10/23/2026
Modern military technology is extraordinary. Precision-guided weapons, advanced air-defence systems and increasingly sophisticated drones have transformed the battlefield.
But even the most capable weapon has limited value if it cannot be replaced.
The war in Ukraine has exposed a challenge facing militaries around the world: the gap between the weapons they need and the industrial capacity required to produce them.
A missile can be expended in seconds. Replacing it may take months. Increasing production can take years.
And the challenge extends well beyond am******on. Modern defence systems depend on specialized components, skilled workers, complex supply chains and manufacturing facilities that cannot simply be switched on when demand increases.
For Canada and its allies, this raises important questions about military readiness, procurement and the resilience of the defence industrial base.
Are we investing only in the capabilities we need today, or also in the capacity to sustain them tomorrow?
Because military strength isn’t measured solely by the sophistication of the weapons a nation possesses. It’s also measured by its ability to maintain, replenish and produce them when they are needed.
The weapons we have matter. So does our ability to replace them.
Photo: Canadian Forces - Exercise STRIDENT TRACER 2014 (CFB Gagetown, New Brunswick). DND.
