EDITORIAL: Meeting NATO's 2% target the right move
Provided it is done competently, we agree with Prime Minister Mark Carney's announcement Monday that Canada, at long last, will meet its NATO commitment to increase military spending to 2% of gross domestic product (GDP) in this fiscal year.
That's five years ahead of Carney's previous promise to meet the 2% target by 2030.
We're so far behind — Canada currently spends 1.4% of GDP on defence annually — that NATO is already considering a new target for member nations to spend 5% of GDP on defence.
Canada's failure to meet the 2% target, set by NATO in 2006, has been a long-standing national embarrassment.
It has eaten away at our credibility and our effectiveness on issues of global security and international conflicts.
It has justifiably upset many of our NATO allies for not pulling our own weight and, most recently, angered U.S. President Donald Trump who, on this issue, has a valid point.
At the end of the Second World War, Canada had the world's fourth-largest navy after the U.S., U.K and former Soviet Union.
At the end of the Korean War, Canada was spending 7% of GDP on defence.
Today, we have members of our military relying on food donations to make ends meet while being sent into armed conflicts — where they continue to serve honourably — with aging and obsolete equipment.
This is a national disgrace.
Canada's submarines, ships, aircraft, military vehicles and artillery are all in desperate need of upgrading, as is our military presence in the Arctic, given the growing interest in its mineral resources by hostile countries such as Russia and China.
No country can claim to be a sovereign nation unless it has the ability to monitor and, where necessary, counter incursions into its territory.
Our concern is with Carney's pledge to 'ensure that every dollar is invested wisely, including by prioritizing made-in-Canada manufacturing and supply chains.'
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That's not because of the intent — we agree with it — but because there are so many examples of military spending that have turned into fiascoes and boondoggles by previous governments.
We're also concerned that Carney is making this major announcement on defence spending in advance of this year's federal budget and how the increased spending on defence will impact the government's overall finances.
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Hegseth said the 2026 budget request reflects a 13% increase for investing in national defense over the current fiscal year. Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., then questioned Hegseth's leadership. "I am repeatedly hearing that your policy and personnel changes at the Pentagon are only undermining [and] not strengthening our military's preparedness to protect our country," Murray said. She accused Hegseth of using the military to police areas in the United States, including sending the National Guard and Marines to California to use against "peaceful protesters." Murray then asked Hegseth if the Defense Department would continue to fire shipbuilders, which he denied it has done. "We are investing historically in our shipbuilding defense industrial base and workforce and ships in this budget," Hegseth said. Murray said the Navy is firing shipbuilder staff in the state of Washington and accused it of asking welders if they ever donated to the Democratic Party. Hegseth said no welders are subject to litmus tests to work on naval projects and denied that political questions are asked. Iranian, Russian, Chinese and North Korean coalition Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., asked Hegseth and Caine if the world is underestimating Iran's intent to "kill all the Jews," including using a nuclear weapon against Israel if Iran had one. Caine said Iran would use one to pressure Israel but doesn't know if Iran would use it to "wipe out Israel." Hegseth said a radical cleric in Iran would use one to wipe out Israel. "They're going to use a nuclear weapon if they get it," Graham said. He also asked if China intends to "take Taiwan by force if necessary." Hegseth said the DOD doesn't know that China has made the decision to do so. Caine suggested China might use military force against Taiwan, and the United States needs to prepare for it. Coons said China, Russia, North Korea and Iran are aligned and pose the greatest threat to world peace since the Cold War. He cited Ukraine as an example of the future of warfare, but said the Department of Defense is "internally divided" and operating on a continuing resolution for the first time. The current state within the Defense Department "cannot continue," Coons added. Next-generation fighter and collaborative drones are planned The Defense Department also wants to spend $4 billion during the 2026 fiscal year to develop the F-47 fighter and "collaborative combat" drone aircraft, according to DefenseScoop. The $4 billion request is just part of the 2026 budget request, but the amount of the entire proposed budget has not been released. The Air Force wants to spend $3.5 billion on the F-47 fighter project, which would give it a fighter capable of exceeding Mach 2 with a range of more than 1,000 nautical miles. The current F-22 and F-35A fighter jets have top speeds of greater than Mach 2 and Mach 1.6 and ranges of 590 and 670 nautical miles, respectively. The Air Force wants to buy up to 185 F-47 fighters during the program's duration. The Air Force's Collaborative Combat Aircraft program would promote the development of next-generation drone aircraft that are capable of flying with the manned F-47 and other next-generation fighters.
