Supplementary Estimates (A) - National Defence

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• Voted Appropriations
  • Armoured Combat Support Vehicle Fleet (ACSV)
  • Compensation and Benefits
  • Expand the Defence Team
  • UN Peacekeeping Operation in Mali
  • A/B Jetty Recapitalization Project CFB – Esquimalt
  • CF-18 Hornet Extension Project
  • Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems
  • Canadian Surface Combatant Project
  • Transition
• Internal Transfers
  • NATO Military Budget
  • Vancouver Principles

Voted Appropriations

Armoured Combat Support Vehicle Fleet (ACSV)

Key Facts

Details

• On August 16, 2019, the Minister of National Defence announced that the government will acquire 360 Armoured Combat Support Vehicles from General Dynamics Land Systems-Canada (GDLS-C). Funds for the purchase are in the approved budget for Canada’s defence policy, Strong, Secure, Engaged.
• General Dynamics Land Systems – Canada, whose parent company is General Dynamics (US), is Canada’s largest defence company. They have an extensive supply chain in Canada, including an Indigenous-owned company providing metalwork.
• To maximize the economic benefits of this project for Canadians, the supplier will reinvest an amount equal to the value of this contract back into the Canadian economy.
• These vehicles are based on the Light Armoured Vehicle 6.0 model, and will replace the Tracked Light Armoured Vehicles and Light Armoured Vehicles II Bison.
• The similarities between the fleets will reduce the amount of training required for driving, so the Canadian Army can begin using them in operations right away.
• The Media coverage of the September 2019 announcement, highlighted that the contract with General Dynamics Land Systems Canada also included a repayable loan worth up to $650 million. The $177 million requested in these supplementary estimates is not related to this repayable loan.

Compensation and Benefits

Key Facts

Strong, Secure, Engaged

Details Compensation and Benefits Instruction

• The Compensation and Benefits Instruction for Canadian Armed Forces personnel was amended to ensure select professions in the Canadian Armed Forces remain competitive in the job market. These amendments will help attract the best and brightest, provide fair compensation, and bolster recruitment and retention.
• The amendments to the Compensation and Benefits Instruction address eight specific categories of Regular and Reserve Force members’ compensation and benefits:
  • Increase Reserve Force pay rates to 92.8% of Regular Force pay rates;
  • Increase Officer Cadets’ pay by 30% to keep pace with the increased cost of rations and quarters at the Royal Military College of Canada;
  • Increase Chief Warrant Officers’ rates of pay;
  • Create a special military differential (difference between Canadian Armed Forces and Public Service pay rate) for Pharmacy Officers;
  • Increase total compensation of Dental and Medical Officers by 10%;
  • Increase Rescue Specialist Allowance by an average of $146 per month;
  • Update Pay Protection for Public Servants serving in the Reserve Force to eliminate ambiguity and ensure medical and financial coverage while serving on reserve duty; and
  • Update the Military Foreign Service Instructions to clarify entitlements and bring Canadian Armed Forces regulations in-line with other government departments.

Expand the Defence Team

Key Facts

Strong, Secure, Engaged

Details

• The Defence team is composed of Canadian Armed Forces members and defence civilians of the Department of National Defence. This integrated, civilian-military team works to deliver Defence objectives.
• To meet the high ambition set out in Strong, Secure, Engaged, the Canadian Armed Forces will increase its ranks by 3,500 Regular Force (to 71,500 total) and 1,500 Reserve Force members (to 30,000 total) and the Department of National Defence will hire an additional 1,150 defence civilians to support military operations in areas such as intelligence and procurement.

