrative training, and approaches in force generation at home and abroad. The CAF will also align itself with the contemporary security environment, particularly in relation to great power conflict and aggressive activity that straddles the line of open hostility.

During FY 2023-24, the Defence Team will:

• Take an operationally balanced and people-informed approach to the transition to a post-pandemic hybrid workplace, including flexible work arrangements;
• Refine the modern and flexible approach to work to ensure the workforce has the skills and resilience needed to adapt to current and future challenges and requirements;
• Maintain or improve the overall health and wellness of CAF members, providing in-house health care and health advice, as well as health services support for both domestic and expeditionary operations;
• Commence stabilization efforts in conjunction with the CAF Reconstitution Directive (Theme 1 – Recover);
• Continue to develop Women’s Health/Health Care for Diversity programming to build on the existing foundation of evidence-based and best-practice standards of care for women and diverse populations; and
• Finalize phase one of the development of the CAF People Strategy: Modernizing Military Personnel Management Beyond 2030. The strategy takes a 30-year view that will operationalize and institutionalize the CAF Journey and modernize the Military Personnel Management System, making it member-centric. The strategy is an omnibus approach bringing alignment and coherency to existing and new initiatives.

3. Ensuring a Safe and Inclusive Workplace.

Creating a safe and inclusive workplace in DND/CAF is essential to the CAF’s operational success. It is critical, therefore that DND/CAF leaders create and foster a culture where every member of the Defence Team feels safe, valued and has a sense of belonging. DND/CAF will ensure its organization moves to reflect the diversity of Canada and maintains a work environment where people are valued for their unique capabilities and encouraged to be their authentic selves.

Chief, Professional Conduct and Culture was created in spring of 2021 as the functional authority and principal advisor to the Deputy Minister and Chief of the Defence Staff on all matters related to conduct and culture. In order to achieve a culture that is inclusive and provides every member the opportunity to contribute and achieve their full potential, Chief, Professional Conduct and Culture’s overall approach will be to:

• Take a holistic approach by aligning policies and systems to support an optimized work environment, and by identifying and reinforcing positive elements of culture while addressing aspects that are not contributing to the way forward;
• Take deliberate and coordinated actions at all levels of the organization to eliminate racism, discrimination, harmful biases and stereotypes by identifying and breaking down systemic barriers through the continuous review of the anti-racism toolkits;
• Raise awareness and empower the Defence Team to have constructive conversations about misconduct, racism, discrimination, biases and other harmful stereotypes;
• Leverage the expertise of the Defence Advisory Groups and Networks. There is a group for each of the four designated groups of the Employment Equity Act, and a fifth for the Defence Team LGBTQ2+ members; and
• Develop a Culture Evolution Framework, also known as the Culture Change Strategy, which will be a science-based tool to support Defence Team leadership and members in building and maintaining a healthy workplace environment and culture that enables operational effectiveness. It will be informed by research, subject matter experts, Defence Team members and stakeholder consultations and coordinated with the recommendations from various external reviews, including the Minister of National Defence’s Advisory Panel on Anti-Racism and the Independent External Comprehensive Review conducted by former Supreme Court Justice Louise Arbour.

With the receipt in 2022 of the Independent External Comprehensive Review, DND/CAF will move forward to implement those recommendations in line with the report of the MND to Parliament in December of 2022. These recommendations and those of other external reports, such as the 2021 Independent Review 3 of the Military Justice System, and the MND’s Anti-Racism Panel will be holistically examined for implementation.

4. Modernizing Defence Capabilities.

The government strives to provide the CAF with the modern capabilities they need to succeed in a complex and constantly evolving world. The CAF must be ready and able to deliver across a spectrum of operations, from domestic humanitarian assistance and disaster response, to counterterrorism and combat operations. The implementation of Strong, Secure, Engaged continues at a pace to deliver the capabilities needed by the CAF for its missions today and into the future.

In 2022, the Strong, Secure, Engaged identified requirement to modernize the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) was realized through a government announcement of a $38.6 billion investment in NORAD over the next 20 years. This plan will deliver on successive government commitments, including the 2021 Canada-United States Joint Statement on NORAD Modernization, to ensure the CAF can detect, deter, and defend against evolving continental aerospace threats, alongside the United States.

Canada’s plan to enhance NORAD capabilities will focus on modernizing Canada’s surveillance, command, control, communications, and air weapons systems; strengthening infrastructure and support capabilities to sustain a strong military presence across the country; and establishing dedicated science and technology for the defence of North America. NORAD modernization efforts also commit to the principle that the CAF must streamline procurement with a sense of urgency and ensure a robust defence of Canada that is relevant to, and inclusive of, all Canadians. Building on the foundation of Strong, Secure, Engaged, the Arctic and Northern Policy Framework sets a vision for a future where Northern and Arctic people are thriving, strong, and safe, as reinforced in the Minister’s 2021 mandate letter. NORAD modernization investments are an opportunity to bring this vision to life by creating benefits for Indigenous and Northern partners where possible, advancing reconciliation, and strengthening community resilience, while enhancing the defence of Canada.

In FY 2023-24, DND will continue execution of Canada’s NORAD modernization plan, integrating these efforts with the implementation of Strong, Secure, Engaged and with proposals under consideration in the forthcoming Defence Policy Update.

National Defence’s supply chain involves procuring, managing, delivering, and supporting materiel to successfully sustain CAF operations and training. Further, as a public entity, DND is mandated to comply with Government of Canada regulations and policies concerning materiel stewardship. An active governance structure is in place to ensure effective pan-DND/CAF collaboration and will provide oversight on the continued implementation of a Defence Supply Chain Performance Measurement Framework in FY 2023-24.

DND/CAF also manages the largest infrastructure portfolio in the federal government. Given the size and scope of the portfolio, the Department is actively updating its infrastructure to ensure that it supports the evolving needs of a modern military. By taking a more consistent portfolio-wide approach to ensuring that the infrastructure portfolio is efficient, operationally effective, affordable, and considers long-term environmental sustainability, the Department is in line with requirements under the Treasury Board policy on the Planning and Management of Investments.

DND/CAF’s efforts include increasing its energy efficiency and reducing its environmental footprint, looking to reach steps toward reaching a 40 percent reduction target in GHG emissions (below 2005 levels) from Defence’s infrastructure by 2025, and achieving net-zero GHG emissions by 2050. DND/CAF will also continue to implement the Greening Government Strategy in support of the Federal Sustainable Development Strategy.

During FY 2023-24, DND/CAF will continue to improve Defence’s infrastructure by investing in DND residential housing, improving the condition and suitability of DND’s housing portfolio, recapitalizing and modernizing the housing portfolio, and reducing GHG emissions in support of green initiatives.

For more information on the DND/CAF’s plans, see the “Core responsibilities: planned results and resources, and key risks” section of this plan.