Canada's military gets in step with United States

Canada is escalating the technology focus of its military, reflecting the goal of transformation for the U.S. armed forces.

"The world has changed significantly over the past decade," says the new 2001-2002 annual report of Canada's Chief of the Defense Staff.

Citing "different" potential threats, such as those to critical infrastructure, the report said, "The same technologies that are transforming global commerce are also transforming the nature of warfare, including the equipment and doctrine required to conduct military operations."

Canada has recognized that rapid development of information technologies is "creating powerful new ways to enhance operational and institutional effectiveness," the report said. But that advancement requires significant investment and poses new managerial challenges. As a result, the National Defense Department will continue to implement new measures addressing information management and the application of information technology.

John McCallum, Canada's national defense minister, said in a statement that the report "has made it clear ... that, while the [Canadian force] remains a modern, combat-capable force, the institution is facing significant challenges that we will need to address."

Of the different services, for instance, the Canadian army has refocused to produce a "lightweight, information-age land force" by 2012.

In its modernization, Canada will emphasize information technology and communications interoperability, the report said. But it noted that "the U.S. is the world leader in the development of new military technologies, concepts and doctrine, and spends more on military research and development than the rest of the [North Atlantic Treaty Organization] combined." Therefore, "[K]eeping pace and maintaining interoperability with the U.S. where necessary is ... going to be a major challenge for the [Canadian forces]."

The Canadian forces participate in the Multinational Interoperability Council, which is working to improve data exchange. Canada also is working on several fronts to improve its national intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, the report said.

The forces also established the Canadian Forces Experimentation Center to work on innovative projects. The center is housed with Defense Research Establishment Ottawa. A secure network linking Canadian defense labs and allowing for international collaboration also has been developed. And Canada is exploring interoperability issues in combined operations with the United States.

The impending creation of the U.S. Northern Command, which will be responsible for homeland defense, also will impact Canada's security approach, the report said. The shared responsibilities will include surveillance, it said.

After the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, Canada's National Defense Department received an additional $1.2 billion from fiscal 2002 to fiscal 2006 to implement a security agenda. The new funding will cover enhanced signals intelligence and computer security, and training and technology for emergency responders, among other things.

National Defense will work with the Canadian Defense Research and Development Agency and the Office of Critical Infrastructure Protection and Emergency Preparedness.