Ready Forces

Description

Field combat ready forces able to succeed in an unpredictable and complex security environment in the conduct of concurrent operations associated with all mandated missions.

Planning highlights

Our success in achieving the missions assigned by the Government of Canada is directly related to our ability to provide first-class training and capabilities to our Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) members.

Readiness begins with the issuance of the Chief of the Defence Staff (CDS) Directive for CAF Force Posture and Readiness. This is the mechanism by which the CDS directs the CAF to organize, train and equip personnel to be ready to respond to Government of Canada direction and execute concurrent operations as outlined in Strong, Secure, Engaged: Canada's Defence Policy (SSE).

Force Posture and Readiness direction ensures that force elements (individual or collective units or capabilities) are trained in accordance with established readiness levels. Readiness levels will be achieved in accordance with the managed readiness plan through individual training (training for individual CAF members), collective training (training teams to work together), validation activities (assessments), equipment servicing, and readiness management. Together, this will give the CAF the flexibility to respond to various mission sets. Mission sets include defence diplomacy, collaborating with other government departments and agencies in support of domestic defence and security, rapid provision of humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, peace support operations, security forces capacity-building and combat operations.

Our managed readiness programs are intentionally organized to ensure that the CAF is trained and adequately equipped as a scalable, agile, responsive and interoperable force both domestically with civil authorities and other government departments and internationally with allies and partners.

The CAF Joint Readiness Authority organizes and manages joint exercises and training to advance interoperability. It manages the Joint Managed Readiness Program which ensures the readiness of the CAF to conduct concurrent operations through the participation in and execution of specific Canadian and international exercises and training events.

To further test responses, systems and equipment, the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) regularly conducts exercises that cover a range of scenarios to ensure that the CAF is ready to respond to a variety of threats in collaboration with NORAD. In FY 2021-22, the CAF will participate in Exercise AMALGAM DART 21-1, a peacetime-to-wartime simulation intended to exercise aerospace warning and control capabilities, as well as Exercise VIGILANT SHIELD, an annual homeland defence exercise demonstrating readiness and ability to defend Canada and the United States by responding to a wide variety of security contingencies.

Gender-based analysis plus (GBA+)

The department will continue to work with partners to ensure that gender advisors and gender focal points are trained in order to carry out their roles while deployed. The CAF will continue to send personnel to the Nordic Centre for Gender in Military Operations, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) department head for gender discipline, for training as NATO-certified Gender Advisors and Gender Focal Points for operational deployment. Internally, the department continues to make progress towards the development and fielding of a Department of National Defence (DND)/CAF specific course for gender focal points, with a greater emphasis on GBA+. Providing enhanced training in addition to the Department of Women and Gender Equality online GBA+ course will enhance the department’s collective understanding of GBA+, encourage all members to apply GBA+ in their day-to-day work, and result in policies and programs that are better able to meet the needs of the diverse Defence Team.

Experimentation

In FY 2021-22, DND/CAF will continue experimentation in the development of Joint Ready Forces through four key initiatives: Joint Arctic Experiment 21, BOLD QUEST 21, Responsive Limited eXperiment and Joint Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Data Fusion Experimentation. The Joint Arctic Experiment 21 will continue equipment trials and capability development initiatives, leveraging joint experience in support of overcoming operational challenges in the Arctic environment. BOLD QUEST 21 is a Coalition Capability Demonstration and Assessment series, in which nations, services and programs pool their resources, facilitating the interoperability of joint capabilities in their final stages of development. The Responsive Limited eXperiment initiative is designed to address short-term problems and is intended to work across all domains, with current experimentation in Joint Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (JISR) and Command and Control (C2). The Joint Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Data Fusion Experimentation differs from the Responsive Limited eXperiment in investigation of longer timeframe problems specifically to learn, adapt and exploit new capabilities for data fusion in support to the National Defence Operation Intelligence Centre and various CAF Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance projects. Combined, the four initiatives will assist with meeting the responsibility for the development of concepts, organizational designs and doctrine for assigned joint challenges.

