Military of Canada
Military branches: Canadian Forces (includes Land Forces Command or LC, Maritime Command or MC, Air Command or AC, Communications Command or CC, Training Command or TC. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police or RCMP are the national police force, not part of the Canadian Forces). The Headquarters of the entire Canadian Forces is in Ottawa, Ontario.
The Canadian Armed Forces date to the War of 1812 when Canadian militia units were formed to assist in defending British North America from the American invasion. The Royal Canadian Navy was created in 1910 and the Royal Canadian Air Force in 1914.
The Canadian Forces or its component regiments have fought in the War of 1812, the Fenian Raids (1841-1871), North-West Rebellion (1885), the Boer War, World War I, World War II, the Korean Conflict, the First Gulf War, and have contributed to UN and other peacekeeping missions and undeclared wars, notably the Suez Crisis, Cyprus, Croatia, Bosnia, and The War on Terror (Afghanistan). Canada is a charter member of NATO and a member of the North American Air Defence treaty (NORAD).
At the end of World War II, Canada possessed the third largest navy and fourth largest air force in the world, as well as the largest all-volunteer army ever fielded (conscription was only introduced near the end of the war, and no conscripts actually made it into battle). Defence spending and manpower remained high during the early years of Cold War but began to decline in the 1960s and 1970s as the perceived threat from the Warsaw Pact diminished. Throughout the 1990s successive budget cuts have forced further reductions in the manpower, number of bases, and fighting ability of the Canadian Armed Forces. Sizable Canadian Air and Land forces were maintained in West Germany under NATO command from the end of World War II until the early 1990s.
The Navy
The Maritime Command (Canadian Navy) is the senior service of the Armed Forces, and has approximately 20 modern deepwater warships including 4 tribal class destroyers, 12 frigates, 4 submarines and several 1960s era steam driven destroyer escorts that are based in Halifax and Victoria. The Naval Reserve maintains a fleet of Marine Coastal Defence Vessels for coastal patrols.
The Army
Today, the Land Forces Command (Canadian Army) consists of of three field ready Brigades, 1 Mechanized Brigade Group in Edmonton, Alberta, 2nd Mechanized Brigade in Petawawa, Ontario, and 5ieme Brigade Mechanise du Canada in Valcartier, Quebec (the francophone Brigade). Each brigade contains one Regiment each of Armour, Infantry, Artillery and Combat Engineers (all scaled in the British fashion), as well as a Service Battalion (logistics), a Field Ambulance, a Headquarters/Signals Squadron, a Tactical Helicopter Squadron, and several minor organisations. Major training establishments and non-Brigaded troops exist at Gagetown, New-Brunswick, and St. Jean, Quebec. Well-known Regiments in the Army include Lord Strathcona's Horse (Royal Canadians) and Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry in 1st Brigade, The Royal Canadian Regiment in 2nd Brigade, and the Royal 22ieme Regiment, or the 'Van Doos' in 5ieme Brigade.
The Canadian Militia, or Reserve Army, is divided into understrength Brigades (effectively just for purposes of administration) organised geographically, and has a strength of about 15,000. The Militia is very active and has participated heavily in all Canadian Army deployments in the last decade, in some cases contributing as much as 40% of each deployment in either individual augmentation, as well as occasional formed sub-units (companies). The Militia contains many of Canada's most historic Regiments, including the Toronto Scottish Regiment, the Voltigeurs du Quebec, and the Royal Newfoundland Regiment.
The Air Force
Air Command (Canadian Air Force) flies F-18 fighter aircraft as well as combat and search and rescue helicopters. Air Command is located in Winnipeg and major Air bases are located in Cold Lake, Alberta, Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, Bagotville, Quebec and Trenton, Ontario.
Canada also hosts significant amounts of flight training for allied NATO air forces, as Canada possesses air-combat or ground-attack ranges nearly the size of Europe.
Some History
Unlike the British and American Armed Forces, the Canadian Armed Forces is a single organisation with a unified command structure. Between 1965 and 1969 the Canadian Army, the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) , and the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) were combined into one service. The British styled uniforms (khaki, navy blue and sky blue) of the three services were abandoned in favour of green. The traditional Navy and Air Force rank names were replaced by their Army equivalents, with naval-style rank badges being worn. In practice, Maritime Command continues to use the traditional Naval rank names (Colonel = Captain etc.) but the Air Command did not retain its rank names (Major not Squadron Leader). The unification, really just an exercise in Canadian republicanization, had a terrible impact on the morale of the Air and Maritime Commands and accomplished little in cost savings. In an effort to restore morale, the Maritime and Air Commands were allowed to return to their traditional navy and sky blue uniforms in the late 1980s.
Military manpower - military age: 17 years of age
Military manpower - availability:
males age 15-49: 8,282,846 (2000 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 7,086,335 (2000 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
males: 212,701 (2000 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure: $7.4 billion (FY97/98)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 1.2% (FY97/98)
- See also : Canada