Latest news with #defense
CBC
4 hours ago
- Business
- CBC
Canada should still trust U.S., Trump's former secretary of state tells defence convention
Social Sharing Former U.S. secretary of state Mike Pompeo delivered a reassuring, fence-mending message on Wednesday, saying Canadians ought to trust the United States and shouldn't feel as though their sovereignty is under threat. He told an international gathering of defence contractors in Ottawa that he's confident relations between the two countries remain strong and that they will endure beyond the current tensions, which are fuelled by President Donald Trump's talk of annexation and the ongoing trade war. When asked if Canadians should feel threatened by the rhetoric, Pompeo, who served in Trump's first administration, said: "No." He added that he's confident the Canadian government will do all that's necessary to ensure the country's continued sovereignty. "The answer is that Canadians ought to trust the United States in the same way Americans ought to trust [Canadians] to be able to survive. I'm convinced, in the sweep of history, that will remain," said Pompeo. His soothing tone stands in contrast to his former boss, who has repeatedly spoken about how he'd like to see Canada become the "cherished 51st state" in the American union — a notion that has awakened a sense of Canadian patriotism which was on full display Wednesday at the annual defence trade show. "We were complacent, but we've woken up," said Christyn Cianfarani, president of the Canadian Association of Defence and Security Industries in her opening address of the event organized by her association. "We recognized that the defence of North America is a shared responsibility. But make no mistake, Canada will govern itself." Pompeo spoke to reporters following his lunchtime remarks at the CANSEC defence industry convention, which featured — as usual — a number of large U.S.-based defence contractors. Prime Minister Mark Carney has made it clear that Canada intends to invest more in defence, and that he sees an overreliance on American weapons and munitions makers. He said the federal government is hoping to join the European Union's $1.25-trillion rearmament plan — pivoting Canada away from U.S. contractors. Pompeo said Carney is simply standing up for his country. "That's his job, and that's what the people hired him to do," Pompeo said. "He should make good decisions." One of the counterarguments to Canada buying its sophisticated military equipment elsewhere is that the United States is a world leader in technology and industrial innovation — something Pompeo said the prime minister should take into account. "American human capital, American business, it is a very attractive proposition for Canadian defence," he said. On Tuesday, Trump took to social media to say that Canada has been told that joining his administration's so-called Golden Dome missile defence plan would cost the country about $61 billion US, but the cost would be "zero" if the country chose to join the United States. Trump wrote that Canada was considering it — a claim the Prime Minister's Office flatly denied. WATCH | Carney's says Trump's post is 'not an offer': 'It's not an offer,' Carney says about Trump's Golden Dome post 6 hours ago Duration 0:18 Heading into his first question period Wednesday, Prime Minister Mark Carney was asked by a reporter if he was considering an 'offer' by the U.S. president for Canada to spend $61 billion US on a new missile defence system. Carney said 'it's not an offer' as he walked past. Carney, on Wednesday, said he wasn't going to negotiate in public and Defence Minister David McGuinty said Ottawa will continue "to do what's right for Canadians and that includes making sure that we are secure, that we are sovereign." Pompeo said he wasn't in a position to evaluate whether the $61-billion figure was accurate. But conducting missile defence over territory as vast as North America would be expensive, he said. "It's an engineering problem. It is a physics problem, a technical problem and it is a deeply expensive challenge as well. But I think that that is one that is worth the investment," the former secretary of state said. "So, my guess is that the $61 billion number is low."
