The Canadian Armed Forces are facing a retention crisis. Low recruitment levels are being exacerbated by a higher attrition rate among recruits, as noted in a report based on leaked CAF information:
“The highest attrition rates within the [Canadian Armed Forces] CAF are observed among its lowest ranks and newest members,” said the report, which pointed to the 2023-24 fiscal year where 9.4 per cent of newly enrolled members quit, as opposed to 4.3 per cent average across all of the Forces.
The reason new members are quitting: Training delays and difficulty adjusting to military life.
In some cases, recruits are waiting over 206 days for training — notably in specialized trades.
“There are insufficient trainers, equipment, training facilities and other supports to meet training targets effectively,” said the report, written in April 2025.
“This leads to delays which significantly frustrate [new] members, who often face months of underemployment.”
Meet people where they are
There are many ways to address Canada’s military recruiting challenges. Better housing, higher pay, more social/family supports, and expanded training capacity are all key.
However, we must also ‘meet people where they are.’
If we want people to join the CAF and stay in the CAF, the offering of a military career must better align with the skills of young Canadians.
And that starts with linking video games and drone warfare.
While war is not a game, the skills required to be an effective drone operator are similar to being an effective gamer. Le Monde wrote about this earlier this year, citing the experiences of drone operators in Ukraine. Amid training in drone warfare, a commander in the 92nd Assault Brigade noted that they all play video games, and said the ones with more video game practice are better at piloting drones.
Canadians are avid gamers, with 61% of the population playing video games, and 90% of boys between age 13-17 playing video games, representing a high participation rate among the most likely new group of recruits.
Of course, this is a conversation that makes some uncomfortable. The idea of war being turned into a game-like experience and lives being taken through a screen without direct participation can seem cold. But this is how the world works. If Canada doesn’t master drone warfare, our adversaries will.
This is also about the realities of recruiting. If young people see the CAF as an opportunity to utilize pre-existing gaming skills to contribute to the defence of their nation, find secure well-paying employment, and learn further skills that position them for a lifetime of success, recruitment numbers will rise.
Marketing the modern CAF
To shift the CAF in this direction, the government should take the following steps.
First, invest in drone production partnerships with Ukrainian companies, utilizing the close relationship between our countries to get mass production of drones underway in Canada based on the best Ukrainian designs. A portion of that production would go to Ukraine, while the remainder would be stockpiled and used for training domestically.
Second, launch ads on social media crafted like e-sports events, to create an exciting aura around becoming a drone pilot.
Third, hire popular gaming streamers to produce content where they pilot drones at military bases.
Fourth, create a ‘remote systems’ track within the CAF to indicate that it is a stable, long-term career path.
Fifth, create a CAF Drone League, featuring piloting competitions at high schools and universities (with unarmed training drones, of course), with tuition bonuses for the winners.
Sixth, begin a university-defence partnership program to create specialized CAF drone & AI classes within universities and colleges. This would be a way to incentivize recruitment and shift a portion of Canada’s AI investment towards autonomous weapon programs, bringing Canada’s rapidly growing tech talent base into closer cooperation with the military.
Seventh, expand funding for research into the ethics of utilizing autonomous weapon systems. While Canada should be a leader in drone and AI-assisted combat, we must also remain true to our values, and that means ensuring we conduct warfare as ethically as possible. While the use of drones and AI weapon systems is inevitable, we still have a choice in how we use those weapons.
Embracing the future of warfare
Canada must embrace the future of warfare if we want to boost recruitment and retention. None of this precludes traditional warfare. We should still invest in legacy systems, and artillery will remain the ‘king of battle.’ However, we have a chance not only to catch up, but also to lead when it comes to building an advanced military. Let’s leverage our tech-savvy, well-educated population and build a CAF that plays to our strengths.
Spencer Fernando
Image – YouTube
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