Vanguard Magazine

22 JUNE/JULY 2022 www.vanguardcanada.com INNOVATION oceans of data and distribute actionable intelligence rapidly. Fifth, Canada's intention with respect to air defence resources needs some thought. Assuming the Canadian Army will oper- ate under a coalition air defence envelope (medium to high altitude), Canada's air defence should focus on the level necessary to protect a combined arms team from low altitude direct attack. Finally, and of the utmost importance, the Canadian Army's esprit de corps must be nurtured by sustained interest in its well-being as a fighting force. From pri- vate soldier to general officer, Canada has a well-led, deep-thinking and motivated force. With additional tools in hand and coupled with the Canadian Army's culture of empowered leadership, Canada would be well positioned to make a meaningful contribution to future coalition efforts. Adjusting doctrine and training to fully exploit the latest military tools will ensure that the Canadian Army can stand up to a near-peer army in a conventional fight as prescribed in Strong, Secure, Engaged. References: 1. The eight core missions are: 1) De- tect, deter and defend against threats to or attacks on Canada; 2) Detect, deter and defend against threats to or attacks on North America in partner- ship with the United States, includ- ing through NORAD; 3) Lead and/ or contribute forces to NATO and coalition efforts to deter and defeat adversaries, including terrorists, to support global stability; 4) Lead and/ or contribute to international peace operations and stabilization missions with the United Nations, NATO and other multilateral partners; 5) Engage in capacity building to support the se- curity of other nations and their abil- ity to contribute to security abroad; 6) Provide assistance to civil authorities and law enforcement, including coun- ter-terrorism, in support of national security and the security of Canadians abroad; 7) Provide assistance to civil authorities and non-governmental partners in responding to interna- tional and domestic disasters or major emergencies; and 8) Conduct search and rescue operations. Department of National Defence, Strong, Secure, Engaged: Canada's Defence Policy, Ottawa, June 7, 2017, 82. 2. Ibid. 3. Realistically, Canada is unlikely to act unilaterally excepting domestic tasks or operations other than war. 4. Department of National Defence, "Operation REASSURANCE," ac- cessed April 25, 2022, https://www. canada.ca/en/department-national- defence/services/operations/mili- tary-operations/current-operations/ operation-reassurance.html. 5. Hülya Kinil and Sinem Çelik, "The Role of Turkish Drones in Azerbaijan's Increasing Military Effectiveness: An Assessment of the Second Nagorno- Karabakh War," Insight Turkey, Ankara vol. 23, issue 4, (Fall 2021), 169. 6. In 1914, a Canadian (British model) infantry battalion was equipped with four machine guns. By 1918, that number had risen almost ten-fold to 36 machine guns per battalion. In 1918, the increase in distribution of more and lighter machine guns, alongside other innovations, directly contributed to the success of the Canadian corps as a shock formation during the war's last 100 days. "Ma- chine Gun Corps in the First World War," The Long, Long Trail, ac- cessed April 25, 2022, https://www. longlongtrail.co.uk/army/regiments- and-corps/machine-gun-corps-in-the- first-world-war/#:~:text=The%20orig- inal%20official%20establishment%20 was,infantry%20tactics%20to%20 be%20devised. 7. "Such unmanned munitions employed by Azerbaijani infantrymen proficient in their ability to find and destroy the enemy with loitering munitions—were credited with destroying 185 main battle tanks, 89 armored fighting ve- hicles, 182 artillery pieces, 73 rocket launchers, 451 trucks, 26 air defense systems, and 14 radars in just a few weeks." Maj. Gen. Julian D. Alford, "Implementation of the Hunter Killer Platoon," Marine Corps Gazette, Quantico vol. 106, issue 2, (February 2022), 34. 8. Greg Hadley, "Pentagon Reveals Secretive New Drone the Air Force is Giving to Ukraine: Phoenix Ghost," Air Force Magazine, last modi- fied April 22, 2022, https://www. airforcemag.com/air-force-rapidly- developed-a-new-drone-for-ukraine- phoenix-ghost/. 9. The disastrous Israeli tank-only counterattack after the Egyptian army crossed the Suez Canal in October 1973 provides just such an example. Azriel Lorber, Misguided Weapons: Technological Failure and Surprise on the Battlefield, (Washington, DC: Potomac Books, 2002):79-80. 10. Department of the Army, FM 100-5, Operations (Washington, DC, 1993): 9-4. Major-General (Retired) Denis Thompson served 39 years in the Canadian Army as an Infantry Officer. He deployed on multi- ple operations commanding at the platoon, company, battalion, brigade, national, and multinational level in Canada and abroad in Cyprus, Germany, Bosnia, Afghanistan and Egypt including command of NATO's Task Force Kandahar (2008/09), Canada's Special Operations Forces (2011-2014) and the Multinational Force & Observers in the Sinai (2014-2017). Reprinted with permission. The Canadian Global Affairs Institute, May 2022 HMCS Regina fires two Harpoon Surface to Surface missiles in the Pacific Range Facility Barking Sands while participating in Exercise Rim of the Pacific 2020. Photo: DND

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