A year-end interview with Global News on Friday had the general share his views on why he says focusing on ballistic missile defence is „not useful,“ what could happen if North Korea launched a missile strike against an ally like Japan to how the massive #MeToo movement will help
The threat posed by North Korea does not warrant the heightened focus, in recent months, on whether there is an urgent need for Canada to join a ballistic missile defence (BMD) program with the United States, and issues like how to deal with cyber warfare might be more pressing, said Chief of Defence Staff Gen. Jonathan Vance.
A year-end interview with Global News on Friday saw the general share his views on why he says focusing on BMD is “not useful,” what could happen if North Korea launched a missile strike against an ally like Japan to how the massive # MeToo movement of women sharing stories of harassment and abuse will help the military in its efforts to knock out sexual misconduct in its ranks.
While discussions about whether Canada should join the American BMD program have been ongoing for years, they have reached a new fervour as North Korea launches missile after missile in its attempts to prove to the world it has the capacity to develop and use nuclear weapons.
A missile launch by the so-called Hermit Kingdom on Wednesday demonstrated that it may now be capable of hitting New York City — or Toronto — with a nuclear warhead that could kill millions of people.
That prompted renewed questions of whether Canada should join the program but Vance said the discussions about what defensive measures Canada and the U. S. should take together go far beyond the threat posed by the dictator U. S. President Donald Trump has taken to calling ‘Little Rocket Man.’
WATCH: General Vance on why focus on ballistic missile defence is “not useful”
In the Defence Policy Review in June, the government said Canada would not be joining the program and set the stage for a serious pivot of military resources to focus on cyber warfare and allowing the Canadian Forces to take offensive cyber operations against hostile actors who try to target their activities abroad.
C-59, the government’s national security legislation also tabled in June, lays the groundwork for the Communications Security Establishment to take similar offensive cyber action against enemies abroad.