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UN Peacekeeping Operation in Mali

Key Facts

Strong, Secure, Engaged

Details Operation Presence (Mali)

• The Canadian Armed Forces provided aeromedical evacuation and air transport to the United Nations Mission in Mali through Operation PRESENCE from August 1, 2018, to August 31, 2019.
• Located in Gao, the Air Task Force was composed of up to 250 Canadian Armed Forces members, two CH-147F Chinook helicopters to conduct medical evacuations and four CH-146 Griffon helicopters as armed escorts.
• The Air Task Force provided 24/7 aeromedical evacuations, tactical airlift for UN forces, and carried out other critical missions for the United Nations Mission in Mali as required.
• On July 31, 2019, the Canadian Armed Forces Air Task Force began its phased departure from Mali.
• The Air Task Force conducted a phased departure to ensure a smooth and efficient transition with the incoming Romanian helicopter detachments.
• The Canadian Armed Forces supplied a small transition team to assist Romania in its preparations and four C-17 aircraft flights to help Romania deploy personnel and equipment to theatre.
• This minimized disruption in the availability of critical capabilities to the United Nations Mission in Mali forces and helped set up the Romanian contingent for operational success.
• After more than a year of operations in Mali, the Canadian Armed Forces Air Task Force deployed in Gao completed its mission.

Operation Presence (Uganda)

• In August 2019, the Canadian Armed Forces began the periodic deployment of a Tactical Airlift Detachment to Entebbe, Uganda.
• The Detachment assists the UN’s Regional Support Centre by transporting troops, equipment, and supplies to UN missions in the Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan.
• In doing so, the Canadian Armed Forces are playing an important role in helping to supply UN military and police personnel and civilian staff on peace support operations with critical resources.
• This cross-mission approach is the first of its kind, ensuring the UN has reliable and predictable access to high-end military capabilities required to deliver sustainable peace and security to areas affected by conflict.

A/B Jetty Recapitalization Project CFB – Esquimalt

Key Facts

Strong, Secure, Engaged

Details

• Upon final completion of the project in 2028, the new Jetties are expected to accommodate the future Joint Support Ship and Canadian Surface Combatant, the Arctic Offshore Patrol Ship, and a Victoria Class Submarine.
• The A/B Jetty Recapitalization Project will include:
  • Decommissioning, demolition and disposal of old “A” and “B” jetties, equipment, jetty cranes, buildings and utility services;
  • Dredging of the seabed and blasting of bedrock within the jetty footprint areas to achieve sufficient water depth for ship operations;
  • Remediation of contaminated sediments through dredging and disposal or capping;
  • Construction of the jetty substructure including: retaining walls, piles, beams and service access tunnels;
  • Construction of the jetty decking and the placement of utility and service lines in the below-deck tunnels;
  • Grading and paving of expanded Jetty-Apron space to improve access to berthed ships;
  • Construction of electrical sub-stations, ancillary buildings and two rail mounted cranes associated with jetty operations.
• Benefits to the region and the Royal Canadian Navy include:
  • Short-term construction and materiel/equipment-supply employment opportunities;
  • Growth potential in the field of marine construction work;
  • Long-term improvements to naval response preparedness and disaster readiness;
  • Long-term operational efficiencies at CFB Esquimalt;
  • Long-term marine environment improvements within the waters of Esquimalt Harbour.

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CF-18 Hornet Extension Project

Key Facts

Strong, Secure, Engaged

Details CF-18 Modernization

• To ensure that Canada retains a fighter capability during the transition period to the permanent replacement fleet, the current CF-18 fleet will be managed and extended to 2032, at which time the fleet will be 50 years old.
• Individual aircraft will be retired when either their safe structural life has expired or they are no longer required by the Royal Canadian Air Force.
• The Hornet Extension Project encompasses a number of enhancements and upgrades to extend the legacy fighter capability to 2032. The project is to be delivered in two phases:
• Phase 1 will deliver enhancements mainly focused on addressing evolving civilian air traffic management regulations and meeting allied military interoperability requirements.
  • This includes Combined Interrogator Transponder, Satellite Radio’s, Inertial Navigation, and Mission Computer.
  • These upgrades will be delivered to the entire fleet of 94 aircraft, which includes the 18 Australian fighter aircraft.
  • The budget for Hornet Extension Project Phase 1 is approximately $500 million.
• Phase 2 will focus on additional combat capability upgrades to ensure that sufficient, operationally relevant, mission-ready CF-18 fighters are available to meet air power capability requirements in the current battle space until the future fighter fleet reaches full operational capability.
  • This includes the delivery of a new sensor, new weapons, enhanced survivability and improved mission planning and security systems.
  • The budget for Hornet Extension Project Phase 2 is approximately $800 million.
  • Initial Operational Capability for the Hornet Extension Project is planned for 2023 with full Operational Capability planned for 2025.

Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems

Key Facts

Strong, Secure, Engaged

Details Remotely Piloted Aircraft System Project

• The Canadian Armed Forces does not currently operate a Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems fleet.
• Through the Remotely Piloted Aircraft System project, National Defence will acquire long range and long-endurance capabilities to support domestic and expeditionary operations.
• The project seeks to acquire Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems through an open and transparent procurement process.
• The systems will:
  • Complement the Canadian Armed Forces existing intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition and reconnaissance, and precision strike capabilities;
  • Support expeditionary, domestic, overland, maritime and Arctic operations in the Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance roles;
  • Have a variety of sensors, including high resolution electro-optical cameras, imaging radar and Signals Intelligence gathering equipment that will be relayed to the ground control station and Canadian Armed Forces units in real-time. When these systems are used domestically, they will be operated in full accordance with Canadian privacy laws and statutes.
  • The systems will enable flexible and responsive decision making by providing commanders with comprehensive and reliable intelligence in real-time.

Canadian Surface Combatant Project

Key Facts

Strong, Secure, Engaged

Details

• Canada’s new class of warship – the Canadian Surface Combatant – will replace both the Iroquois-class destroyers and the Halifax-class frigates, one for one. This single class of ship will be capable of meeting multiple threats on the open ocean and the coastal environment.
• The new warships will be able to conduct a broad range of tasks, including:
  • Delivering decisive combat power at sea;
  • Supporting CAF forces, and Canada’s allies ashore;
  • Conducting counter-piracy, counter terrorism, interdiction and embargo operations for medium intensity operations; and
  • Delivering humanitarian aid, search and rescue, and law and sovereignty enforcement for regional engagements.
• Irving Shipbuilding has been selected as the prime contractor for the construction of the warships.
• In February 2019, the Government announced that Irving Shipbuilding had contracted Lockheed Martin Canada to provide the design and design team. The selected design for the future fleet is based on BAE Systems’ Type 26 ship design.

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Transition

Key Facts

Strong, Secure, Engaged

Details

• Before the release of Strong, Secure, Engaged, transition services were provided by the Joint Personnel Support Unit and were focused on ill and injured transitioning members only. The Joint Personnel Support Unit supported an average of 5,800 ill and injured Canadian Armed Forces members annually.
• Strong, Secure, Engaged provided additional funding to expand the mandate of the Joint Personnel Support Unit. This funding was used to merge the existing Joint Personnel Support Unit into the new Canadian Armed Forces Transition Group structure. This represented an expansion of the mandate to include all transitioning members. The Transition Group now serves 11,000 transitioning members and over 5,000 ill and injured remaining in service.
• The Joint Personnel Support Unit still provides services to ill and injured members of the Strong, Secure, Engaged, but is now a component of the larger Transition Group.
• On December 10, 2018, the Transition Group assumed a new role within the Canadian Armed Forces to standardize and professionalize transition services to better meet the needs of all Canadian Armed Forces members. The Transition Group, in collaboration with Veterans Affairs Canada, provides a centralized and reliable source of information and services to support members during and after military service.
• An expanded Transition Group will ensure that:
  • All serving Canadian Armed Forces members are better educated on transition services, trained earlier in their careers on transition, and undergo mandatory training when transitioning to post-military life;
  • The unique needs of the ill and injured are met;
  • All transitioning members develop a transition plan based on the domains of well-being; and
  • All Canadian Armed Forces members, veterans, and their families have access to a full suite of professional, personalized, and standardized transition services, aligned across National Defence, Veterans Affairs Canada, and other supporting agencies.