Additional defence-related experimentation activities are outlined in this report under Core Responsibility 4 – Future Force Design.

Key Corporate Risk(s)

There are many risks associated with the Ready Forces Core Responsibility. One of the Key Corporate Risks is explained below:

Materiel Maintenance – There is a risk that DND/CAF may have difficulty maintaining its materiel capabilities at the right level to support operations.

The above risk can affect the department's ability to achieve the Departmental Results of the Ready Forces Core Responsibility.

Because the Defence Departmental Results Framework reflects a chain of delivery from conceiving of the required armed forces, to developing them and then executing operations, the activities to mitigate the risks to the Ready Forces Core Responsibility can also be found in other Core Responsibilities that deliver building blocks that enable the results of Ready Forces.

Departmental Result 2.1 – Canadian Armed Forces are ready to conduct concurrent operations

The CAF will generate and sustain high readiness naval, land, air, space, cyber, and special operations forces and joint capabilities to meet Force Posture and Readiness levels directed by the CDS and the concurrent mission requirements of SSE. Throughout FY 2021-22, we will achieve progress in a number of initiatives to improve readiness, including:

• Conducting joint and combined exercises to enhance integration and interoperability in FY 2021-22, such as:
  • Exercise ARCTIC EDGE: A biennial Arctic warfare exercise led by United States Alaska Command in the Alaskan training areas to practice and refine Arctic Warfare tactics and procedures, as well as foster interoperability among Arctic allies. Exercise objectives include: Canada and the United States Arctic Interoperability, Command and Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (C4ISR);
  • BOLD QUEST: A collaborative joint and multinational exercise in which nations, services and programs pool resources, facilitating the interoperability of joint capabilities in their final stages of development, with an overarching objective to improve interoperability and information-sharing across a range of coalition war-fighting capabilities;
  • Exercise JOINTEX: In terms of conducting operations in the pan-domain environment, JOINTEX 21 will consist of Joint Capability Development and Professional Military Education activities to investigate how the CAF, and the broader Canadian National Security Team, needs to adapt to more effectively meet Government of Canada security demands and defend Canadian national interests. A key component will be the Joint Operations Symposium 22, to be held in February 2022;
  • Exercise MAPLE RESOLVE 21: As the premier Canadian Army (CA) training event of the year, this exercise validates named and contingency readiness elements using live simulation in a force-on-force exercise. During the exercise, approximately 4 000 soldiers will test their abilities to integrate with allies within a whole-of-government approach and including non-governmental organizations, while operating within a realistic, complex and challenging combat environment. The exercise, designed and developed by the Canadian Manoeuvre Training Centre, provides CA leaders, soldiers, other CAF personnel and allies with a unique opportunity to validate their combat readiness to support concurrent operations. FY 2021-22’s exercise is likely to take place in a setting heavily influenced by the COVID-19 pandemic, and all appropriate precautions and procedures will be implemented to mitigate all COVID-19-related risks;
  • Exercise TRADEWINDS: An annual United States Southern Command exercise intended to promote regional security cooperation in the Caribbean region by involving security forces and disaster response agencies in order to focus on countering threats and on Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief;
  • Exercise UNIFIED RESOLVE 21: The largest CA computer-assisted simulation exercise, it validates the headquarters of multiple army organizations as elements of Canada’s named and contingency readiness commitments. Through use of simulation, a challenging computer‑assisted exercise tests planning and decision-making at multiple levels of CA leadership in a controlled, virtual environment. An enduring exercise, Exercise UNIFIED RESOLVE is internationally recognized and participation in this event is sought out by allies for both its quality and training value. The exercise, designed and developed by the Canadian Manoeuvre Training Centre, provides CAF personnel and allies an opportunity to enhance collective competence and interoperability across a spectrum of scenarios. FY 2021‑22’s exercise is likely to take place in a setting heavily influenced by the COVID-19 pandemic, and all appropriate precautions and procedures will be implemented to mitigate all COVID-19-related risks;
