Canadian Armed Forces
The Canadian Armed Forces (CAF; French: Forces armées canadiennes, FAC) are the unified military forces of Canada, including land, sea, and air commands referred to as the Canadian Army, Royal Canadian Navy, and the Royal Canadian Air Force.[9] The CAF also operates several other commands, including the Canadian Forces Intelligence Command, the Canadian Joint Operations Command, and the Canadian Special Operations Forces Command. Personnel may belong to either the Regular Force or the Reserve Force, which has four sub-components: the Primary Reserve, Supplementary Reserve, Cadet Organizations Administration and Training Service, and the Canadian Rangers. Under the National Defence Act, the Canadian Armed Forces are an entity separate and distinct from the Department of National Defence (the federal government department responsible for the administration and formation of defence policy), which also exists as the civilian support system for the forces.[10][11][12]
Canadian Armed Forces
1 February 1968
National Defence Headquarters, Ottawa, Ontario
Charles III, King of Canada
Represented by
Mary Simon, Governor General of Canada
16–60 years old[a]
No
approx. 68,000 (2021)[3]
approx. 27,000 (2021)[3]
approx. 3,000[4]
US$27.2 billion (2023)[5]
(ranked 16th)
1.3% (2023)[5]
Bombardier Aerospace
CAE
Meggitt Training Systems Canada
Colt Canada
Textron Systems Canada
Kongsberg Protech Systems Canada
Rheinmetall Defence Canada
Irving Shipbuilding Inc.
General Dynamics Land Systems Canada
Raytheon Canada Limited
Seaspan Marine Corporation
Thales Canada[6]
Boeing Canada[7]
Wolseley Expedition
North-West Rebellion
Second Boer War
World War I
Russian Civil War
World War II
Cold War
Korean War
October Crisis
Gulf War
Oka Crisis
Bosnian War
Somali Civil War
Kosovo War
Afghanistan War
2011 Libyan Civil War
Operation Serval
2014 military intervention against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant
Operation Unifier, aid to Ukrainian Armed Forces 2015-present
The commander-in-chief of the Canadian Armed Forces is constitutionally vested in the monarch, Charles III.[13][14][15] The chief of the Defence Staff is the professional head of the Canadian Armed Forces, who under the direction of the minister of national defence and together with the assistance of the Armed Forces Council, manages the operations of the Canadian Armed Forces.
In 2023, Canada's military expenditure totalled approximately US$27.2 billion, or around 1.3 percent of the country's gross domestic product (GDP) — placing it 16th for military expenditure by country.[5] The Canadian Armed Forces are a professional volunteer force that consists of approximately 68,000 active personnel and 27,000 reserve personnel, with a sub-component of approximately 5,000 Canadian Rangers.[3]
Canada's peacekeeping role during the 20th century has played a major role in its positive global image.[16][17] Canada has long been reluctant to participate in military operations that are not sanctioned by the United Nations (UN),[18][19] such as the Vietnam War or the 2003 invasion of Iraq.[18][19] Since the 21st century, Canadian direct participation in UN peacekeeping efforts greatly declined, with its military participation reallocated to UN-sanctioned operations through the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).[20]
Although the Canadian Armed Forces are a single service, there are four similar but distinctive environmental uniforms (DEUs): navy blue (which is actually black) for the navy, rifle green for the army, light blue for the air force, and khaki for special operations. CAF members in operational occupations generally wear the DEU to which their occupation "belongs." CAF members in non-operational occupations (the "purple" trades) are allocated a uniform according to the "distribution" of their branch within the CAF, the association of the branch with one of the former services, and the individual's initial preference. Therefore, on any given day, in any given CAF unit, multiple coloured uniforms may be seen.
