The details of those contributions have not been finalized, more than a year later.Ĭanada aims to buy and deploy anti-tank weapons, counter-drone and air defence systems, ammunition and explosives as part of its commitment, but with the Armed Forces facing a severe personnel shortage, it remains unclear how many additional troops it can commit. Members agreed at the 2022 summit in Brussels to a new model that will involve more high-readiness troops and brigade-size formations in the area.Īt the time, Anand announced that she had signed a deal with Latvia to scale up the 2,000-person battle group to a deployment-ready brigade of about 4,000 troops. The military alliance has battle groups in Bulgaria, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania and Slovakia in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. 'We are continually deploying resources there as part of our role as the framework nation of the enhanced forward presence battle group on NATO's eastern flank,' Anand said. It's expected that the equipment will arrive in Latvia by the fall, with the full group of personnel in place by next spring.Ĭanada already leads a 10-country NATO battlegroup in Latvia with about 700 Canadian troops. They have been deployed in Afghanistan in the past and have mine-clearing capabilities.

The Leopard 2 A4M is one of Canada's main battle tanks. 'There will be 15 Leopard 2 A4M tanks, two armoured recovery vehicles and then a variety of maintenance and fuel and supply and transport vehicles,' Anand said, adding the deployment will consist of a total of 50 vehicles, including the tanks. The tanks and support vehicles will come from Gagetown, N.B., and Edmonton. The Canadian Armed Forces will deploy 15 Leopard 2 battle tanks and about 131 personnel to a NATO force in Latvia by next spring, Defence Minister Anita Anand said Friday.Īnand made the announcement from Brussels, where she was meeting with defence ministers from countries that support Ukraine's efforts to fight Russia's invasion.

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