  • Exercise VIGILANT SHIELD: An annual Tri-Command (NORAD, United States Northern Command [USNORTHCOM] and Canadian Joint Operations Command) exercise focused on the defence and security of North America;
  • Additional joint and combined exercises include: NORTHERN VIKING 21; SCHRIEVER WARGAMES 21; COALITION VIRTUAL FLAG; JOINT WARRIOR 21 (NATO); RED FLAG ALASKA; AMALGAM DART; CUTLASS FURY; CYBER FLAG; STEADFAST DEFENDER 21; and GLOBAL ARCHER 21. The goal is to work with other government departments and multinational allies to enhance integration and interoperability.
• Re-aligning, modernizing, and streamlining operational sustainment to enable operations and improve both situational awareness and stewardship of resources:
  • Expand Operational Support Hubs: Canadian Joint Operations Command, with consultation from within the department, will close the gaps within the existing Operational Support Hubs network by selecting locations that not only support our Regional Operation Plans, but also build on extant relationships with allied partners. These Operational Support Hubs will not be permanent in nature, but will be regionally flexible and responsive to operational needs for new and established missions. Future efforts will focus on the development of agreements and allied partnerships, the latter through exercises and mutual support opportunities;
  • Operation NANOOK-NUNAKPUT 21: Integration of regional other government departments and agencies in a series of presence activities along the Northwest Passage in Joint Task Force North’s Area of Operations, supported by the CA, Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) and, where applicable, the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN), designed to develop domain awareness, foster greater interoperability and increase overall readiness;
  • Operation NANOOK-NUNALIVUT 21: Integration of multinational partners in a small scale combined joint land domain defence and security rehearsal in the High Arctic designed to foster greater combined and joint interoperability. Because of COVID-19, all Operation NANOOK-NUNALIVUT 21 activities will be executed in the Northwest Territories. The focus will be deployment of a joint multinational force to the High Arctic to rehearse and enhance CAF capability to deploy and operate in austere and remote environments, while allowing for the integration of relevant science and technology. This operation shall foster participation through international and partner cooperation and explore avenues to exercise all domain awareness within an operational scenario;
  • Operation NANOOK-TATIGIIT 21: An exercise that is part of an interagency response to a major maritime incident requiring a Mass Rescue Operation along the eastern coast of Baffin Island where the primary focus will be interoperability and readiness of the CAF, other government departments and agencies and the Arctic Search and Rescue (SAR) community to respond effectively. Due to COVID-19, this exercise will be separated into two distinct events: the actual ‘rescue’ operation at sea followed by a separate and distinct exercise of a mass influx of ‘rescued’ civilians into a small Northern community – who will be played by members of that community, vice the actors from the rescued ship, in order to reduce exposure. Operation NANOOK-TUUGAALIK 21 will run concurrently to increase joint operational effects of a CAF Mass Rescue Operation;
  • Operation NANOOK-TUUGAALIK 21: Multinational maritime cooperative LIVEX safety and security activities employing the Arctic and Offshore Patrol Vessel Her Majesty’s Canadian Ship (HMCS) Harry DeWolf and one Maritime Coastal Defence Vessel. Participants may include other governments’ vessels and allied nations such as the United States, France and Denmark;
  • Exercise STEADFAST DEFENDER 21: A tri-annual NATO exercise providing an opportunity to train and evaluate/observe a wide range of command and force structures in the transatlantic reinforcement of NATO’s collective defence - Article 5 deterrence operations in Europe. Canada will contribute to maritime component activities, improving interoperability with international partners and reinforcing assurance and deterrence strategic objectives; and
  • Exercise TALISMAN SABRE: A biennial United States/Australia exercise, hosted by the Australian Defence Force, designed to strengthen regional defence relationships, enhance interoperability, and practice warfighting in the Indo-Asian Pacific region.

