For the first time in more than 100 years, the Canadian military is modeling its response to a hypothetical US invasion as tensions rise between President Donald Trump's administration and NATO allies, according to a new report.
The model outlines the Canadian Armed Forces' multi-pronged strategy to counter a potential US military invasion, the Telegraph reports.
It includes plans to use asymmetric tactics, drone warfare and requests for European support, according to two senior Canadian officials who spoke to The Globe and Mail.
The model is purely theoretical and precautionary, with officials stressing that a U.S. invasion is unlikely. However, it illustrates the extent to which relations between the two nations — longtime allies and important trading partners — have deteriorated over the past year.
To this point, a poll conducted this summer found that a majority of Canadians now see the US as their country's biggest threat.
Since taking office last January, Trump has repeatedly expressed his desire to annex Canada, which he has described on many occasions as the "51st state."
And in recent weeks, he has reportedly turned his attention back to Canada, fixating on the country's "vulnerability" to foreign adversaries in its Arctic regions.
At the same time, the 79-year-old president has made clear his desire to take control of Greenland, a territory of the Kingdom of Denmark, another NATO ally.
The White House, which says it needs Greenland for national security purposes, sees several options for achieving this goal, including the use of military force.
Trump's efforts have alarmed NATO partners, including France and Germany, and led them to deploy troops to Greenland. Canadian officials are also considering sending forces to the Arctic island.
"On Arctic sovereignty, we stand firmly with Greenland and Denmark and fully support their unique right to determine the future of Greenland," Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said in Switzerland on Tuesday.
Last week, he pledged to strengthen ties with China and create a "new world order" - underlining the apparent decline of the US-led alliance system.
The Canadian military model predicts that an American invasion would begin in the south, with the Americans moving at lightning speed to seize strategic assets.
Canadian forces do not have enough soldiers or equipment to repel a conventional attack, so they would rely on "unconventional warfare," which would include sabotage, ambushes and drone warfare, The Globe and Mail reported.
An official said the design was inspired by the Mujahideen, a group of guerrilla fighters in Afghanistan who fought the Russians in the Soviet-Afghan War using "hit and run" tactics.
"The goal of such tactics would be to impose massive casualties on the American occupying forces," the official said.
If the US attacks, the Canadian government would likely seek help from other nuclear powers, including France and the United Kingdom.
"You know, if you come after Canada, you'll have the world coming after you, even more than Greenland. People care about what happens to Canada, unlike Venezuela," said retired Major General David Fraser, who led Canadian troops in Afghanistan.
"You can see German ships and British planes in Canada to reinforce the country's sovereignty," he added.
However, an official said relations between the Canadian and U.S. military forces remain positive. This week, the two countries worked together on a NORAD exercise in Greenland.
And retired General Mike Day, who headed the Canadian Special Forces Command, told The Globe and Mail that it is "imaginary" to believe that the Americans would launch an invasion of Canada.
Others, however, stressed that strengthening Canadian defenses and developing plans would help deter the threat of invasion - even if it is minimal.
"The better that Canada embraces this approach to homeland defense," said Aisha Ahmad of the University of Toronto, "the less likely it is that all these horrible scenarios that no one wants will ever happen." /Telegraph
