Justin Trudeau hints at boosting Canada’s military spending

I'll believe it when I see it.

 

[dimsum]

I think a big takeaway from the US election is that the people really only care about what is in front of them, and right now it’s high prices and unaffordability. In the Canadian case, it would also include healthcare.

But, I would argue that even if Trump threatens to leave NATO and NORAD, Canadian defence and sovereignty wouldn’t be a big vote-changer. It would spark lots of articles and posts, but any of the major parties can probably slow-roll it and be politically fine.

 

[KevinB]

My guess is the subs will die to buy more stuff from Canada and US production, unless you jump into AUKUS.

2% is the current floor, you guys are living in the parents basement.

 

[Czech_pivo]

My guess is the subs will die to buy more stuff from Canada and US production, unless you jump into AUKUS.

2% is the current floor, you guys are living in the parents basement.

I'm going out on the limb and saying that the subs go through, but, the numbers of F35's ordered goes up, (maybe another 36ish - "Oh, Mr. President, did you know that Canada has the 2nd biggest fleet of F35's after America of course"), the E-7's get confirmed, both in short order. Both of these cover off the Canada-US production checkbox.
Might even see an order for 150-160 Abrahams, so we have a full brigade.

That covers off - Ohio (red state) for the Abrahams, Texas for the F35 (red state) and unfortunately the E7s are out of Washington (blue state) but most go along way with the unionized workers of Boeing.

And Topshee gets his Corvette idea approved, at least on paper.

 

[FJAG]

Might even see an order for 150-160 Abrahams, so we have a full brigade.

Fun with math time.

The American "Army 2030" Armored Div has two armored bdes and one Stryker brigade. That totals 10 tank coys (at 14 tanks each for a total of 156 tanks including the ones in the cavalry troops) and 17 rifle coys (8 Bradley and 9 Stryker)

We have 18 LAV Coys and 9 light companies and while only 3 tanks squadrons, there are another 6 recce sqns just waiting to be reclassified to tank. (Type 14 tank coys only have roughly 65 black hats so 9 Cdn squadrons could roughly make 10 tank coys)

Long story short - and ignoring @KevinB's usual observation that a LAV is not a Bradley - we have enough mech coys and enough black
hatters so that 150-160 M1s are enough to form a full armored division. Yes, yes, we'd need more for the school, and 36 155mm SPs but we already have the 18 M777s in an armored div arty bde has as well as engrs and air defence on the way. We even have an aviation brigade - sort of.

For bonus points: the above does not include the three light battalions which could be regrouped into one brigade and assigned to round out the 11th Airborne Div in Alaska.

So for some 160 tanks and 36 SPs we could cobble together a reasonable armoured division and a light brigade (not to mention JTF2 and the SOR) The Americans would understand that and approve of (especially if we eventually buy 120 Bradleys to replace the LAVs in the combined arms battalions.)