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Hybrid-war has demonstrated that a different approach is needed in the
21st century. Equipping a host nation with non-lethal and lethal aid is the
first step, but not the only one. Training host nation military personnel is cru-
cial, but even when operating in an insurgent environment we must do the
same.
Canada's military has been able to maintain, operate and support legacy
equipment from the Sea King fleet to the Lee Enfield rifles. Ministers will
need to realize that buying new equipment is fine, but they cannot afford to
discount the high operating costs that come along with increasingly sophis-
ticated technology.
At the same time, the Government of Canada needs to realize that its
concentration should not be on large, sexy procurement items that warrant
grandiose announcements; it must begin to focus more on the "Where, Why
and How" as opposed to the "What."
Adopting different ordinance for the military is equal, if not more impor-
tant, than the ultra-expensive, high-tech systems that fire them. Unfortu-
nately, standing in front of an ammo crate doesn't provide the same photo
ops as it does when positioned in front of a tank, or a new LAV 6.0.
Canadian politicians and military officials will have to be savvier when it
comes to adopting new technology. New buzzwords and phrases such as
"digitally integrated into the 21st century battlespace" should be welcomed
with cautious arms. If you are a defence minister, moving the Canadian
Forces into the 21st century through the adoption of a new power-draining
rifle integrated into a soldier's battery pack might look and sound good to the
Canadian public, but defence procurement is never that easy. A smart gun
isn't much use when you've been away from a power source for three days
and you're up against "untethered" insurgents with cheap ammo and access
to piles of low-tech (but highly lethal) AK-47s.
Pushing through the optics of procurement means that, while politicians
might be wooed by flashy equipment, industry also has a responsibility
to examine whether the technology it offers to the Canadian Armed Forces
matches where, how and why our soldiers will need to use it. There is no
shortage of technology coming out of industry, and make no mistake, it's all
for sale … but where is the line that separates implementing technology as a
force multiplier from force divider?
Although Canada must always
prepare itself for the possibility
of conventional war, we also
have to face the reality that
asymmetrical conflicts will
be the norm for the future.
