Well, OK, in the ADM Policy for a day mode (force structure is not the CDS' job: how much? how many? what kit? configured how? are questions which, in our system of government, are asked and answered by civilians: asked by politicians and answered by mandarins - some from the defence department, others (the really important ones) from treasury/finance and the Privy Council Office. They seek some (not too much) advice from the CDS and his colleagues but more from retired officers/professors and analysts in think tanks. It is the same in Australia, Belgium, Chile, Denmark and in the UK and the USA, too.
As DND's ADM Policy I tell the Clerk of the Privy Council and the DM of Finance that I want:
"¢ A strategic intelligence gathering service - based, as now, on CSE - which shares intelligence with key allies: Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, United Kingdom, United States and cooperates, to a lesser degree with lesser allies: NATO, etc;
"¢ In cooperation with the United States: a continental surveillance, target acquisition, identification, interception and combat force which can detect, identify and deal with intruders - space based, airborne and seaborne which enter the approaches to the continent we share;
"¢ Two 'blue water' joint task forces which can project Canadian power anywhere in the world, on fairly short notice and for protracted periods - several destroyers/frigates/oilers and long range patrol aircraft and, whenever possible, land based combat aircraft ;
"¢ Two 'blue water' joint task forces which can project Canadian power ashore - essentially combat ships, big (35,000+/- ton) landing ships, amphibious battle groups (maybe 1,000-1,500 soldiers each) and VSTOL fighter/bombers. These two forces must be able to conduct low intensity operations for protracted periods on a unilateral basis - no US support - and they must be able to join allies in mid (and after preparation) high intensity operations;
"¢ A quick reaction - air mobile/airborne - formation with supporting transport aircraft (including dedicated heavy lift helicopters) and VSTOL fighter bombers, which can deploy on unilateral low intensity missions and mid (even high, after preparation) intensity operations, like the amphibious forces;
"¢ An expeditionary brigade - motorized/mechanized - the leading elements of which can be deployed within a very, very few weeks to relieve/reinforce either the amphibious or air assault joint forces. This formation would train to fight as a formation within a larger allied force;
"¢ Home defence and reserve forces - full time and part time - for, especially, search and rescue, internal security/Aid of (to) the Civil Power, civil assistance and disaster relief, vital point security, coastal/fisheries patrol, Arctic patrol, individual augmentation, and, and, and ... nearly ad infinitum, as is always the case for 'reserves;' and
"¢ A defence base consisting of 3rd line logistical resources, bases, dockyardss, schools, etc.
I think we need 60,000+/- people in permanent force (full time) operational units: ships, regiments and battalions, flying squadrons (including full time 'reserve' ships and units), dockyards, flying bases, joint HQs, etc. I suspect we need another 30,000+/- in a variety of logistics, support and command and control elements and 40,000+/- civil servants supporting the 90,000+/- permanent force and, maybe, 30,000 part time people. I think it can all be had for about 2% of our $1 Trillion GDP: about $20+ Billion per year, plus real defence industry inflation plus a bit of real growth, year after year and decade after decade ...