From the Minister

I am pleased to present the 2021-22 Departmental Results Report for the Department of National Defence (DND) and the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF). Throughout the reporting year, the Defence Team continued to adapt in order to deliver results in an ever-changing and intensifying security environment.

As ever, the CAF were ready to act in times of need. They supported numerous requests for federal assistance, assisted provincial and territorial health authorities as part of Canada’s ongoing response to the COVID-19 pandemic; and supported local authorities and Indigenous communities in response to floods, fires, and other emergencies.

We advanced our collaborative efforts with the United States, and our investments to modernize continental defence and the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD). As the Canada-United States Joint Statement on NORAD Modernization acknowledged, the more secure we are within our shared continent, the stronger we will be acting together in the world to defend the rules-based international order.

In January 2022, Operation UNIFIER the CAF training mission to Ukraine, was extended following Russia’s illegal invasion. Russia’s attack on Ukraine’s independence and territorial integrity meant that Canada and like-minded democracies had to adapt and respond. During fiscal year 2021-22, including prior to Russia’s further invasion of Ukraine, Canada provided military aid to Ukraine in the form of personal protective equipment, machine guns, pistols, carbines, 1.5 million rounds of ammunition, sniper rifles, anti-armour weapons systems, and other specialized military equipment. Fiscal year 2021-22 also saw the deployment of an air mobility detachment to Europe, which continues to transport military aid from Canada and our allies and partners for Ukraine. As well, the CAF’s contributions to NATO’s collective defence continued, including the expansion and extension of Operation REASSURANCE  which is part of Canada’s ongoing response to the crisis.

A priority for me is making sure that we implement Strong, Secure, Engaged: Canada’s Defence Policy. This report includes many examples of CAF successes, but it also acknowledges difficulties. The COVID-19 pandemic interrupted training for existing members, and hampered the recruitment of new ones. The CAF’s vital role in the national effort to slow the spread of the virus placed an additional strain on a military already stretched to maintain deployments abroad while increasing deployments in response to natural disasters. Significantly, Defence has begun an ambitious and far-reaching program of reconstitution to address challenges to readiness.

Outside of operations, new initiatives to advance culture change within DND and the CAF – including those to support survivors of military sexual trauma – were among the most important initiatives completed or in progress during the year. As an addition to the indispensable work performed by the department, we received interim recommendations from the Independent External Comprehensive Review – conducted by former Justice of the Supreme Court, Madame Louise Arbour, which reiterated that reforming harmful aspects of our institutional culture is critical. It will inform our actions in respect to culture change initiatives moving forward, and will be crucial in ensuring DND and the CAF’s continued success both at home and abroad.

An ongoing priority for the Government of Canada and DND and the CAF is our relationships with Indigenous Peoples. It is clear that we must move faster on the path of reconciliation and continue to engage in a meaningful way with our Indigenous partners. Accordingly, the Defence Team developed a strategy to ensure that defence activities are aligned with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and created more opportunities for Indigenous businesses in the awarding of defence contracts.

I encourage my fellow Canadians, members of Parliament and others reading this message to review the report and the results that DND and CAF achieved this past year. We continued to make strides recruiting and supporting a diverse Defence Team, promoting culture change, advancing defence procurement and integrating innovation in all domains of Defence infrastructure while upholding our commitment to environmental sustainability.

As ever, the Defence Team is committed to working together with Canadians in their communities, Indigenous Peoples, industry partners, our allies and international partners to protect our home and promote global peace and security in the face of current and emerging threats.

The Honourable Anita Anand, P.C., M.P.
Minister of National Defence