The Canadian Armed Forces are preparing to deploy 15 Leopard 2 battle tanks and approximately 131 personnel to a NATO force in Latvia by next spring, according to Defence Minister Anita Anand. This announcement was made during Anand’s meeting with defence ministers from countries supporting Ukraine’s efforts against Russia’s invasion, which took place in Brussels. The tanks and support vehicles will be sourced from Gagetown, N.B., and Edmonton. The deployment will consist of a total of 50 vehicles, including the tanks, along with two armoured recovery vehicles and various maintenance, fuel, supply, and transport vehicles.
The Leopard 2 A4M, one of Canada’s primary battle tanks, has previously been deployed in Afghanistan and showcases mine-clearing capabilities. The equipment is expected to arrive in Latvia by the fall, with the full group of personnel in place by next spring. Canada currently leads a 10-country NATO battlegroup in Latvia, comprising of around 700 Canadian troops. Anand emphasized the ongoing deployment of resources as part of Canada’s role as the framework nation of the enhanced forward presence battle group on NATO’s eastern flank.
The NATO military alliance has established battle groups in several countries, including Bulgaria, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, and Slovakia, in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The 2022 summit in Brussels saw an agreement among members for a new model that would involve an increased number of high-readiness troops and brigade-size formations in the area. While the details of Canada’s contributions to the scaling up of the 2,000-person battle group to a deployment-ready brigade of approximately 4,000 troops are yet to be finalized, Anand signed a deal with Latvia to solidify these efforts.
As part of Canada’s commitment, they aim to purchase and deploy anti-tank weapons, counter-drone and air defence systems, as well as ammunition and explosives. However, due to the Armed Forces’ personnel shortage, the number of additional troops they can commit remains uncertain. In a separate program announced last month, Canadian troops in Latvia began providing junior officer leadership development training for the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s recent visit to Kyiv resulted in an additional $500 million in military aid, along with other donations.
While the deployment to Latvia is not considered a donation, Anand acknowledged that Canada’s ongoing support for Ukraine is straining the resources of the Armed Forces. Efforts are being made to replace donations and procure new equipment for Canadian troops in alignment with Canada’s 2017 defence policy, which is currently under review. The updated policy will account for changing threats, such as those posed by climate change and cybersecurity, and guide the growth of human resources and capabilities. The release date for the updated policy has not yet been announced. However, Anand expressed Canada’s support for Ukraine’s accession to the military alliance when the time is right, a sentiment that is shared by her NATO counterparts.
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