Modernizing Canada’s Missile Arsenal

BY RICHARD NGHIEM

In the US-led alliance system that emerged after the collapse of the Soviet Union, Washington and its allies have each performed different roles that prioritize certain types of military capabilities. America’s European security partners, for example, have generally focused their attention and resources on defensive, denial-based strategies through which they seek to delay, disrupt and, if possible, defeat potential attacks against their territorial sovereignty. Given the land-centric nature of the theatre, NATO’s collective defence strategy consequently rests primarily on anti-tank weapons, precision-guided rockets, mines, short-range anti-air missiles, small arms, and a viable nuclear deterrent. The vast maritime stretches of the Western Pacific, on the other hand, requires Washington’s Asian allies to employ a vastly different deterrence-by-denial approach, focused on anti-surface warfare (including air-launched missiles and land-based anti-ship cruise missiles), anti-aircraft systems, air defence destroyers and cruisers, ballistic missile defence, robust counter-strike capabilities, and amphibious assault forces to seize and defend strategic islands.

More importantly, as the final piece of this “hub-and-spokes” system, the United States, backed by its immense military power, amplifies these nations’ security efforts through the forward deployment of ground, air, and naval units as well as critical command, logistics, and intelligence support. It also provides strategic coverage via its nuclear umbrella and conventional long-range strike assets, capable of engaging targets at operational and strategic depth. As demonstrated by its February 2024 B-1 bomber airstrikes against Iranian-aligned militia groups in Iraq and Syria and its B-2 Spirit and Tomahawk missile strikes in Yemen this year, the US military can not only deliver enormous amounts of conventional firepower at will in support of its allies, but also decisively defeat hostile aggressors and project power anywhere around the world, regardless of distance.

US ISOLATIONISM

Having said that, these alliance divisions of labor between the United States and its allies are growing increasingly outdated. With Washington’s recent shift towards offshore balancing as its new grand strategy and gradual withdrawal from the world stage, America’s allies are now scrambling to modernize their militaries, address key defence capability gaps, and shore up their own capacity for deep strike. This offensive build-up is front and centre in Asia with Japan’s rapid remilitarization and prioritization of robust counterstrike capabilities along with South Korea’s Kill Chain preemptive strike system and Massive Punishment and Retaliation Plan being clear examples of defence posture realignment. Furthermore, NATO members in Europe are also quickly rearming. France, Germany, Italy, and Poland have launched the European Long-Range Strike Approach to develop a European-made land-based cruise missile with an alleged range between 1,000 and 2,000 km that should be available by the 2030s to bolster its strike warfare capabilities and ensure better burden-sharing within the alliance.

However, one key country remains absent from all of these efforts: Canada. Ottawa has not made a single investment related to improving its long-range weapons arsenal. The Department of National Defence (DND), to make matters worse, has almost completely divested all the Canadian Armed Forces’ (CAF) deep-strike assets since the end of the Cold War as it expected that the military would operate primarily in permissive environments with the US Air Force having already achieved complete air superiority. As a result, Canada, in recent decades, has mainly prioritized the acquisition of precision-guided bombs and short-range missiles to be used against irregular insurgents in populated areas, unfortunately causing its armed forces to be completely unprepared for a potential high-intensity conventional conflict.

DETERRENCE BY LONG-RANGE STRIKE

The CAF, in response to this massive capability shortfall, needs to be willing to radically alter its munition procurement orders to be able to conduct operations at the higher end of the conflict spectrum. Specifically, it needs capabilities that can cut through advanced anti-access/area denial defences (A2/AD), such as stealthy, long-range air-to-ground systems, as well as ground- and sea-launched missiles with stand-off ranges that can effectively target enemy radar installations, command and control networks, logistics nodes, staging areas, and munition depots. By attacking and destroying these strategic rear aim-points, Canada would be able to severely degrade an adversary’s ability to execute basic war-fighting functions. These include conducting troop maneuvers and large-scale combined arms operations, maintaining inter-unit communications as well as supply lines, and deploying fresh reinforcements.

The acquisition of such a robust offensive strike capability, designed to raise the cost of salami tactics (that is, limited, small-scale aggressions intended to avoid escalation) that are frequently employed by Russia and China, will not only reinforce deterrence by complicating an enemy’s strategic calculations, but also enable the Canadian military to degrade or dismantle its A2/AD zones in the event of a conflict, and allow for a more permissive environment for allied reinforcements to arrive. Consequently, it is imperative that Ottawa immediately make substantial investments to quickly grow the armed forces’ long-range weapons arsenal and fulfill the Defence Policy Update’s (DPU’s) key objectives of acquiring “long-range missile capabilities for the Canadian Army to enable our forces to shoot at greater ranges than our adversaries in combat” and providing the RCN and RCAF with the “striking power they need to deter threats at an appropriate distance.”