Forbes
4 hours ago
- Business
- Forbes
Congress is Marching to the Wrong Tune on Pentagon Spending
WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 11: Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS) speaks to the press on the transparency from ... More the Department of Defense regarding the health of Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on January 11, 2024 in Washington, DC. Secretary Austin was hospitalized for surgery relating to prostate cancer, which was not reported for several days. (Photo by Anna) Critics of Trump administration policy have zeroed in on the President's plan to hold a military parade on his birthday, purportedly to honor the U.S. Army, at the same time that the administration and its allies in Congress are seeking deep cuts in veterans benefits and services. If the administration truly wants to honor our men and women in uniform, it should spend whatever is needed to take care of them, and it should elevate stories of individual bravery and effort in defense of the nation and the Constitution. Instead, it has chosen to mount a costly spectacle that nods at our military personnel, past and present, while coming up empty when it comes to providing them with genuine support. Many veterans have rejected the idea that the parade is even in their honor. As Naveed Shah, political director of the veteran-led organization Common Defnse has noted, 'As an Army veteran myself, I'm proud of the Army's birthday. But this parade seems like it's all about the president's ego rather than the troops who sacrifice everything in order to serve our country.' But even as criticism of the parade grows, it is important that we don't take our eyes off of the Pentagon budget debate in Congress, which will be much more consequential in its impacts on veterans and non-veterans alike. As time winds down for Congress to finalize the budget for this year – nine months past the beginning of Fiscal Year 2025, which officially started on October 1st of last year – it appears to be marching towards a massive spending plan which is more likely to make America and its allies less safe than it is to bolster our security for the nextd generation, as Sen. Wicker and his colleagues seem to believe. The House has already signed off on a $150 billion increase beyond what the Pentagon is likely to ask for over the next several years, a sum Senate Armed Services Committee chair Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) has called a 'generational investment' in defending America. But if any budget lines deserve a generational investment, they should be measures to combat climate change, prevent disease, curb inequality, and fund smart diplomacy and foreign economic assistance. The drive to increase Pentagon spending is also questionable because of the way it is being promoted, via reconciliation. Reconciliation is a process for rushing a bill through Congress on an expedited basis, a process which undermines that notion of bipartisan debate and input that had been a model for handling Pentagon budget requests in past years. Spending to address the major non-military challenges outlined above is not only insufficient relative to what is needed, but the House plan would seriously cut back existing, inadequate funding in these areas. If the House plan is adopted by the Senate, the result would be domestic and foreign policies that fund weapons and preparation for war while underinvesting in the pursuit of domestic strength and the maintenance of non-military tools of statecraft. The United States would be akin to a weight lifter who can lift prodigious amounts but is so bulked up they can't lift their hands above their heads or engage in routine physical activities. A successful foreign policy requires a range of tools, not just a large Pentagon budget and a global military footprint. An overmilitarized budget is not the royal road to a more effective defense – it is a recipe for diminishing U.S. global influence while making conflict more likely. Hopefully criticism of the military parade and the parallel reductions in support for veterans will prompt the public to look at a larger question as well: does America really need a $1 trillion Pentagon budget to defend ourselves? And is there a solid plan on how to spend these huge sums? After the president's parade has come and gone, these questions will remain. How we answer them will have a generational impact, as Sen. Wicker has suggested, but it may not be he positive impact he envisions, but rather a weaker, more divided country that is undermining its strength at home in service of a misguided conception of how to address challenges abroad.
Bloomberg
4 hours ago
- Business
- Bloomberg
UK Taps Ukraine Lessons to Plow £1 Billion Into Warfare Systems
The UK will invest more than £1 billion ($1.4 billion) in a new digital targeting system to allow the country's armed forces to pinpoint and eliminate enemy targets more swiftly as part of a forthcoming revamp of Britain's defensive capabilities. In its strategic defense review, expected to be published in full next week, the UK will also set up a new Cyber and Electromagnetic Command to protect military networks against tens of thousands of cyber attacks a year and help coordinate Britain's own cyber operations, the Ministry of Defence said Thursday in a statement. The command will also lead operations to jam enemy signals to drones and missiles and help intercept military communications.
Reuters
6 hours ago
- Politics
- Reuters
US defence chief looks to woo allies in Asian security forum debut
