Canada has run out of ammo,
with no plan to reload: retired general Andrew Leslie
“The men and women in uniform don't see any demonstrable proof that the federal government is actually seized of the issue of trying to get them the capabilities they need to better defend Canadians,” says Lt.-Gen.(ret’d) Andrew Leslie.
While Canada conducts studies to figure out how to resuscitate our domestic production of military ammunition, our allies are aggressively moving forward, modernizing their munitions facilities and ramping up outputs in support of Ukraine.
In the U.S., the Pentagon committed $6 billion to this drive for self-sufficiency in the production of critical ammunition. In just one year — combining Turkish technology with General Dynamics’ leadership and innovation — the Americans have built a greenfield ammunition factory in Mesquite, Texas, that will produce 30,000 to 40,000 rounds a month.Meanwhile, Bill Blair, Canada’s Minister of National Defence, promised $4.4 million to three Canadian munitions manufacturers this March, to research and refine processes to design and produce NATO standard 155-millimetre munitions in Canada.
“The Liberal government sees defence spending as discretionary,” concludes Lt.-Gen.(ret’d) Andrew Leslie.
This, from a 35-year veteran of the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF), former chief of staff of the Canadian Army, and one-time Liberal MP under Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. This, from an artilleryman who knows what combat looks like on the battlefield and former politician who knows the treacherous terrain of budget wars in Ottawa.
Follow the money, he says: “They (the federal Liberal government) believe there’s a whole host of societal funding requirements, ranging from increases in healthcare, to daycare, to children getting breakfast at school — and a bewildering array of boutique allocations of funds to cater to voter-sensitive initiatives. And defence comes after all of that.”
“They’ve done it in this last budget as well, haven’t they?” Andrew continues. Making promises to spend big money, in the future, to fortify military preparedness.