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• As we continue to improve C4ISR readiness, areas of focus for the CAF will include:
  • Integrating C4ISR within the Five Eyes environment and enhancing communication and information exchange capabilities within a Five Eyes environment;
  • Command and Control (C2) and cooperation with Arctic nations, including the United States through NORAD and USNORTHCOM, in the conduct of Arctic missions or operations;
  • Enhancing the preparedness of the CAF by assessing technology trends, threats and opportunities and by exploiting emerging technologies to include virtual Air, Maritime, Space, Cyber and Information warfare environments for the CAF, NORAD and coalition combat training, testing and experimentation towards Multi-Domain C2/Operations;
  • Ensuring that the Information Technology infrastructure enables efficient and effective Cyber Operator training and support to key cyber training exercises;
  • Participating in several CAF and other Government of Canada departments' cyber training activities to support Canadian and Continental Defence and to protect international interests from cyber threats, such as NORAD's Exercise VIGILANT SHIELD, United Kingdom Ministry of Defence-led Exercise CYBER WARRIOR, and NATO's Exercise CYBER COALITION;
  • Implementing capabilities that will improve the resiliency and integration of DND/CAF C2 networks and the applications that need to communicate over them;
  • Supporting C2 ISR force developers with engineering support and project management as follows:
    • Continuous improvements to Allied Interoperability of Unified Communications as guided by NORAD's Combined Defence Information Panel and the Combined Communications-Electronics Board; and
    • Joint targeting projects (Joint Intelligence Management System, Intelligence Analytics).
  • The Canadian Space Operations Centre will be testing and fielding a capable and robust Canadian Space Operations interoperable C2 system in order to employ, defend and protect space capabilities in support of operations described in SSE;

• Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) Flag Officers will assume command of two multi-national task groups HMCS Halifax and Fredericton as Flag Ships under Operation REASSURANCE and Combined Task Force 150; with HMCS Calgary in support under Operation ARTEMIS;
• The RCN will host NATO partners for the Canadian-led Exercise CUTLASS FURY 21, a joint multi-national maritime exercise that takes place biennially off the East Coast of North America. CUTLASS FURY 21 focuses on maritime warfare areas of relevance to Canada and our allies;
• The RCN will continue operationalizing HMCS Harry DeWolf, the first Arctic and Offshore Patrol Vessel, while completing the First of Class Test and Trial at-Sea program. HMCS Harry DeWolf will conduct operational deployments to the Arctic for Operation NANOOK and to warmer waters for Operation CARIBBE. The commissioning ceremony for HMCS Harry DeWolf is planned for summer 2021;
• The RCN is also expecting to take delivery of the class’s second ship, the future HMCS Margaret Brooke. The ship delivery is anticipated for fall 2021. The operationalization of this ship is expected to mirror the introduction to the fleet activities of the first of class, commencing with a post-delivery work period followed by Basic Single Ship Readiness Training prior to commencing the at-sea Test and Trials program;
• The Atlantic Fleet operational program will maximize the interaction between the first two ships of the class as both ships are being operationalized, while advancing a comprehensive test and trials program, including activities leading to the integration of the CH-148 Cyclone with the new class of ship;
• The Arctic and Offshore Patrol Vessel will be capable of navigating in sea ice up to 120 cm thick and will extend the RCN’s ability to operate in the Arctic. The Arctic and Offshore Patrol Vessel will contribute to coastal surveillance, SAR, drug interdiction, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations, and will be capable of integrating with a range of international partners;

