General Jennie Carignan explores how the war in Ukraine is forcing Western militaries to abandon peacetime procurement and embrace a culture of constant innovation.

The End of the Peacetime Luxury

For decades, Western militaries operated under the luxury of a peacetime industrial complex. We had the time to spend ten years defining requirements, building prototypes, and slowly integrating new hardware. In this environment, we could predict exactly how much ammunition we would need and when we would need it. That era is over. The conflict in Ukraine has demonstrated that by the time a new capability is fielded under traditional procurement timelines, it is already obsolete. The battlefield now moves at the speed of software updates and rapid-cycle engineering.

To meet this challenge, we must transform how we interact with the defense industry. Canada’s new defense investment strategy is a response to this urgency. It acknowledges that we need an ecosystem that supports innovation through every stage—from providing the banking and capital necessary for startups to build prototypes, to creating innovation hubs where researchers and soldiers work side-by-side. We are moving toward a model where we field equipment earlier, test it in the field, and have the next version ready for production before the first has even finished its run.

The Constant Cycle of Learning

One of the most striking aspects of the current fight in Ukraine is the sheer pace of tactical adaptation. There is no such thing as a 'silver bullet' in modern war. An advantage gained through a new drone technology or electronic warfare tactic might only last three or four months before the adversary learns to counter it. This requires a mindset of constant combativeness and creativity. Our Ukrainian partners have been incredibly generous in sharing these lessons, allowing us to integrate their real-time experiences into our own military transformation.

This adaptation isn't just about high-tech sensors; it is also about the fundamentals of survival. We have focused heavily on the 'golden hour'—the critical window for medical stabilization and evacuation that preserves a fighting force. Similarly, the demand for specialist engineer training in mine warfare remains paramount. Even as the nature of the war shifts away from heavy armor toward drone-dominated landscapes, the ability to stabilize casualties and navigate lethal terrain remains the bedrock of operational success.

Defense as a National Endeavor

A critical lesson from Ukraine is that a military cannot prosecute a war in isolation; it requires the full backing of the nation. When missiles fall on cities, the defense of the state falls not just to soldiers, but to firefighters, medical professionals, and the technicians who keep the electricity running. This 'whole-of-society' model is something we are studying closely in Canada, looking at successful examples in Finland and Sweden. It is about being prepared without being alarmed, ensuring that the strategic reserve of a nation is organized and ready to respond to a crisis.

This extends to the realm of hybrid warfare, where the threats are often coercive rather than kinetic. Protecting a nation from disinformation, interference, and cyber threats requires a multi-disciplinary approach. In Canada, this means integrating the Coast Guard, intelligence agencies, and police forces into a unified defense team. Whether it is illegal fishing or foreign interference in the information space, these hybrid threats demand a diverse set of tools that go far beyond what a traditional army provides.

The Architecture of Trust

At the core of any successful military operation is a relationship of trust. This is true on two levels: the trust between allied nations and the trust within a single unit. Canada’s long-standing presence in Ukraine since 2015, primarily through Operation Unifier, has built a deep bond. Having trained over 47,000 Ukrainian personnel, we see that the most effective support is that which is responsive to the partner's specific, evolving demands. This flexibility is what allows a military partnership to endure through watershed moments like the 2022 invasion.

Internally, trust is built through organizational culture. Strong teams cannot function in difficult circumstances if they are plagued by misconduct or systemic barriers. We have seen a significant shift in Ukraine, where women are now being actively recruited into roles like combat engineering and de-mining—fields they were previously discouraged from entering. In Canada, we continue to work on removing the 'deficit in positivity' that women often face when entering the military. If we want the best talent, we must ensure that the path to leadership is based on capability and that our culture supports every member of the team.

Preparing for the Long Run

As we look toward the future, our commitment must be for the long run. Even when peace comes, the task will not be finished; it will simply change. We will need to reframe how and where we train to meet the new security reality of Europe and the Arctic. The goal is to build a military that is not only well-stocked but also inherently agile. By stockpiling priority items and maintaining the industrial capacity to scale production rapidly, we create the best possible guarantee against future conflict.

The fight in Ukraine is about more than territory; it is about the security of the global democratic order. For Canada, seeing Russia from our northern border makes this a matter of direct national interest. By learning from the innovation, endurance, and courage of the Ukrainian people, we are not just helping a partner; we are transforming our own forces to be ready for the complexities of a new era of warfare.