Name: Canadian military’s plan to expand reserve forces met with skepticism
Uploaded: 2025-12-18T09:49:42.820Z
Duration: 2 min 33 s
Description: The Canadian military is proposing to expand part-time reserves by up to 300,000 troops, but military experts say the ambitious plan comes with numerous challenges, especially how to equip and mobilize that many more people.

The Canadian military is proposing to expand part-time reserves by up to 300,000 troops, but military experts say the ambitious plan comes with numerous challenges, especially how to equip and mobilize that many more people.

Ottawa

The Canadian military is considering an ambitious plan to establish a part-time reserve force of up to 300,000 citizens, prompted by new NATO commitments. However, internal documents and expert opinions highlight significant challenges, including shortages in uniforms, weapons, storage space, and logistical capacity. 

Military officials acknowledge the plan is still in development, with key questions remaining about roles, missions, and equipment needs. The Department of National Defence is studying how other countries have approached similar expansions and has set up a dedicated office to address these issues, aiming to present a comprehensive plan to the prime minister in the coming months.

Canadian military’s plan to expand reserve forces met with skepticism

For years, the ranks of the Canadian military have been pretty thin. Now, an ambitious proposal sparked by Canada's new NATO commitment to essentially create a citizens army, a part-time reserve of up to 300,000. They are currently doing an analysis of what is in the realm of possible. But defence planners wonder how to even get so many uniforms and weapons when existing supply chains, inventories and personnel systems are already at capacity. And even if the industry could produce those needs, internal documents obtained by CBC News show the military doesn't have the storage space. It is, according to the country's top military commander, a work in progress. We need to figure out how we are going to do this. And the first step is to figure out what are the roles and missions of this strategic reserve. And then there's the bigger question, equipment. How much? What kind? And where do you get it? This country, on a good day, can mobilize three frigates and eight CF-18s. If we actually wanted to deploy this capability, how would we even move it to where we wanted it to be? The internal documents say the build-up would have to go slowly. But this expert emphasizes explaining it to the public. Getting those numbers is going to require a huge communications initiative and convincing Canadians that this is absolutely required. Others are just as skeptical. This reserve force is meant to be called up in emergencies. Everything from localized disasters all the way up to war. And how then this large group of people with one week of training and no uniforms or anything else is going to address that requirement, it's difficult to see. The military says it's doing its homework and hopes to put a fully thought-out plan before the prime minister this spring. So Murray, conceivably, how will DND handle this? Well, they're looking at what others are doing. The Nordic countries, Germany and Poland, all of the allies are grappling with this. And DND has appointed a brigadier general to organize mobilization. An entire office has been set up to figure out how to handle these problems and things the military hasn't had to consider for more than half a century. All right. Murray Brewster in Ottawa tonight. Thank you. You're welcome.

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