From Ally to Adversary - Canada’s Military in the Shadow of U.S. Ambitions
A while ago, I discussed ways that Canada might disentangle itself from America’s grasp and assert itself more independently. You can read the article here. As is my wont, I mainly concentrated on defence issues, in part because I feel most comfortable speaking to them. While I’ve repeatedly called for quick, decisive action, Canadians’ affinity for the United States runs so deep that many will have trouble viewing them as an adversary, let alone an existential threat.
Nowhere will you find this attitude more than within the Canadian military community, where a combination of historical ties and shared defence responsibilities fosters an affinity for their U.S. counterparts. For some, it is impossible to view the Americans as anything but an ally and partner.
This is particularly true within the RCAF and the special operations forces, where integration with the U.S. is extensive and very deliberate. For the Air Force, this translates into operations in defence of North America that are completely integrated with the United States Air Force through the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD). And at the risk of giving offence, our special forces are just as integrated, and arguably less independent.
The connection is everywhere. A Canadian general is deputy commander of the XVIII Airborne Corps, there are exchange officers at most major U.S. headquarters, Canada has a large presence at NORAD in Colorado, and there are Americans at many of our headquarters, too. Canadian units routinely travel to the U.S. for exercises, especially Reserve units without access to a training facility in Canada. Our Navy is often fully integrated with the U.S. Navy, and all three services procure equipment designed to work with the Americans.
And the connection runs deeper than that. Despite the cultural differences, many Canadians have an intangible sense of camaraderie with their U.S. counterparts, gained through operations worldwide and a common sense of purpose. While it’s an attitude I never shared, it’s one I understand (see my essay here - My Drift into Quiet Anti-Americanism).
Disentangling from the U.S. military is thus extremely difficult. We have deliberately sacrificed security sovereignty for convenience, economy, and safety under the U.S. umbrella. It is important to understand that compatibility with the U.S. is a prime consideration for all Canadian defence procurement and that the entire Canadian government naturally gravitates towards U.S. solutions. Of course, we procure from other sources, but even these are weighed against their ability to work with the Americans.
Many Canadian military professionals will have an innate desire to view the U.S. in a positive light and will find the idea that the U.S. is an actual threat to be absurd, no matter the evidence. Moreover, the military cannot offer an opinion on Canada’s relations without the consent of the federal government. Thus, you get statements like this one:
Top general says military relationship with U.S. is solid as Trump's threats continue
Surely, though, the comments in private are different? They may well be. But I can assure readers that, until the events of the past month, the Canadian Armed Forces and its leadership haven’t even remotely contemplated a break with the U.S. There are no contingency plans lurking in a file somewhere, and our entire defence posture is based on cooperation with the United States.
Ideally, disentangling from the United States would have started with the first threats against Canadian sovereignty. This is highly unlikely to be the case, even in the intelligence realm, where it should have been pursued with urgency. The history is too long, and the ties are very, very deep. The natural reaction of Canadian leaders will have been to downplay or even disregard the threat.
But there is a threat—an existential one. We need to begin making very urgent moves to improve our sovereign defence capability. Again, I listed a number of steps over a month ago - Disentangling from America. While my position has been that the F-35 purchase is too far along to cancel, we need to examine any future purchases through the lens of sovereignty. We need an independent defence policy with diverse purchases, a broader alliance, larger (in some cases, much larger) numbers, and a sense of urgency that the government has yet to display. Defence is—and should be—becoming an issue. It must be an issue in the next election.
After almost 30 years in the CAF, I had viewed the Americans as part of us—albeit separate, like the cousin you have and only see now and again (Ex Maple Flag!). Since retirement, though, and the rise of MAGA, my views have changed. Substantially. They’re “those Americans.” Not quite an adversary—but no ally either. We need to get our collective shit together and do for ourselves and perhaps bond more fully with our Commonwealth counterparts against what the States is becoming. A bit of creative thinking must be done to develop ways to move beyond the reliance on the States. I know, I know…however, needs must, and the CAF leadership needs to get off the pot and fix this. Sooner than later before Trump does what he’s threatening.
As an American but a Canadian resident, I can say I never imagined this day would come... When I moved here less than four years ago. We had so much in common. But I can say that many Americans have gone crazy and the threat is real. I cannot say much to defence, but I can say America cannot be trusted despite many wonderful people there.