• The CA is a soldier-centric, professional and integrated force made up of our Regular Force personnel, Primary Reserves, Canadian Rangers and civilians. Throughout FY 2021-22, the CA will generate combat-effective, multi-purpose land forces for deployment in multiple concurrent operations to achieve Canada’s defence objectives. Specifically:
  • The CA will generate the leadership and troops necessary to command and execute domestic and expeditionary operations, including Operation LENTUS at home, and abroad with Operations IMPACT, REASSURANCE and UNIFIER, as well as our international engagement with allies and partners, and with organizations such as NATO;
  • The CA’s Managed Readiness Plan has been reviewed and will be regularly refined and adjusted as part of overall modernization efforts in order to better enable readiness in support of concurrent operations, both at home and abroad, recognizing the fluid domestic and international security environment and the rapidly evolving defence reality;
  • The Managed Readiness System, meant to generate and commit land power, predictably assign force generation objectives, and prioritize resource allocations, will also continue to be refined. This will result in the increased availability of personnel to support national training and education programs;
  • The CA will continue to adapt its approach to training and operations, respecting provincial and territorial guidelines and restrictions, as well as those of our allies and partners, to ensure that we can continue to deliver on our commitments to defending Canada and North America, and contributing to international peace and security;
  • Modernization of the CA, in support of SSE initiatives, will maintain an agile and responsive force. Through the Canadian Army Modernization Strategy, a five-year horizon document, the CA will evolve to prepare for present and future threats and challenges. FY 2021‑22 will see the beginning of work to realize the vision of the retention of readiness for longer periods, transition to a more digital force, and enhanced integration of the CA through the Force 2025 project;
  • Force 2025 will review all components of the CA and will seek to optimize and modernize its structures to meet current and projected operational requirements as well as support SSE initiatives. One of the objectives of Force 2025 is to continue the integration of the Primary Reserves, Canadian Rangers, civilians and the Regular Force into a single, integrated team. This integration will enhance command and control relationships and training opportunities, and clarify assigned tasks and integration points, ensuring that the CA is prepared to carry out assigned tasks and support concurrent operations. This will be achieved, in part, through efforts to refine attraction, recruiting, and retention initiatives, implement policies that enable the operational capability of Reserve personnel, while ensuring that administration is streamlined, and continue developing and integrating Reserve Mission Tasks to build capacity and depth. During FY 2021-22, Force 2025 work will include options analysis and selection of a course of action;
  • To further support CA readiness and defence policy objectives, in FY 2021-22 the CA will continue to refine its ability to force generate land power by improving cooperation and interoperability with allied nations. The CA is promoting the CAF as a credible and reliable military partner, and promotes broader Canadian outreach by being engaged in the following: 
    • ABCANZ (America, Britain, Canada, Australia, New Zealand) Armies Programme: The CA recognizes this program as the main effort for interoperability development, aimed at integrating the various partnered nation command and control capabilities;
    • Conference of European Armies: This conference promotes security dialogue and cooperation among the senior European and NATO Army Commanders and key European regional security partners;
    • Indo-Pacific Armies Chiefs Conference: A biennial multinational military conference providing a forum for regional Army Chiefs of the Indo-Asia-Pacific Theatre to exchange views, establish and enhance relationships and foster security cooperation;
    • Association of the United States Army Land Forces Pacific Symposium: An annual symposium designed to highlight the role of land forces in the Indo-Asia-Pacific Theatre, and enhance security dialogue and cooperation among senior Indo-Asia-Pacific military leaders and key security partners; and
    • Conference of Commanders of American Armies: A biennial multinational military conference providing a forum for the regional Army Chiefs. This conference promotes security dialogue and cooperation among the senior Latin American Army Commanders and key regional security partners with vested interests in the region.
  • As joint capabilities, the CA’s Joint Counter Explosive Threat Task Force and Joint Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Defence functions will focus on the following during FY 2021-22:
    • Exercise PRECISE RESPONSE 21: A live agent and interoperability training exercise conducted on behalf of NATO with Defence Research and Development Canada at Canadian Forces Base Suffield; and
    • Hosting of the NATO Capability Development Group Knowledge Management Panel in fall 2021, and participation in NATO and Chemical, Biological and Radiological Memorandum of Understanding working groups.