Internal Transfers

NATO Military Budget

Key Facts

Strong, Secure, Engaged

Details

• National Defence contributes to Canada’s share of NATO’s Military Budget, which is funded by all NATO members.
• The NATO Military Budget funds the operating and maintenance costs of the NATO military structure and activities, including deployed operations.
• During the NATO Wales Summit in 2014, member nations established the guidance to increase spending on defence with the aim of reaching at least 2% of their GDP.
• Starting in 2015, Canada aligned its accounting of defence spending with criteria established by NATO. This resulted in the inclusion of new spending categories related to veterans, personnel and program support, which were not previously accounted for.
• In 2017, through Strong, Secure, Engaged, National Defence committed to increase its defence spending by 70% over ten years.
• Canada’s defence spending for 2018-19 was 1.31% of GDP, ranking 20th out of 29 Allies. National Defence forecasts that total defence spending as a percentage of GDP will increase to 1.48% by 2024-25. Canada’s progress towards meeting spending goals does not yet include future expenditures to modernize NORAD.
• Canada actively contributes to several NATO missions:
  • Commanding the NATO battlegroup in Latvia;
  • Commanding the NATO training mission in Iraq;
  • Commanding the NATO maritime task force in the Mediterranean; and
  • Contributing to the NATO-led peace-support operation in Kosovo.

2019 NATO Leaders’ Summit

• On the margins of the Summit, President Trump asked Prime Minister Trudeau whether Canada would ever reach 2% of GDP for military spending. Prime Minister Trudeau responded that Canada has increased defence spending by 70% which represents 1.48% of GDP. So far, Canada has increased defence spending to 1.31% of GDP.
• At the same time, NATO Secretary General, Jens Stoltenberg, stated he is “extremely grateful for Canada’s many contributions to the Alliance, and by standing together, we are all safer”. –Stoltenberg added, “in an unpredictable world, we need strong multilateral institutions like NATO, and Canada is helping us to strengthen NATO”.

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Vancouver Principles

Key Facts

Strong, Secure, Engaged

Details

• The Vancouver Principles were launched in November 14, 2017 on the margins of the United Nations Peacekeeping Defence Ministerial in Vancouver, Canada.
• The Vancouver Principles were conceived by the Government of Canada, in partnership with the Roméo Dallaire Child Soldiers Initiative, and developed in consultation with:
  • The UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations;
  • The United Nations Children’s Fund;
  • The Special Representative to the Secretary General for Children and Armed Conflict;
  • Child protection actors and civil society partners and;
  • UN Member States.
• They are a set of non-binding pledges aimed at preventing the recruitment and use of child soldiers in context of UN peacekeeping.
• The Vancouver Principles are geared toward troop and police contributors operating under a UN peacekeeping mandates.
• By endorsing the Vancouver Principles, UN Member States commit to undertake several steps to prevent children from being used as soldiers.
• These include planning and training; reporting abuses and Grave Violations; and sharing best practices.
• Canada led a consultative process to develop Implementation Guidance. This served as a guide for countries to develop national strategic policy, doctrine, training, and education to counter the use of child soldiers.
• This included hosting the International Review Workshop on the Implementation Guidance for the Vancouver Principles in Ottawa in Feb 2019, which hosted more than 75 experts.

Dallaire Centre of Excellence for Peace and Security

• On June 25, 2019, the Minister of National Defence announced that the CAF, in partnership with RDCSI, will be establishing the Dallaire Centre of Excellence for Peace and Security, within the Canadian Defence Academy.
• The Minister also announced that National Defence will be providing RDCSI with a contribution of $1.175 million over five years to conduct research and identify lessons learned and best practices regarding the prevention of the recruitment and use of child soldiers.

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