Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney on Feb. 17 announced a rearmament plan for Canada involving a “Defense Industrial Strategy” with multibillions in funding over the next 10 years. He spoke of remaining a partner with the United States, but easing Canadian “dependency” on the U.S.
On Feb. 20 more details came out from Canadian Minister of International Trade Maninder Sidhu, who visited Waterloo, Ontario, to highlight the focus on building up the Canadian military complex. It is reported over the next 10 years the government will spend more than C$470 billion (US$340 billion) on the domestic military-industrial complex and partnership defense deals. This amount includes C$180 billion directly for military purchases and C$290 billion for defense infrastructure. Carney’s plan calls for a 50% increase in Canadian arms exports and an 85% increase in funding for military research and development.
