The federal government is spending more than $273 million to acquire new military equipment for NATOB次元官网网址檚 Canada-led battle group in Latvia.

That includes $227.5 million for a short-range air defence system from Saab Canada Inc., intended to defend against fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters and drones, and another $46 million for counter-drone equipment.

Defence Minister Bill Blair says itB次元官网网址檚 the first time that the Canadian Armed Forces will have an air defence capability since 2012.

He says the equipment is being acquired on an B次元官网网址渦rgent basisB次元官网网址� and is expected to be delivered later this year.

Blair made the announcement in Brussels, where he is attending a meeting of NATO defence ministers B次元官网网址� and where heB次元官网网址檚 signalling CanadaB次元官网网址檚 steadfast support for the military alliance.

Ministers are meeting days after former and would-be future U.S. president Donald Trump said he would encourage Russia to B次元官网网址渄o whatever the hell they wantB次元官网网址� to any NATO member that shirks its defence spending targets.

Canada is well short of the NATO prescription for two per cent of GDP to be spent on defence.

B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檝e lived next door to the United States for a long time. I tend to mostly ignore some of the political rhetoric that takes place during their elections,B次元官网网址� Blair said at the summit Wednesday when asked about TrumpB次元官网网址檚 comments.

B次元官网网址淲e cannot be distracted from the importance of our collective responsibility to national security and national defence of our countries and of our alliances.B次元官网网址�

Canada should, in turn, judge the U.S. solely on the basis of its B次元官网网址渓ong history and track record of being there for global peace,B次元官网网址� he added.

Foreign Affairs Minister M茅lanie Joly said earlier this week that NATO is B次元官网网址渕ore united than everB次元官网网址� and that BlairB次元官网网址檚 trip would ensure Canada will B次元官网网址渃ontinue to have a strong voice at the table.B次元官网网址�

Canada currently has about 1,000 troops on the ground in Latvia and it expects to ramp up that number to 2,200 persistently deployed military members by 2026.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 15, 2024.

The Canadian Press