AIR-LAUNCHED –
MAKO HYPERSONIC MISSILE

Diving into specific munitions, with regards to the latter goal of properly arming the RCAF for the 21st century, the Canadian government must make every effort to procure Lockheed Martin’s newly unveiled Mako. It is not only the world’s first air-launched hypersonic stand-in attack missile designed to be carried internally by stealth fighters like the F-35, but also a true maneuvering hypersonic glide vehicle that is fully capable of executing maritime strike, counter-air defence, and various surface-attack operations. It also specializes in countering and destroying key elements of A2/AD defence networks, including high-value and time-sensitive targets such as mobile air defence radar platforms, surface-to-air missile systems, air warfare destroyers, and land-based anti-ship missile batteries.

To conduct such attacks, the Mako leverages its unique combination of both high speed and maneuverability along with its advanced multi-mode guidance suite, consisting of an anti-radiation seeker, Global Positioning System (GPS)-assisted Inertial Navigation System (INS), and a millimeter-wave radar seeker, to enable it to penetrate even the most extensive and sophisticated A2/AD air-defence ‘bubbles’ and rapidly strike key strategic targets 355 km away in under 3 minutes. This unique approach to weapon guidance can also allow the Stand-in Attack Weapon (SiAW) to spot and hunt down targeting radar arrays, closing with their radar broadcast via the anti-radiation seeker.

Even if the array is powered down, or even on the move, the Mako can continue to close the distance with it anyway, thanks to the SiAW’s onboard guidance and radar systems. Given these speeds, operational ranges, and various targeting systems, enemy air defence assets would face a massive challenge in calculating trajectories and launching interceptors capable of engaging these missiles before they reach their targets.

AGM-158 JASSM-XR

While having the capability to conduct high-speed airstrikes against high-value, time-sensitive targets inside heavily contested A2/AD zones is absolutely a critical asset to have, the RCAF must also be able to complement these attacks with long-range stand-off strikes as well to effectively overwhelm enemy integrated air defence systems. To achieve this, DND must purchase Lockheed Martin’s AGM-158 JASSM-XR, an extended-range version of the Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile (JASSM) family, that is capable of striking enemy targets more than 1,800 km away.

The AGM-158 JASSM saw its first combat use in April 2018 as part of America’s missile strikes against Syria’s Barzah Research Development Center, during which 19 JASSM missiles were launched from two B-1 bombers. All 19 of these precision-guided munitions successfully hit their targets, destroying the facility. This, however, was not the only time that the JASSM was deployed in combat. On October 27, 2019, multiple JASSM-ER missiles were also used in the operation against ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi to completely level the compound where the raid took place, demonstrating the missile’s capability in high-profile military operations. Additionally, during the US’ recent sustained air campaign in Yemen, code-named Operation Rough Rider, AGM-158 JASSM-ER missiles were responsible for eliminating at least 20 high-value Houthi rebel assets.

To explain the successful combat history of the JASSM family of missiles, one must examine its many critical characteristics that makes it unique, including its low-observable trapezoidal cross-section, radar-absorbent coatings, reduced infrared and electromagnetic signature, and extreme range. Such stealthy features, coupled with the missile’s advanced guidance systems such as new GPS receivers, INS, infra-red sensors, and weapons data links (WDL), enable it to penetrate deep into the densest of anti-air umbrellas at a speed of Mach 0.7, completely undetected by advanced systems such as the S-400 mobile, long-range, surface-to-air missile (SAM) system developed by Russia. With regards to the latter task, the JASSM-XR’s new WDL is extremely effective at enabling course corrections post-launch, a vital feature for engaging higher-priority road-mobile and maritime targets, both of which are extremely prevalent in the Indo-Pacific, with China’s mobile DF-26 missile launchers and Type 055 Renhai destroyers being prime examples.

Besides its WDL, the AGM-158 JASSM-XR also differs a little from the JASSM and JASSM-ER in terms of its size as it is larger, allowing for additional fuel and a warhead weighing approximately 1,000 pounds. These different specifications are what enable the JASSM-XR to strike from greater distances which is extremely beneficial from an operational perspective as it could potentially lessen logistical requirements for aerial-refuelling of strike aircraft like the F-35 and increase the pace of air combat sorties. In addition to extra fuel, its heavier warhead also enables the JASSM-XR to be the optimal air vehicle to carry the Counter-electronics High Power Microwave Advanced Missile Project (CHAMP) payload. CHAMP is an electronic warfare technology that fries electronic equipment with bursts of high-power microwave energy, non-kinetically destroying them. This technology is extremely valuable in terms of degrading enemy A2/AD defence networks. CHAMP is capable of up to 100 shots per sortie, incapacitating or damaging strategically important electronic systems like early warning radars or integrated air defence systems.

