Defence & Foreign Affairs
Canada is a fully committed partner, working with the U.S. to promote peace and security around the world.
Canada is a fully committed partner, working with the U.S. to promote peace and security around the world.
Canada has fought alongside the U.S. in defence of our common values through World Wars I and II, the Cold War, Korea, Balkans, the Middle East, and Afghanistan. In fact, Canadian sailors, soldiers, and aviators are embedded throughout the United States military at all levels – protecting and defending our shared continent in search and rescue operations, the interdiction of illegal narcotics, providing humanitarian assistance and supporting disaster relief missions.
For over sixty-five years, members of Canadian and American armed forces have jointly defended North America through the world’s only bi-national military command, North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD). Throughout its history, NORAD has stood ready to detect and respond to threats against North America, whether by intercontinental ballistic missiles; aircraft; terrorism; or air, missile, and space vehicles.
Canada is also a founding member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), contributing to international peace, security, and stability for over seventy-five years.
The Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) ensure that Canada is strong at home, secure in North America, and engaged in the world. With ongoing investments in space, cyberspace, intelligence, research and development, as well as force modernization, Canada continues to innovate.
What’s more, the CAF is active throughout Eastern and Central Europe, and since 2017, Canada has served as a key nation within NATO’s enhanced Forward Presence (eFP) in Latvia, leading a multinational battle group composed of ten nations, and more than doubling its military presence while leading the efforts to scale this contribution to Brigade level by 2026.
Together with our NATO Allies, we deploy our ships and sailors on a rotational basis to NATO’s Standing Naval Forces in support of NATO’s assurance and deterrence measures. Through NATO’s Air Policing efforts, our aviators protect Allied airspace. Canada’s military also supports capacity building contributions in Iraq, Jordan, and Lebanon as part of Canada’s whole-of-government approach in the Middle East. In the Indo-Pacific region, ships from the Royal Canadian Navy and aircraft from the Royal Canadian Air Force regularly operate with the United States to enhance our defence and security relationships and enforce United Nations Security Council sanctions against North Korea.
For more information, please visit Operations and exercises – Canada.ca
On April 8, 2024, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Minister of National Defence Bill Blair released Our North, Strong and Free: A Renewed Vision for Canada’s Defence. This defence policy update responds to the significant global shifts we have witnessed in the past 5 years and sets out to strengthen the foundations of the Canadian Armed Forces and acquire new capabilities to deal with new threats, alongside our partners and allies.
For more information, please visit Our North, Strong and Free: A Renewed Vision for Canada’s Defence – Canada.ca
Authorized by the U.S. Department of State and implemented by the U.S. Department of Defense, the U.S. Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program is a mechanism for facilitating responsible arms sales that strengthen bilateral defence relations and enhance interoperability between U.S. forces and foreign military partners.
In 2023, a record high year for sales conducted under the program, Canadian acquisitions from the U.S. Foreign Military Sales program accounted for 71% of all projected Canadian major defence equipment expenditures and 8% of total U.S. sales financed by foreign partners.
Since the introduction of Canada’s Defence Policy, “Strong, Secure, Engaged”, in 2017, Canada has seen remarkable growth in its U.S. Foreign Military Sales portfolio, tripling in value to approximately $13 billion USD.
Canada contributes significantly to the economic security of the United States. Canadian purchases directly support American jobs. Canada has been part of the U.S. FMS program for over half a century and ranks among the top 20 global customers, top 5 NATO customer nations and the largest customer in the Americas.
