From the Minister

As Minister of National Defence, I am pleased to present the Departmental Results Report for Fiscal Year 2023-24. This report provides a comprehensive overview of Defence activities and expenditures over the course of the reporting year.

The increasingly complex geopolitical landscape demands a renewed response to protecting Canada’s security and prosperity. As a result of the work done during this reporting year on the defence policy update, Our North, Strong and Free (ONSAF), the government announced significant new investments in April 2024. These investments will support Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) members, modernize military equipment and infrastructure, protect Canada’s sovereignty in the Arctic and North, strengthen our role within the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), and advance the Indo-Pacific Strategy.

The top priority of the CAF is defending Canada, which also contributes to protecting our shared continent with the United States. Canada is reinforcing our commitment to the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) with an investment of $38.6 billion over 20 years. These include investments to strengthen the CAF’s ability to detect, deter and defeat threats, while continuously evolving research and development solutions through science and technology.

As an Atlantic and Pacific nation, Canada’s security and prosperity are directly linked to that of Europe and the Indo-Pacific region. The CAF continues to make meaningful contributions to Euro-Atlantic security. In the summer of 2023, Canada renewed and expanded Operation REASSURANCE for three years, and we scaled the Canadian-led multinational battle group in Latvia to a brigade. We also announced that Canada will enhance our contribution to Indo-Pacific region stability by increasing our military presence in the region through Operation HORIZON.

Taking on contemporary and future security threats requires a diverse military, with the right people in the right numbers. Our multi-year CAF reconstitution initiative is about enhancing military readiness by attracting and retaining talent from across Canada with a modern personnel management system. The Defence Team is making progress accelerating the recruiting process, and we are continuing to do more to rapidly address the gap between the CAF’s current and authorized force size.

Central to rebuilding our military is fostering a more inclusive military culture and ensuring a respectful workplace for all. As we take meaningful steps to evolve our culture, external oversight is essential. In accordance with former Supreme Court Justice Louise Arbour’s recommendation, the External Monitor continues to provide an independent and impartial assessment of our progress – and input on where more work is required. I welcomed her Second Biannual Status Report of the External Monitor in November 2023. In March 2024, legislation was introduced to amend the National Defence Act that proposes a suite of targeted changes to modernize the military justice system. The proposed amendments address key recommendations made in independent and external reviews conducted by former Supreme Court Justices Louise Arbour and Morris J. Fish.

Climate change is affecting the frequency, duration and intensity of CAF operations, both at home and abroad, placing unprecedented demands on the CAF to support civil authorities. Over the past year, the CAF provided support to provinces and territories across the country to help fight wildfires for 131 consecutive days, while also assisting in the evacuation of affected communities through Operation LENTUS, the CAF response to natural disasters.

I am proud of the work the military and civilian members of the Defence Team are doing to keep us strong at home, secure in North America, and engaged in the world.

Original signed by:

The Honourable Bill Blair, PC, COM, MP
Minister of National Defence