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• The RCAF will support the objectives of DND/CAF and the Government of Canada by participating, together with the RCN, the CA and our allies, in joint and combined exercises designed to enhance integration and interoperability. In FY 2021-22, the RCAF will participate in more than 15 major exercises, including the following:
  • Exercise BLUE FLAG 22: An advanced aerial combat training exercise intended to train pilots and other flight crew members from the United States, NATO and other allied countries for real air combat situations;
  • Exercise COALITION VIRTUAL FLAG 22-1: An annual Five Eyes exercise, sponsored by the United States Air Force (USAF) Commander, Air Combat Command, conducted at Kirtland Air Force Base and across the globe through Distributed Mission Training. COALITION VIRTUAL FLAG is innovative and noteworthy as it is designed to provide training in synthetic, theatre-level, joint combat operations in contested and degraded combat environments. COALITION VIRTUAL FLAG also provides an opportunity to interact with land, maritime, air, special operations, cyber and space elements from many nations;
  • Exercise GLOBAL ENGAGEMENT 22: In its capstone year, GLOBAL ENGAGEMENT 22 is the USAF's major, biennial, joint/combined wargame series that not only focuses on improving competitive advantage and warfighting concepts in the Pacific, but also shapes conceptual thinking on complex warfighting issues spanning the next 30 years;
  • Exercise GLOBAL LIGHTNING 22: An annual United States Strategic Command-led command post and battle staff incorporating elements of strategic deterrence, space operations, cyberspace operations, joint electronic warfare, global strike, missile defence, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, and analysis and targeting;
  • Exercise JOINT WARRIOR 21-2: A biannual, United Kingdom-led tri-service and multination exercise intended to improve joint and combined interoperability between allied and partner navies and prepare participants for a role in a joint and combined maritime environment. Individual exercise plans are flexible and tailored to meet the participants’ individual and collective training requirements; and
  • Exercise NORTHERN VIKING 21: A European Command directed, USAF Europe-led, joint and coalition exercise focused on the defence of Iceland and sea lines of communication in the Greenland-Iceland-United Kingdom gap.

• In addition to the many bilateral and multilateral training events planned, the RCAF will maintain and enhance readiness via virtual means to optimize weapons systems and training at various levels. Additionally, the RCAF will continue to work closely with allied partners in Science and Technology-related initiatives intended to improve capabilities and interoperability. The RCAF will also continue to pursue other readiness initiatives, such as partnering with Canadian Joint Operations Command to establish permanent or temporary operational support hubs, and modernizing the global supply chain;
• To mitigate attrition of aircrew and technicians in FY 2021-22, the RCAF will continue to advance the CAF-initiated Operation EXPERIENCE, designed to stabilize and grow designated occupations. The RCAF will also continue developing the RCAF-led Operation TALENT, focusing on producing and retaining the best personnel, using a framework of three key pillars, namely Quality of Life, Quality of Service and Quality of Compensation;
• In FY 2021-22, the RCAF will continue to improve and advance the integration of our space-based capabilities. In addition to the previously listed exercises that include a space component, the RCAF will participate in the following exercises targeting the space domain specifically:
  • Exercise SCHREIVER WARGAME 21-9: The preeminent combined wargame set 5 to 30 years in the future, designed to support concept development and inform decisions about future space mission responsibilities and operational architectures. The RCAF has participated in this wargame for over a decade and it has led to fundamental changes in the way Five Eyes and other partners conduct space operations; and
  • Exercise THOR’S HAMMER WARGAME: A biannual, space-centric, strategic-level wargame focused on the use of cyber and space activities, sponsored by the National Reconnaissance Office. It is intended to explore the ability of the National Reconnaissance Office and partner capabilities to support United States leadership, warfighters, and allied senior leaders throughout the range of military operations which extends into space in 2029.

