Canadian army commander lists items for military modernization

Lt. Gen Michael Wright prepares to speak to reporters at a defence conference in Calgary on March 25, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Bill Graveland

The commander of the Canadian Army told a defence industry conference Wednesday that the Forces will be forging ahead with purchases and investments as the country works toward modernization.

In the 2025 federal budget, $81.8 billion in new spending was earmarked over five years to strengthen the Canadian Armed Forces.

“I definitely wouldn’t refer to it as a spending spree,” Lt.-Gen. Michael Wright told reporters at the DEFSEC West security and aerospace conference.

“Ultimately, we have to ensure that we are being responsible stewards of resources. And I can tell you every dollar that’s spent by the Canadian Army is going to make sure that our soldiers are ready.”

Canada has committed to increase defence spending to two per cent of GDP in 2025-26, rising to five per cent by 2035.

“Army modernization is about providing soldiers with the training, the capabilities and the structure that they need to fight and win on the battlefields of today and the battlefields of the future,” Wright said.

“That work begins at home with all of us. We need to be able to generate and sustain effects as part of an allied land force, and army modernization is essential in defending Canada in a more contested and uncertain security environment.”

Wright said the Armed Forces are pursuing nearly 50 major capital projects, including providing better weapons, long-range precision strike systems and a more lethal ground-based air defence system to defend critical infrastructure in areas such as the Arctic. He said the size of the Canadian Forces need to increase as well.

“The most important thing for us right now are people, bringing in more soldiers and making sure they’re getting the training they require. I think we’re looking at the equipment we want to bring in,” Wright told reporters.

“There’s a balance between those capabilities that come in over the longer term versus the capabilities we are going to be able to deliver over a shorter term.”

Wright said the Arctic is becoming increasingly important.

“We’re making sure that we are making the necessary investments in the North for national sovereignty, but what we do in the North is not only going to be the Canadian Armed Forces,” he said.

“It’s going to be ensuring we are tightly connected across the federal family, working with the Territories and working with the communities in the north.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 25, 2026.

Bill Graveland, The Canadian Press