Canadian Armed Forces 26 Percent Below Target Strength: Defence Dept.

A member of the Canadian Armed Forces walks inside one of the barracks at CFB Trenton in Trenton, Ont., on December 1, 2015. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Lars Hagberg

The Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) is 26 percent below target readiness levels, according to a Department of National Defence briefing note.

The CAF is able to recruit just 7,600 new members per year on average and current force strength is at 63,000 people—well below the target of 71,500, says the note published last December and obtained by Blacklock’s Reporter. Of the 63,000 members currently enrolled only 52,707 are fully trained, the document noted.

A report entitled “Evaluation Of Ready Air And Space Forces,” published in March of 2023, said that recruitment within the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) was of particular concern, and that “the RCAF is experiencing a personnel crisis linked to both recruitment and retention.”

Another issue for the CAF has been increasing attrition levels, with challenges retaining soldiers and personnel.

In order to address the personnel crisis, the CAF has recently change its rules to allow for recruitment of immigrants with permanent residency status. Ottawa had previously touted the program as a way for those immigrants to expedite their path to Canadian citizenship.

“Enrolment of permanent residents will help us grow our military with qualified, well-trained people who choose a career in uniform,” former Defence Minister Anita Anand said in 2022.

Meanwhile, according to a briefing note made public this year, just 77 applicants of the 21,472 permanent residents who applied to join the CAF have successfully enlisted.

The note clarified that it was more difficult to enlist permanent residents as the process for validating their security clearance took longer than it would for Canadian citizens.

Defence Minister Bill Blair spoke out last month regarding the recruitment crisis saying, “Over the past three years, more people have left than have entered.”

“That is frankly ... it’s a death spiral for the Canadian Armed Forces, we cannot afford to continue on that pace,” he added.

Earlier this week, Prime Minister Trudeau announced a major spending increase for the CAF, stating that as part of the upcoming federal budget, the government would be looking to invest $73 billion in the CAF over the next 20 years.

When asked by reporters about recruitment issues, Mr. Trudeau blamed the COVID-19 pandemic for a decline in applications, while Minister Blair said that the government was looking into digitization strategies to improve wait times and allow people to join the military faster.

As part of his military spending announcement, Mr. Trudeau also referenced Canada’s new defence strategy, entitled “Our North, Strong and Free: A Renewed Vision for Canada’s Defence.”

The document states that the CAF will be changing and modernizing its recruitment strategy, including streamlining security clearance processes and re-evaluating medical requirements.