Why Rebuilding the RCAF Should Lead Canada’s Defence Agenda
The next Canadian Government is going to inherit a Canadian military that is in a state of disrepair.
They will also inherit a foreign policy landscape that is much more uncertain, chaotic, and dangerous.
In short, Canada is getting weaker militarily at a time when strength is needed.
Addressing this will require a significant influx of money. Decades of under-investment have taken a serious toll, meaning catching up quickly will be more expensive than steady investment would have been.
But we can’t change the past, we can only deal with the present to try and improve the future.
With that in mind, it is incumbent upon Canadians to help ensure the next government has a wide array of ideas and proposals to consider when it comes to rebuilding Canada’s defences. After all, the next government may face the largest global conflict since World War Two, meaning the fate of our country and our allies could depend on whether we address our national defence vulnerabilities.
It’s easy to criticize Canada’s lack of preparedness for this more dangerous world, but criticism isn’t enough.
So in this article, I am presenting a five-step plan for rapidly strengthening the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF).
To start, I would argue that air power should be Canada’s predominant focus when it comes to building a robust national defence.
While we need a stronger army and a stronger navy, air power can somewhat compensate for weakness on the ground and at sea.
Planes can counter forces and ships, and the personnel requirements of acquiring 250 new fighter jets would be significantly less than a massive expansion of our army or navy. Canada also has a strong aerospace industry and a strong tech sector, meaning an investment in domestic military drone production could rapidly kick-start a new industry in this country. And again, drones can help make up for personnel shortages.
Don’t get me wrong here. Canada still needs to build tanks, expand the army, and rapidly modernize its army equipment. We also need to strengthen our navy, given that many of our ships are becoming outdated. But if I had to pick the one area in which Canada could most rapidly become stronger and leverage our existing technological and industrial advantages, it would be air power.
Canada should set a goal of having an air force within the world’s top five in the next five years.
Here are five steps to make it happen:
1 – Modernize and expand our aircraft fleet
Canada is currently slated to purchase 88 F-35s. Per the Department of National Defence, here is the current timeline:
- the first four aircraft to be delivered in 2026,
- the next six in 2027,
- and the next six in 2028,
- with the full fleet to arrive in time to enable the phase-out of the CF-18s by the end of 2032.
This timeline should be accelerated, and the overall purchase should be expanded. Canada’s new goal should be to acquire 250 F-35s and to acquire at least 100 by 2026.
Let’s assume this triples the total cost of the program from $73.9 billion to $221.7 billion. At first glance, this seems absurd. However, this is the cost from 2016-2017 (Canada was part of the F-35s development), to 2061-2062. Yearly, that’s less than $5 billion extra, while giving Canada a significantly larger fleet of advanced stealth fighters that performed quite well during Israel’s strikes on the Iranian regime, which is notable since they faced similar air defences to those that Russia would utilize.
An expanded and sped-up purchase of F-35s would also benefit America’s military industry, which could help reduce Canada-US tensions and show that this country is serious about strengthening its defences.
And our other NATO partners would be pleased as well. Canada would be able to make a significant contribution to NATO’s combined air power, rather than being absent – literally – from NATO air exercises.
We should expand our strategic airlift capacity by purchasing five more CC-177 Globemaster IIIs.
It would also be wise for Canada to acquire long-range bombers. We should inquire about purchasing a few B-21 Raiders from the United States (something Australia had looked at doing). If that doesn’t happen, we should ask to purchase a few B-52s. In the longer term, Canada should give Bombardier a contract to develop a long-range ‘bomb-truck’ – AKA a relatively simple long-range aircraft that can be used to deploy stand-off hypersonic missiles. Canada has a lot of territory to cover, and a potential large-scale war in Europe would require the ability to take out enemy targets from long-range while avoiding getting too close to enemy air defences. A strategic bombing capability would be beneficial in this regard.
When it comes to unmanned systems, in addition to giving out contracts to Canadian firms to start mass-producing small FPV drones, Canada should invest in larger unmanned systems.
To start, we should partner with Australia on ‘loyal wingman’ drones to pair with our F-35s:
We should increase our order of MQ9B Skyguardians from 11 to 30, and speed up procurement if possible, strengthen our ability to surveil the north.
We should also reach out to companies in allied nations (such as Kratos in the United States), to develop and ultimately procure more advanced uncrewed combat air vehicles.
2 – Build new bases and upgrade our infrastructure
More planes will require more bases, and if we truly want to project power over all our territory, we need to ensure every part of our country is deeply involved in enhancing Canada’s air power.
