Canada releases first national security strategy in 22 years

Canada has committed to “rebuild, rearm, and reinvest” in its armed forces, as part of its first new national security strategy in 22 years. 

Released by the Government of Canada on 29 October, the ‘Plan for a Stronger Canada’ strategy emphasises the need to rebuild resilience across a range of sectors, including critical minerals, emerging technologies, and energy, as well as defence.  

To achieve “greater strategic autonomy”, the strategy breaks down the key steps the government plans to take. 

What is included in the new national security strategy?  

Within defence specifically, the policy says that the government will produce a plan to provide the armed forces with a “clear, central mission” of defending Canada and its interests. 

The armed forces will apply lessons learned from modern conflicts – such as Ukraine – and develop “specialised capabilities” to respond to multi-domain threats. This aligns with ongoing programmes within Canada, such as investments to help modernise the capabilities used by the North American Aerospace Defense Command, including air defence.  

The plan will also outline how to provide Canada with “credible, flexible, and scalable” capabilities to defend against hybrid threats.  

A total of CAD10.9 billion (GBP5.8 billion) was previously allocated by the Canadian Government towards upgrading digital infrastructure across defence from 2025-30.  

In terms of industry, Canada plans to build a “robust” domestic industrial base to equip the country’s armed forces. Meanwhile, procurement will be focused on “maximising” autonomy and resilience in efforts aligned with the Defence Industrial Strategy, a roadmap for strengthening Canada’s defence production. 

The policy also reaffirms Canada’s intention to meet the NATO defence investment pledge of 5% of GDP by 2035. 

What else does the policy include?  

From a financial standpoint, Canada also aims to foster a more “unified” economy, including through the ongoing ‘Buy Canadian Policy’ to direct capital to domestic businesses – a move which may further impact the defence sector.  

Canada additionally plans to bolster its capacity to develop and commercialise capabilities such as AI, quantum computing, and space-based technologies. 

The next steps  

Within one year, Canada says that proposals relating to the plan will be brought forward to update legislation and a review of the “entire national security enterprise” will be initiated to update the strategy within four years. 

Following this, further revised plans will be released every four years.