How Canada can gear up for the Arctic ‘Great Game’

At the recent North Atlantic Treaty Organization summit, Prime Minister Mark Carney of Canada repeatedly emphasized that his nation is undertaking a massive buildup in defense spending. “Canada is on a clear path to meet NATO’s target of investing 5% of gross domestic product in defense by 2035,” he indicated in a post-summit statement. “We are moving fast, making ambitious and strategic defense investments.”

I know Canada well from decades of operating with its naval and ground forces. In 1998, I had command of a Canadian guided missile frigate, HMCS Ottawa, as part of a destroyer squadron deployed to the western Pacific and Arabian Gulf. In the early 2010s, thousands of Canadian soldiers served under my command as part of the international force in Afghanistan. Nearly 200 were killed and several thousand were wounded. Whenever I saw that red maple leaf on a shoulder, I knew I was in the presence of a brave, professionally trained volunteer.

More recently, I participated in a wide-ranging conversation with Canadian civilian defense officials, active-duty senior officers and representatives from Canadian and U.S. defense companies. What came through loud and clear is that Ottawa intends to follow through on Carney’s spending pledges.