EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Strong, Secure, Engaged presents a new vision and approach to defence by the Government of Canada. This policy is deliberately ambitious and focuses, first and foremost, on the heart of the Canadian Armed Forces – the brave women and men who wear the uniform. Canada cannot meet its defence needs at home and abroad without the dedicated, motivated and highly skilled people who work tirelessly to defend Canada and promote Canadian values and interests abroad. This new defence policy provides unprecedented support to our people and their families. We ask a great deal of our people, from deploying on peace operations to responding to humanitarian crises. The first step in ensuring that our women and men in uniform are prepared and equipped to succeed on operations, and that they are fully supported from recruitment through retirement and beyond, is to give them the resources they need to do their job. In the context of this complex, unpredictable security environment, this policy provides a bold new vision and approach to defend Canada and contribute to a more peaceful world. Strong, Secure, Engaged offers clear direction on Canadian defence priorities over a 20-year horizon. It increases the size of the Canadian Armed Forces, affirms Canada’s unwavering commitment to its long-standing alliances and partnerships, and provides vital new investments to ensure our women and men in uniform have the modern tools they need to succeed in – and return home safely from – operations. This policy transforms how we care for Canada’s military members and their families, from the time of recruitment to retirement and beyond. We believe this is critical to Canada’s security. This is the most rigorously costed Canadian defence policy ever developed. It is transparent and fully funded. To meet Canada’s defence needs at home and abroad, the Government will grow defence spending over the next 10 years from $18.9 billion in 2016-17 to $32.7 billion in 2026-27. The long-term funding commitment that underpins this policy will provide the Canadian Armed Forces with the force size and equipment required to achieve excellence across the full spectrum of military operations, from humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, to peacekeeping, to combat. This policy includes long-term investments to enhance the Canadian Armed Forces’ capabilities and capacity. Because of the sacrifices that our military personnel make every day, Canada remains among the safest and most secure countries in the world. However, the international landscape is shifting under tremendous pressures, and the current security environment presents a variety of threats, many that transcend national borders. CANADA’S DEFENCE POLICY 11