To start with, we should build a massive air force base in Resolute Bay, Nunavut. There have been previous discussions of expanding the airfield there, and those discussions should be turned into immediate action. We need to be able to not only claim sovereignty over our north, but enforce it, and that requires a large air base in the region (here’s a good article on the need to develop the area). We should do the same in Yellowknife as well.
We should also look at creating drone command centres and air-naval integration hubs in Prince Rupert, British Columbia and Halifax, Nova Scotia respectively.
We should also speed up and expand the upgrading of bases like Bagotville, Cold Lake, and Goose Bay to handle both F-35s and strategic bombers.
3 – Recruit and retain
New bases and new aircraft are useless unless we have people to operate them.
Right now, Canada not only has a shortage of personnel but also a shortage of training planes and training bases. The government is taking steps to address the training plane issue, which is a positive step.
However, the broader issue of recruiting and retaining personnel must be addressed. Here’s how:
First, the government should run recruiting ads that emphasize the fact that an RCAF career is a chance to defend Canada’s freedom and operate some of the most advanced cutting-edge technology while doing so. Further, while war should never be treated like a game, it has not gone unnoticed that the skills of many younger gamers translate well to drone warfare. As warfare evolves, every country must find the best way to translate the unique skills of each generation into an effective national defence capability, and this is true of drone warfare. Canada should aim to become a world leader in drone warfare, and this should be emphasized in recruitment campaigns.
There are also quality-of-life issues to consider. Canada needs to make it much more attractive to serve in the RCAF. That means larger signing bonuses, expanded housing allowances, and tuition reimbursement.
The RCAF should also deepen cooperation with Canadian universities and technical schools to fast-track aviation engineers, AI specialists, and drone operators.
Prospective recruits also need to know they will be well taken care of. We need a significant expansion of on-base housing, a huge improvement in the quality of that housing (including modernizing current accommodations), along with more childcare and healthcare services for military families.
Career progression should also be sped up in the RCAF, particularly for fighter pilots, drone operators, and AI specialists.
4 – Integrate advanced technology
Canada has often tried to spin our failure to hit the NATO target by claiming we do more with less. But this ‘punch above our weight’ rhetoric clashes with reality. Lately, Canada simply does less with less.
We need more to do more. But that doesn’t mean we should sacrifice efficiency. Just the opposite. By focusing on rapidly integrating new technology, the RCAF can indeed ensure Canada punches above our weight in terms of air power.
Having a technological edge is incredibly important. Look at how Israel – with a population of 10 million people – can operate with near-total impunity in the airspace over Iran, a hostile nation with a population roughly 10 times bigger than Israel.
Canada should learn from this, and prioritize the adoption and integration of advanced technology into our air force.
To start with, we should partner with top Canadian universities and tech companies to create an ‘AI Air Command System,’ which would begin experiments on the efficacy and ethics of integrating Artificial Intelligence into RCAF operations. In terms of real-world capabilities, we can start by working with allied companies like Airbus on the development of autonomous aerial refuelling drones.
Canada should also establish a Cyber-Electronic Warfare Unit within the CAF, under the auspices of the newly-created CAF Cyber Command.
Further, existing RCAF equipment should be upgraded with the latest electronic warfare suites where applicable.
5 – Deepen partnerships with our allies
Putting Canada First and developing our own air power and homegrown capabilities are important. However, that doesn’t mean isolating ourselves. Putting our national interests first means doing what makes Canada the strongest and most secure, and alliances greatly enhance our strength and security. Without NATO, Canada would be extremely vulnerable to both Russia and China. With NATO, we are far more secure. Many of our NATO partners are also highly advanced nations with strong airforces and robust aerospace industries. By working closely together with them, we enhance our own knowledge and capabilities.
Canada should begin investing in allied aerospace projects, to ensure we reap the benefits of those projects and to send the message that we are willing to invest in the shared defence of the NATO alliance.
We should also raise our profile among our allies by hosting yearly air combat training exercises and inviting NATO nations to participate. We can alternate between a base in Western Canada and a base in Eastern Canada.
And we must significantly expand our participation in NATO air training exercises whenever and wherever they occur. It’s embarrassing that we were absent from the largest NATO air exercise of all time, and that should never happen again. With a rapid expansion of F-35 procurement, we will be able to make a meaningful contribution once again.
Rebuilding Canadian Air Power
In future columns, I will go into more detail on many of these points. But for now, I hope that the five broad points mentioned above can help build support for the rebuilding of Canadian Air Power and the strengthening of our national defences.
Spencer Fernando
