Canada Mulls Joining UK-Led Response Force as Its Military Grows

David McGuinty Photographer: Cole Burston/Bloomberg Photo by Cole Burston /Bloomberg

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(Bloomberg) — Canada is considering eventual membership in a UK-led multinational rapid response force, but its immediate priority is rebuilding its military and reducing reliance on the US, Defense Minister David McGuinty said.

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He said Canada is assessing whether to join the 10-nation Joint Expeditionary Force — which also includes the Nordics, Baltics and the Netherlands — which boosts members’ capabilities through joint exercises and can act collectively in crises.

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“But right now we’re focused on rebuilding the Canadian Armed Forces from the top down and bottom up,” McGuinty said in an interview in Oslo. “It’s happening quite quickly. It’s not something we’ve seen before. So questions about next steps — Joint Expeditionary Force and beyond — we’ll get there,” he said.

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Canada, a NATO member, is racing to expand its security partnerships as the US pulls back from multilateral arrangements and occasionally targets its northern neighbor with economic threats. McGuinty pointed to a new industrial strategy aimed at creating a “much bolder” defense sector. 

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Prime Minister Mark Carney is meeting UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer in London on Monday, with defense and the Middle East on the agenda. On Sunday, Carney and Nordic leaders pledged to deepen Arctic security cooperation.

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Canada declined to join the JEF in 2014 and believed the option had faded during Britain’s post‑Brexit repositioning and the Hans Island dispute with Denmark, according to a Royal United Services Institute paper. With those tensions eased, the paper argued Canada’s entry would give the JEF a true Euro-Atlantic footprint and offer Ottawa a stepping stone to closer European integration.

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But Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre told reporters on Sunday the JEF “has not really been a theme with Canada,” adding he’d like to see Poland and Germany join. A March 26 meeting in Finland may revisit membership questions. 

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“With Canada, I think it’s more about what we do in the Arctic, in NATO, the Arctic Seven,” he said.

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Canada announced several agreements with Norway during the Oslo meetings, including a letter of intent on space cooperation signed by McGuinty and his Norwegian counterpart. McGuinty said he will unveil “major investments” in space sovereignty on Monday at a Canadian Space Agency facility run by MDA Space Ltd.

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Canada signed a partnership in December to develop a multibillion‑dollar military satellite system with MDA Space and Telesat Corp., part of its push to reduce reliance on US systems. MDA Space recently raised $300 million in an initial public offering on the New York Stock Exchange.

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McGuinty said Canada has the capability to make far greater advances in space, especially with like-minded partners. The pact with Norway will allow personnel exchanges, joint research and help attract investment, he said.

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“The prime minister strongly believes middle powers like ours, Norway and others, combining their efforts can be a real unstoppable force,” he said. “None of us is as smart as all of us.”

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