JOINT STRIKE MISSILE

Having already examined two US-made long-range munitions, this article will now look at other viable weapons systems on the international market. This global procurement approach is increasingly important given the current economic and political tensions between Ottawa and Washington and growing questions regarding the reliability of the US as a credible military partner. As a result, while American-made air-launched cruise missiles are arguably the best in the world, the RCAF must also take into consideration non-US precision guided munitions to not only enhance its offensive arsenal, but also reduce its reliance on American defence companies. A prime candidate is Kongsberg’s Joint Strike Missile (JSM), a long-range, precision-guided, stand-off munition, which can be used for land-attack and maritime strike operations. Compared to the JASSM-XR, it features a shorter 300+ km range and a smaller 120 kg dual-effect warhead, but can travel at a higher subsonic cruise speed near Mach 0.9. Additionally, the missile can be carried internally by the F-35, maintaining the aircraft’s low observability, a key advantage that the RCAF should take into account.

Despite these differences, the JSM is similar to the JASSM-XR in that it features a stealth-optimized airframe, primarily constructed from radar-absorbent composite materials, to minimize its radar cross-section. Upon release, both weapons deploy folding wings and tail control surfaces to enhance aerodynamic stability and provide the agility necessary for evasive maneuvers during flight. They can also fly at extremely low sea-skimming altitudes or follow terrain contours, presenting a very low radar signature and maximizing the likelihood of successful penetration of defended areas.

In terms of navigation, the JSM integrates a comprehensive multi-mode guidance system designed for precision engagement, composed of an integrated GPS and INS, providing high-accuracy positioning. During the terminal phase, the missile transitions to an Imaging Infrared (IIR) seeker, allowing the missile to autonomously identify, classify, and engage specific targets based on stored target imagery. The seeker works passively, which makes it immune to radio frequency jamming and detection. The JSM also features passive RF homing capabilities for attacking radar-emitting threats while a two-way data link provides real-time updates and mission re-tasking, supporting course changes in flight to avoid known enemy air defence bubbles. These features together ensure high survivability and precision and gives the missile multiple additional ways to get to its target even in challenging, GPS-denied, or contested electronic warfare environments– something that the war in Ukraine has shown is an ever-more likely possibility in future conflicts.

TAURUS

Besides Kongsberg’s JSM, another potential candidate is the Taurus KEPD 350. Developed through a joint venture between Germany’s MBDA Deutschland and Sweden’s Saab Dynamics, the Taurus is an air-launched cruise missile, capable of engaging high-value land and maritime targets at ranges exceeding 500 km and a speed of Mach 0.95. Equipped with a guidance system combining INS, GPS, terrain-contour matching, and terminal infrared homing and radar-guided seekers, it can ensure high-precision targeting even in GPS-denied environments and mission success in terms of destroying highly protected targets. Such aim points include hardened bunkers; command, control, and communications facilities; airfield and port facilities; ammunition storage facilities; ships in port or at sea; and strategic bridges.

To effectively execute this land and maritime attack mission, the Taurus carries a 481-kilogram tandem MEPHISTO warhead, designed to breach hardened structures through a pre-charge followed by a main penetrator charge. This warhead features layer-counting and void-sensing technologies, enabling detonation at optimal points within buried or fortified targets.

The Taurus KEPD 350 also incorporates several stealth features to reduce its radar cross-section and avoid detection by enemy air defences. These features include a low-profile airframe, radar-absorbent materials, and an engine exhaust design that minimizes heat emissions, all of which help the missile evade both radar and infrared detection systems. Collectively, these features make the Taurus a highly capable system for standoff operations in high-threat scenarios.

Lastly, in terms of interoperability, the missile can be integrated into multiple aircraft platforms, including the Tornado, Eurofighter Typhoon, F/A-18 Hornet, F-15K along with new jets such as the F-35A Joint Strike Fighter, which will soon be the backbone of the RCAF’s fighter fleet. That said, if Ottawa decides to procure this weapon instead of the JASSM-XR to reduce its reliance on the US, it is important to note that this would require cooperation by Lockheed Martin, which may not be willing to integrate a competitor’s weapon system on its own platform.