• As a joint capability, space involves CAF members in RCN, CA, and RCAF and their civilian Defence Team counterparts, working together to deliver capabilities that provide strategic advantage. Integrated through the Canadian Space Operations Centre, the CAF team will continue to participate in space operations activities with allied partners under the Combined Space Operations Agreement in order to meet the space-related goals of the Defence Policy;
• The RCAF will also continue to expand the Whole-of-Government Approach to the RADARSAT Constellation Mission. Using this collaborative approach, DND and other government departments share access to space-based imagery and data produced by this next generation of Canadian Earth observation satellites via systems such as Polar Epsilon 2. Polar Epsilon 2 also contributes to maritime domain awareness for Canada;
• Supporting RCAF readiness and defence policy objectives, in FY 2021-22 the RCAF will continue to refine C2 development and improve cooperation with allied nations by participating in the following fora, talks and activities:
  • NATO Air Chiefs’ Symposium: A biannual conference hosted by the Commander, Allied Air Command, and typically attended by over 30 NATO Air Chiefs; this conference promotes a discussion of NATO air issues and fosters rapport between allied Air Chiefs;
  • Air and Space Power Conference: An annual forum hosted by the Royal Air Force Chief of the Air Staff, drawing together over 450 high-ranking delegates including air chiefs and military commanders from around the world, as well as business, science and technology leaders. The conference stimulates challenging and thought-provoking air and space power debate, and also serves to widen the reach of air and space power understanding in order to promote development and engagement;
  • Air Power Conference: An annual conference hosted by the Royal Australian Air Force Chief of the Air Force, this is typically attended by over 15 Air Chiefs, mostly from Pacific-facing nations. This conference contributes to the global dialogue focusing on the contribution of Air and Space Power to Indo-Pacific security; and
  • Combined Space Operations Principals Board: An annual two-day working engagement typically attended by the highest level of Canadian space allies, including Five Eyes and others. This Board provides governance and oversight for the implementation of the Combined Space Operations initiative.

• The Canadian Special Operations Forces Command remains at a very high readiness level to disrupt or respond to emerging crisis situations or threats to Canadians and Canadian interests. Further, the Canadian Special Operations Forces Command will contribute to the CAF's ability to anticipate threats through the generation of forces designed to illuminate and understand nefarious activity, while helping to shield against threats through recognizing and removing or mitigating vulnerability points.

For more information, refer to the following websites:

• Learn about various military exercises that train and prepare the CAF for future operations at home and abroad.
• Royal Canadian Navy
• Canadian Army
• Royal Canadian Air Force
• Canadian Special Operations Forces Command
• Canadian Rangers
• Canadian Joint Operations Command
• Canadian Forces Intelligence Command
• NORAD

Planned results

Departmental Results	Departmental Result Indicators	Target	Date to achieve target	2017–18 Actual results	2018–19 Actual results	2019–20 Actual results
2.1 Canadian Armed Forces are ready to conduct concurrent operations	% of operations that are capable of being conducted concurrently	100%	31 March 2025	Not Available New indicator as of 2018-19	100%	100%
	% of force elements that are ready for operations in accordance with established targets	100%	31 March 2025	Not Available New indicator as of 2018-19	79%	80.34%

Financial, human resources and performance information for the Department of National Defence and the Canadian Armed Forces' Program Inventory is available in the GC InfoBase.

Departmental Result 2.2 – Military equipment is ready for training and operations

