The Canadian Armed Forces want to create a volunteer force of up to 300,000 people, similar to those in northern European countries, such as Finland and Sweden, which would allow them to “guarantee the defense” of Canada in the face of increased threats.
In documents released this Friday, November 21, by the Canadian television channel CTV News, the Canadian Ministry of Defense indicates that “increasing threats driven by rapidly advancing technologies pose urgent, simultaneous and unprecedented challenges to Canada’s ability to defend itself.” And he adds that “global security has been profoundly affected by increased strategic competition between States, along with the greater frequency and intensity of natural disasters linked to climate change.”
The answer lies in the contribution of “society as a whole” to the country’s defense, with the increase in the number of reserve personnel from 30,000 to 100,000 and the creation of an additional force made up of 300,000 volunteers.
Canadian Defense Minister David McGuinty told CTV News that the proposed model is similar to the “total defense” system in Finland or Sweden.
Currently, the Canadian Armed Forces have around 63,500 soldiers on active duty and around 22,500 in reserves, although the Canadian Government’s objective is 71,500 and 30,000 respectively.
Plans to provide the country with a volunteer force made up of hundreds of thousands of people emerged when US President Donald Trump reiterated, on several occasions, his interest in annexing Canada, which sparked a wave of nationalism in the country.