Ottawa – The federal government should scrap the planned purchase of Super Hornet fighter jets to spare taxpayers from funding a costly stopgap solution that risks isolating Canada from the United States, the Senate Committee on National Security and Defence said in a report released Monday.

The report, Reinvesting in the Canadian Armed Forces: A Plan for the Future, concludes the committee’s analysis of the Canadian Armed Forces.

The recommendation to cancel a government decision to sole source 18 new Super Hornets to replace Canada’s aging CF-18s comes after expert testimony that long-term costs would outweigh any short-term savings and that these aircraft would reduce interoperability with Canada’s allies.

The committee urges the government to immediately begin a competition to replace the CF-18s and to make a decision by June 30, 2018.

Senators also made recommendations to create a more robust and egalitarian Army Reserve Force. Defence experts identified reservists as having extraordinary skill sets; the value of their contributions could be greatly increased with sufficient support.

Given the challenges of recruitment and retention, the committee recommends the government introduce a signing bonus for people skilled in in-demand trades, as well as for women, Indigenous Canadians and visible minorities.

This recommendation is also meant to reduce the barriers women and minorities face in the armed forces. Indigenous peoples and visible minorities account for a very small percentage of Canada’s military; former Supreme Court Justice Marie Deschamps’ 2015 report noted an “undeniable link” between the prevalence of sexual misconduct in the military and the poor integration of women.

Chief of Defence Staff Jonathan Vance told the committee that diversity “increases our operational capability.” While senators welcome this view and the soon-to-be-established Recruiting and Diversity Task Force, the committee recommends that the government ensure the military provide a progress report on its efforts to see if words are translating into action.

For Canada’s military to thrive the government must provide adequate resources — in material but also in personnel.

Quick Facts

• A number of former Royal Canadian Air Force generals noted technical concerns with the Super Hornets purchase, including the need for flight simulators, logistic support and maintenance organizations. They estimated the cost at between $5 billion and $7 billion.
• Membership in the Reserve Force dwindled from 25,500 in 2012 to 21,350 in 2015. As a result, the Chief of Defence Staff issued a directive to grow the Reserve Force to 28,500 by July 2019 and to train members to the same high standard as those of the Regular Force.

• As of 2016, women made up only 14% of the Regular Force. Indigenous peoples represent just 2.5% of the military, while visible minorities represent 6.5%.

Quotes

“When the federal government is offering no new money to our underfunded military, it is particularly important that what funding there is does not go to waste. The Super Hornets purchase is a costly mistake that will limit our ability to work with our allies and hamper efforts to provide the military with the equipment it really needs.”

- Senator Daniel Lang, Chair of the committee.

“Our military often serves as the face of Canada during overseas operations. We believe it should reflect the diverse Canadian population as much as possible. Bringing more women, visible minorities and Indigenous peoples into the forces should remain a priority so that our military benefits from different perspectives, backgrounds and experiences.”

- Senator Mobina Jaffer, Deputy Chair of the committee.

Associated Links

• Read the report, Reinvesting in the Canadian Armed Forces: A Plan for the Future.
• Follow the committee on social media using the hashtag #SECD.
• Sign up for the Senate’s eNewsletter.

For more information, please contact:

• Senator Daniel Lang, Chair | 613-947-6234
• Senator Mobina Jaffer, Deputy Chair | 613-992-0189