• Equipment is made available to support CAF training and operational requirements through the Equipment Support Program. In particular, National Procurement is the term given to DND Corporate accounts aligned to the in-service sustainment and disposal of aerospace, land, maritime, as well as ammunition and common use materiel such as uniforms, test equipment, and special operations forces equipment. In-service sustainment includes maintenance, engineering support, engineering changes and inventory replenishment. The key fleets identified in support of the NATO Readiness Initiative have been prioritized to ensure that preparations continue in FY 2021‑22. The department’s materiel group is responsible for the execution of the National Procurement funds (see Core Responsibility 5 – Procurement of Capabilities in this report) which is expected to expend over $3 billion in FY 2021–22.
• Serviceability of equipment will be ensured by the CAF undertaking repair activities within their formations.
• In order to maintain readiness and relevance, the RCAF must continue to grow and develop capabilities. In FY 2021-22, the RCAF will begin to replace selected SAR aircraft, specifically:
  • Canada's new Fixed-Wing Search and Rescue CC-295 fleet will allow the RCAF to conduct more effective search and rescue missions at long range and in all weather conditions; and
  • A total of two aircraft have arrived in Canada as part of the Fixed-Wing Search and Rescue Aircraft Replacement project. The first one arrived in Canada in February 2020 and was subsequently converted into a maintenance trainer. The second one arrived in September 2020 and is considered the first of an eventual 16 CC-295 aircraft that will be assigned to search and rescue duties. Delivery of the remaining aircraft will continue throughout FY 2021-22 and is expected to be completed by the fall of 2022. In order to be declared operational, these aircraft will require comprehensive tests and trials before they go into service. The CC-295 is anticipated to be ready for initial SAR operations in the early summer of 2022, with full capability to be achieved in 2024.
• To achieve an aspirational goal of an 80% serviceability rate for its 13 key fleets for 2023, the CA will continue implementing the CA Equipment Readiness Plan, established in FY 2017-18, to ensure that the serviceability of CA equipment is maintained to support readiness and operational outputs. The CA continues to improve its processes and resources management (i.e., parts and direct labour) to attain the serviceability goal. Concurrent with increasing serviceability levels, the CA is also engaging in parallel by disposing of obsolete inventory, which will in turn create increased focus for maintenance resources on required CA equipment to meet operational remits and the continued force generation of Land Power. However, physical restrictions put in place because of COVID-19 at the end of FY 2019-20 have adversely impacted productivity levels, which in turn have affected serviceability levels. In order to mitigate the possibility of increasing risks, the CA Equipment Plan has been reviewed and an updated plan for FY 2021-22 will implement best practices in a pandemic reality as well as increase command involvement at all levels.

Planned results

Departmental Results	Departmental Result Indicators	Target	Date to achieve target	2017–18 Actual results	2018–19 Actual results	2019–20 Actual results
2.2 Military equipment is ready for training and operations	% of maritime key fleets that are serviceable to meet training and readiness requirements	At least 90%*	31 March 2022	95%	91.4%	98.2%
	% of land fleets that are serviceable to meet training and readiness requirements	At least 70%*	31 March 2022	Not Available New indicator as of 2018-19	72%	65.4%
	% of aerospace fleets that are serviceable to meet training and readiness requirements	At least 85%*	31 March 2022	Not Available New indicator as of 2018-19	79.1%	60.8%

Notes:

* A portion of the fleet will normally be subject to repairs due to the use of fleets, and will thus not be serviceable. Consequently, a target of 100% would not be a realistic goal. However, a healthy fleet should reflect a low proportion of the fleet that is unserviceable in order to ensure that the appropriate level of training and readiness can be provided. Note that the concept of "serviceable" differs significantly between military environments owing to the inherent differences across types of equipment. 

The RCN does not include vessels that are unavailable due to a scheduled maintenance period (such as short work periods and docking work periods) when calculating the percentage of vessels that are ready for training and operations. The indicator is calculated with the following formula: total number of vessels in a key fleet x 365 days (minus all days spent in a scheduled maintenance period) divided by the actual number of days that those vessels were serviceable.

In the maritime context, the indicator refers to the aggregate number of serviceable vessels that comprise the key fleets. These fleets are the Halifax, Victoria, Kingston and HMCS Harry DeWolf classes.

In the army context, the indicator refers to the aggregate number of equipment that comprise the land fleets.

In the air force context, the indicator refers to the aggregate number of equipment items that comprise the aerospace fleets. This indicator is under review and proposed changes are expected for FY 2022–23.

Financial, human resources and performance information for the Department of National Defence and the Canadian Armed Forces' Program Inventory is available in the GC InfoBase.

Planned budgetary financial resources

2021-22 budgetary spending (as indicated in Main Estimates)	2021–22 Planned spending	2022–23 Planned spending	2023–24 Planned spending
9,972,852,765	9,972,852,765	10,096,532,908	10,296,558,574

Financial, human resources and performance information for the Department of National Defence and the Canadian Armed Forces' Program Inventory is available in the GC InfoBase.

Planned human resources

2021–22 Planned full-time equivalents	2022–23 Planned full-time equivalents	2023–24 Planned full-time equivalents
46,716	47,177	47,649

Financial, human resources and performance information for the Department of National Defence and the Canadian Armed Forces' Program Inventory is available in the GC InfoBase.

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