SINGAPORE, May 29 (Reuters) - U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth will try to convince Asian defence leaders this weekend that the United States is a more trusted partner for the region than China, U.S. officials told Reuters, as questions linger about the Trump administration's commitment to the region. Hegseth, who has spent a large portion of his first months on the job focused on domestic issues, countering diversity, equity and inclusion in the military and taking aim at the press, will make his first extended remarks in Singapore on Saturday about how he envisions U.S. defence policy in the Indo-Pacific. He will be addressing the Shangri-La Dialogue, Asia's premier security forum, which runs this year from May 31-June 1. Defence ministers, senior military and security officials and diplomats from around the world are expected to attend. French President Emmanuel Macron will deliver the keynote address on Friday. "Secretary Hegseth is going to make the case to Asian allies about why the United States is a better partner than the CCP," said a senior U.S. defence official, speaking on condition of anonymity. The official, who was using an acronym for China's Communist Party, said Hegseth had the opportunity to take advantage of Chinese Defence Minister Dong Jun's expected absence from the dialogue, where U.S. and Chinese delegates have locked horns in previous years. Hegseth's speech will be closely watched as it comes after President Donald Trump has lashed out at traditional allies, most recently with tariffs. Hegseth has also roiled allies in Europe. In February, he warned Europe against treating America like a "sucker" while addressing a press conference at NATO headquarters in Brussels. "There's certainly uncertainty being expressed, and sometimes I think it's probably fair to characterize it as a concern," a second senior U.S. defence official said, referring to anxiety among Asian allies. General Dan Caine, the recently confirmed U.S. chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, is also expected to attend the dialogue. Some of the Trump administration's early moves in the Indo-Pacific have raised eyebrows. The U.S. moved air defence systems from Asia to the Middle East earlier this year as tensions with Iran spiked - an effort which took 73 C-17 flights. But Hegseth visited the Philippines and Japan in March, a trip in which experts said the secretary stuck by the more traditional importance of allies. Ely Ratner, who was the Pentagon's top official on China under the Biden administration, said allies in Asia were seeking a consistent policy from Hegseth. "The region will be watching closely as to whether the U.S. secretary of defence that shows up at Shangri-la looks like the one that travelled to the Philippines and Japan or has more of the harder edge that we've seen from the Trump administration in Europe," said Ratner. Hegseth, a former Fox News host, was only narrowly confirmed as defence secretary in January. He has moved with stunning speed to reshape the department, firing top generals and admirals as he seeks to implement Trump's national security agenda. His leadership has been under intense scrutiny after it was revealed that he shared sensitive war plans on Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis in two signal group chats. Trump has stuck by him through the turmoil. Hegseth will likely get a friendly audience at the Shangri-La Dialogue, said Greg Poling, with the Center for Strategic and International Studies think-tank. "Asian allies, and particularly the Philippines, feel a lot more reassured than our European allies, but there's always going to be that voice in the back of their head," Poling said. Democratic Senator Tammy Duckworth, who is co-leading a bi-partisan delegation to the Shangri-la Dialogue, said her aim was to reassure Asian allies that the United States was committed, a message she said Hegseth was not capable of delivering. "He's only got this job because he sucked up to President Trump and looked good on Fox News. So let's be clear about the capabilities of the secretary of defence," Duckworth told Reuters.
National Post
6 hours ago
- Business
- National Post
Defensive linemen in Calgary Stampeders camp: 'Game-wreckers' wanted
Article content Of the big American fellas inside, returnee Josiah Coatney, fourth-year CFLer Miles Brown and Jaylon Hutchings — who signed with the Stamps last October — are all turning heads. Article content Then there's the Canadians in the mix — returnees Kail Dava, Kelon Thomas, Ryan Leder, Justin Sambu and Anthony Federico, 2024 draft-picks George Idoko and Jason Janvier-Messier and 2025 draftee — and Calgarian — Max von Muehldorfer. Article content 'I think we have a lot of talent,' added Orimolade. 'I think there's a lot of guys that are still like budding, but I think number one, I think we're going to defend the run really well, and that's going to put us in a lot of opportunities to give guys behind the sticks. It makes it easier for d-line to get to the quarterback.' Article content The ending Article content So far, it stacks up as Orimolade, Brown, Hutchings and Hicks from edge to edge. Article content But with so many talents in the mix and Dickenson declaring jobs up for grabs, that could change overnight. Plus Canadians starting on the d-line amounts to being ratio-breakers. Article content Article content No matter, though … just as long as whoever's got those gigs are game-wreckers. Article content 'It's a hungrier group,' added Orimolade, when asked about the difference between the Stamps before he left and this year's edition. 'When you've had bad seasons, no one wants that taste in their mouth. They wanted the season to be over just because of all the losing, and it starts to weigh on you mentally. Article content 'But now it's like everyone has the drive to be better this year. That's a big change. That was kind of missing. You get kind of complacent, and now you have the rejuvenation. It's good.' Article content Short yardage Article content The Stampeders have released American WR Ishmael Hyman, who appeared in five regular-season games for the Red and White in 2024 and made 18 catches for 220 yards and one touchdown … The Stamps signed global K Jordan Noyes, a native of Gravesend, England, who recently concluded his NCAA career with the Colorado State Rams. In two seasons with the Rams, he converted 29-of-39 field-goal attempts and added 62 converts for a total of 149 points. He also averaged 64.6 yards on 16 kickoffs. In a 2024 game at Nevada, Noyes connected on a 60-yard field goal. Noyes started his NCAA career with 30 games over three seasons with the Utah Utes. He was 8-of-12 on field goals for the Utes, a perfect 45-for-45 on converts and accounted for 79 points. He averaged 61.9 yards on 145 kickoffs … The Stamps placed rookie American FB Ryan Jones on the retired list after he underwent surgery for a broken leg suffered during the Red and White pre-season victory over the host BC Lions on Vancouver Island on Victoria Day … Stamps training camp continues Thursday at McMahon (9:15 a.m.). Article content
