Quote:
Originally posted by smilingassassin
"The United States is Canada's defense so you would be pretty ignorant to not pay attention to American politics."
The United States is canada's defence because both country's have decided upon that arrangment, not because the U.S. TOLD us that thats the way it was going to be.
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That is perhaps one of the biggest myths out there, even believed by a vast majority of uniformed members on both sides of the border and both sides of the Atlantic.
First, ask yourself what military threats does Canada face? Today, none.
During the Cold War, the primary military threats were Soviet bombers and subs of which Canada was well equipped to handle. Air Command was expeted and capable of stopping the 1st Soviet bomber threat cold. It's the second and 3rd waves that the USAF would need to deal with (if it ever came to that, the ICBMs would already been launched). Maritime Command had the duty of protecting the sea lanes for REFORGER (Re-ENFORcement GERmany) and had ASW capabilities second to no one.
About the only threat we couldn't stopped are the ICBMs and even then, neither could the Americans. They relied on nuclear retalliation.
Even here, Canada had some cards to play. Canada was a nuclear power up until the mid 70s when Trudeau got us out of the nuke game. All three services had tac nukes (some under the dual key control (ie require American authorization)). CF-104 Starfighters primary role in CFB Lahrs, Germany was to rain nukes down on the Warsaw Pact.
I would like to put this in context. There is absolutely no doubt that the US carried a lion share of the defence burden and Canada could not have maintained even half her status without the US. Air Command is extremely reliant on NORAD and having access to facilities like TOP GUN to hone our pilots. Maritime Command is but a link in an American CVBG.
However, to say that Canada was reliant on the US for her defence is extremely misleading.