Canada’s Arctic Defence ‘Limited and Deteriorating,’ Internal Gov’t Report Says

A Canadian military Griffon helicopter flies along the shoreline of Baffin Island as it moves personnel between Operation Nanook and Iqaluit, on Aug. 26, 2014. The Canadian Press/Adrian Wyld

Canada’s Arctic defence is ill-equipped to address threats because it is hindered by personnel shortages, inadequate threat detection systems, and unclear guidance, according to an internal Defence of National Department (DND) report.

“Canadian Armed Forces infrastructure in the Arctic region is limited and deteriorating; however, the exact status is unknown,” according to the evaluation of Canada’s Arctic defence capabilities.

The report highlights the aging Arctic infrastructure, noting that more than one-third of buildings are more than 50 years old and 81 percent are more than 30 years old.

“The infrastructure deficit in the Arctic hinders the CAF’s ability to operate in the region,” said the report, which was first obtained by Blacklock’s Reporter.

The department also raised concerns about understaffing of military personnel in the Arctic region, describing it as a unique challenge for the Joint Task Force North (JTFN) compared to other CAF Joint Task Forces. JTFN captains and lieutenants are staffed at 67 percent for “working level” command tasks, 13 percent below the CAF average, which the report says creates a greater reliance on contractors and augmentees to fill the gap.

Auditors also said that a lack of clear objectives has led to a fragmented approach to defence in the Arctic.

“It is unclear what constitutes sufficient Arctic presence,” the report said. While the CAF conducts an average of 12 exercises and operations annually in the Arctic between 2018 and 2022, the report notes that without measurable objectives, it remains unclear whether the force is meeting the directives in Canada’s defence policy.

The government has “minimal consensus” on future Arctic security threats, auditors say. While the evaluation found no imminent military threat to Canada’s territorial sovereignty, it noted that Russia possesses military capabilities in the Arctic that could target Canadian Arctic assets.

Additionally, China is increasing its intelligence-gathering operations in the Arctic. The Canadian Armed Forces intercepted Chinese spy buoys in Arctic waters in the fall of 2022 during a routine threat detection mission. This discovery was made public after the widely reported incident of a Chinese high-altitude spy balloon that trespassed into North American airspace and was shot down by U.S. forces on Feb. 4, 2023.

U.S. lawmakers have also called for stronger action to address “problematic” Chinese research in the Arctic, which could have both civilian and military applications.

The U.S. House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party raised concerns in October about the expanding dual-use research initiatives in China that serve both civilian and military functions. The committee called for a strengthened defence partnership with Arctic allies in a letter to Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and Secretary of State Antony Blinken in response to these developments.

Ramping Up Defence

Defence Minister Bill Blair recently highlighted Arctic security while speaking at the Nov. 22 Halifax International Security Forum.

“In our new defence policy, we’ve placed an enormous focus on the Arctic,” he said. “We know its strategic value and importance to our national and continental defence, but if we’re going to be effective in the far north, first of all, I think there’s huge opportunities to us invest in multi-use infrastructure that will benefit the people of the north.”

When asked by reporters about pressure on Canada from allies, including NATO, to increase military spending to address emerging threats, Blair pledged to meet the military alliance’s 2 percent of GDP spending target. Both NATO and the United States have repeatedly urged Canada to meet the target, while the House of Commons national defence committee has also called on Ottawa to uphold the commitment.

“All of our allies have made it very clear that they all know they need to do more, and they want us to do more,” Blair said, adding, “We haven’t had to invest significantly in the defence of our own country, but that situation is changing.”

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told allies at the 70th Annual Session of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly that Canada is on track to meet the 2 percent defence-spending target and strengthen its Arctic security.

“We’ve made sure that our investments are as concrete as possible, and contributing to the capacity of Canadians to continue to be involved and leading in so many different NATO aspects. We have to do more, and we are doing more, but particularly stepping up in the Arctic,” he said on Nov. 25 in Montreal.

Trudeau highlighted Canada’s investments in icebreakers and its announcement to purchase new submarines to patrol the Arctic, describing the region as “more and more important.”