SSE’s Sequel: Critical Questions for Canada’s Defence Policy Update

Table of Contents Introduction International Insecurity Fielding the Force of the Future Cultivating Capabilities Conclusion End Notes About the Author Canadian Global Affairs Institute Introduction Since its publication in 2017, Strong, Secure, Engaged (SSE) has been the guidepost for Canadian defence strategy and procurement. The white paper outlined defence policies and priorities for the next two decades, centring on the aims of anticipating future threats, adapting to meet emerging challenges and acting decisively to protect Canadian security. To meet these goals, SSE 2017 committed $553 billion1 over 20 years to develop and acquire the capabilities necessary to “modernize, renew, and restore”2 the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF). Since that time, defence saw a period of both progress and tumult. The government advanced a series of highly complex acquisition projects, representing major capability improvements across all domains. However, like the rest of the government, the Department of National Defence (DND) and the CAF navigated the disruption of COVID-19, simultaneously striving to meet their pre-determined commitments, protect the health and safety of their people and mobilize resources to help the country meet the pandemic’s challenges. DND and the CAF have also worked to address sexual misconduct and harassment among the ranks. And, of course, Canada joined its allies to support Ukrainian resistance to Russia’s invasion. In both the work it anticipated back in 2017 and the tasks that emerged unforeseen, the government’s defence organizations achieved a mix of progress and continued challenges. All of this forms a new context for DND as it takes up the task of revising SSE as part of its defence policy update (DPU). As the government renews its defence policy, it will need to grapple with three challenging questions: Strategy: Will the DPU reimagine Canada’s role amid a changing geopolitical context? Readiness: Will it endorse a change to the CAF’s readiness posture in terms of materiel and personnel? Modernization: How will it approach modernization of key capabilities? The direction the revised strategy takes will likely be shaped as much by practical realities, with budget availability perhaps first and foremost, as by ambitions. It remains to be seen which will be the driving force of the SSE update