There are some major changes on the horizon for the Canadian Forces. Not only is there a new special operations unit—dubbed the Light Force—to support the newly formed special operations group, but there’s a new Canada Command, more soldiers, lots of new equipment and a new, bolder role in the world.

These changes are all a result of the new international policy statement, A Role Of Pride And Influence In The World—released by Paul Martin’s government in April. The statement blends together four distinct aspects of international relations—trade, aid, foreign policy and defence policy.

The defence policy section, though a mere 32 pages in length, is the first new set of guidelines for the Canadian Forces since the 1994 White Paper. What’s perhaps most surprising about the new policy is that it takes a tough, definitive stance on the global situation and lays out a strong, proactive role for the Canadian Forces.

“The world remains an unpredictable and perilous place, where threats to our well-being, our interests and our values persist. Failed and failing states dot the international landscape, creating despair and regional instability and providing a haven for those who would attack us directly. Global terrorism has become a deadly adversary, and Canadians are now, in some ways, more individually threatened than at any time during the Cold War.

“An increasingly interdependent world has tightened the links between international and domestic security, and developments abroad can affect the safety of Canadians in unprecedented ways. Today’s front lines stretch from the streets of Kabul to the rail lines of Madrid to our own Canadian cities,” the paper says. “Failed and failing states pose a dual challenge for Canada. In the first instance, the suffering that these situations create is an affront to Canadian values. Beyond this, they also plant the seeds of threats to regional and global security.”

As a result of this new threat environment, often referred to by Chief of Defence Staff General Rick Hillier as ‘a ball of snakes,’ there is a definite focus in the policy statement on counterterrorism and special operations forces.

The new Canada Command is being set up to facilitate both the defence of Canada and responses to domestic situations like floods or ice storms. As a part of this focus on domestic operations, the Joint Nuclear, Biological and Chemical defence company, based in Trenton, will also be expanded and strengthened.

On the operations side, the new special operations group will include a further enlarged Joint Task Force 2 counter-terrorism force, a new medium-lift helicopter capability and newly integrated land and maritime forces. The new military unit, called the Light Force, was also announced recently as a result of the policy statement.

The Light Force is a special operations force, equivalent to the United States Army Rangers, and it will operate both in support of JTF-2 and as an independent pathfinder unit. Details remain sketchy, but the unit will have about 600 members and it will be mainly deployed by helicopter and parachute. In principle, the unit is not unlike the disbanded Airborne Regiment.

According to the policy statement, after expanding by 8,000 members the Canadian Forces will be able to sustain deployments of up to 5,000 personnel on international operations. The navy is a key aspect of these future deployments. Not only will the navy ships, with their new maritime helicopters, be used to provide logistical support and command and control for the special operations and standing contingency task force, but the ships will also be acquiring new weapons to provide fire support and will be tasked with the deployment of tactical unmanned aerial vehicles.

With the exception of strategic lift aircraft, where the decision between rent or own has still not been made, the paper has received widespread support from the defence community.