The uniforms of the CAF are sub-divided into five orders of dress:[86]
Only service dress is suitable for CAF members to wear on any occasion, barring "dirty work" or combat. With gloves, swords, and medals (No. 1 or 1A), it is suitable for ceremonial occasions and "dressed down" (No. 3 or lower), it is suitable for daily wear. Generally, after the elimination of base dress (although still defined for the Air Force uniform), the operational dress is now the daily uniform worn by most members of the CF, unless service dress is prescribed (such as at the NDHQ, on parades, at public events, etc.). Approved parkas are authorized for winter wear in cold climates and a light casual jacket is also authorized for cooler days.
Units of the Canadian Army, Royal Canadian Air Force, and cadets of the Royal Military College of Canada also wear full-dress uniforms. The Army's universal full-dress uniforms includes a scarlet tunic, midnight blue trousers with a scarlet trouser stripe.[87] However, many regiments in the Canadian Army maintain authorized regimental differences from the Army's universal full dress, most notably for its armoured units, Scottish regiments, and Voltigeur/Rifle regiments. The full-dress uniform for cadets at Royal Military College is similar to the Army's universal full dress uniform. Full dress uniforms for units of the Royal Canadian Air Force include a blue tunic, and blue trousers and facings.[87] Naval full dress includes a navy blue tunic and trousers with white facings, although the Canadian Forces dress instructions state that naval full dress is no longer worn.[87]
Authorized headdresses for the Canadian Armed Forces is the: beret, wedge cap, ballcap, Yukon cap, and tuque (toque). Each is coloured according to the distinctive uniform worn: navy (white or navy blue), army (rifle green or "regimental" colour), and air force (light blue). Adherents of the Sikh faith may wear uniform turbans (dastar) (or patka, when operational) and Muslim women may wear uniform tucked hijabs under their authorized headdress. Jews may wear yarmulke under their authorized headdress and when bareheaded. The beret is probably the most widely worn headgear and is worn with almost all orders of dress (with the exception of the more formal orders of Navy and Air Force dress), and the colour of which is determined by the wearer's environment, branch, or mission. Naval personnel, however, seldom wear berets, preferring either service caps or authorized ballcaps (shipboard operational dress), which only the Navy wear. Air Force personnel, particularly officers, prefer the wedge cap to any other form of headdress. There is no naval variant of the wedge cap. The Yukon cap and tuque are worn only with winter dress, although clearance and combat divers may wear tuques year-round as a watch cap. Soldiers in Highland, Scottish, and Irish regiments generally wear an alternative headdress, including the glengarry, balmoral, tam o'shanter, and caubeen instead of the beret. The officer cadets of both Royal Military Colleges wear gold-braided "pillbox" (cavalry) caps with their ceremonial dress and have a unique fur "Astrakhan" for winter wear. The CAF wears the CG634 helmet.
Symbolism and honours[edit]
The Canadian Forces have derived many of their traditions and symbols from the Army, Navy, and Air Force of the United Kingdom, including those with royal elements. Contemporary icons and rituals, however, have evolved to include elements reflective of Canada and the Canadian monarchy. Members of the country's royal family maintain personal relationships with the forces' divisions and regiments.[88][89]
The monarch is regarded as the fount of honour[90][91] and the Canadian system of orders, decorations, and medals includes numerous specifically for the military, such as the Victoria Cross, Order of Military Merit, Cross of Valour, Star of Courage, and Medal of Bravery.[92] The Victoria Cross is the highest honour in Canada. The British version was presented to 94 Canadians and two Newfoundlanders[93] between its creation in 1856 and 1993, when the Canadian Victoria Cross was instituted.[92] No Canadian has received either honour since 1945.[94]
During the unification of the forces in the 1960s, a renaming of the branches took place, resulting in the loss of the royal designations for the Navy and Air Force.[95] On 16 August 2011, the federal Cabinet announced that Air Command was re-assuming the Air Force's original name, Royal Canadian Air Force; Land Force Command the name Canadian Army; and Maritime Command the name Royal Canadian Navy.[96] The change was made to better reflect Canada's military heritage and align Canada with other Commonwealth realms whose militaries use the royal designation.[96]