SEA-LAUNCHED –
LRASM

Moving on from the air-domain to the maritime domain, the RCN must immediately expedite its efforts to bolster the anti-ship capabilities of its fleet, especially when taking into account China’s rapid build up in terms of modern principal surface combatants. A key focus of this effort must be the integration of Lockheed Martin’s AGM-158C Long-Range Anti-Ship Missile (LRASM), which has already been tested in the Mk 41 naval vertical launch system (VLS) which will be installed on the RCN’s future River-Class Destroyers. In terms of what it offers for maritime attack, it has a 1,000 pound penetrator and blast-fragmentation warhead and a range exceeding 370 km at high-subsonic speeds.

However, what really sets this missile apart from others is its state-of-the-art sensor suite, guidance systems, along with its attack procedure. This AI-enabled precision-guided munition includes an IIR seeker optimized for spotting, classifying, and precisely attacking vessels, as well as a high-speed secure tactical data link for communicating in a networked battle-space with other LRASMs, receiving in-flight target updates, and providing cooperative swarming capabilities that can react to their environment and allow the missiles to autonomously work together to prosecute a target set or mission. It also leverages multi-mode sensors, INS, weapon data links, and an enhanced digital anti-jam GPS to detect and identify selected high-value maritime surface threats such as aircraft carriers, troop transport ships, and guided-missile cruisers, within groups of ships, and navigate semi-autonomously to the target, delivering a precise payload from safe, standoff ranges.

Finally, with regards to its attack procedure or method of attack, the LRASM initially flies towards its target at medium altitude, using planned routing, and if necessary, leverages autonomous routing to circumvent identified air defence pop-up threats and air defence bubbles. Upon detecting its aim point, the missile descends to terminal altitude below radar coverage for a sea skimming approach. Featuring a stealth-optimized airframe, it then penetrates the enemy fleet’s collective advanced integrated air-defence system before communicating with other LRASMs about target ship assignments and designating a “desired mean point of impact”.

Upon final approach, it leverages its counter-countermeasures to counteract the enemy ship’s defences before finally hitting the ship. Overall, given these impressive capabilities, this highly sophisticated anti-ship system will become an integral addition to the RCN’s arsenal as it provides range, survivability, and lethality that no other current system can offer.

SM-6

Having said that, a complementary missile, like the SM-6 should also be procured. The SM-6 is a highly versatile multi-mission missile system, developed by Raytheon, that can not only be used for anti-air warfare, ballistic missile defence, hypersonic threat interceptions, and land-attack operations, but also serve as a high-speed anti-ship missile to perform strike missions, supporting the fleet’s operational pursuit of sea control. This multi-purpose missile with a tri-mission capability, if purchased, would undoubtedly present unique opportunities for the RCN, as it can enable more efficient and flexible weapon loadouts onboard its future River-Class Destroyers, which is, as currently designed, short on VLS cells.

Being able to call upon the SM-6 as a back-up anti-ship weapon would also greatly diversify the RCN’s maritime attack arsenal as the fleet would now have an AI-enabled GPS-independent strike option in the LRASM, a supersonic option with the SM-6, and a subsonic choice in terms of the traditional Harpoon missile. Furthermore, while the Harpoon Block II can hit targets 75 miles away, the SM-6 offers a weapons engagement envelope six times greater with a range of 460 km. Some defence analysts, in response, will undoubtedly point out that the SM-6’s warhead is not optimized for surface attack, but at the same time overlook its tremendous speed. The high speed of this weapon — in excess of Mach 3 — would more than compensate for its warhead deficiency and instead enhance its lethality considerably, especially since it is coupled with a blast-fragmentation warhead. Its guidance system — an active radar seeker with a datalink for midcourse guidance updates combined with a GPS/inertial navigation system — is also ideal for a moving target like a warship.

GROUND BASED MISSILES –
ATACMS

Lastly, with the war in Ukraine clearly demonstrating the immense value and importance of long-range precision fires and Ottawa aiming to become a prominent leader in NATO by fielding a full combat brigade in Latvia, the Canadian Army desperately needs a ground-based ballistic missile capability to support its armoured, mechanized infantry, and light infantry units with long-range fires and to extend the effective range of its artillery. Capable of reaching their targets with significantly reduced flight times and achieving high-supersonic, if not hypersonic speeds in their terminal phase of flight, ground-based ballistic missiles are particularly well-suited for striking hardened and/or time-sensitive threats. They are also very challenging to intercept and otherwise give opponents limited time to react in any way.

These operational characteristics and advantages have been clearly showcased by the deployment of US-donated ATACMS in the war in Ukraine which have also more than demonstrated their worth on the Ukrainian battlefield. The acronym ATACMS stands for Army Tactical Missile System. These are long-range, guided missiles that can be fired from various systems like the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) and the M270 launchers. The ATACMS is developed and manufactured by Lockheed Martin. These missiles have enabled the Ukrainian army to maintain a more proactive defence by conducting deep strikes against air bases inside of Russia to force the Russian air force to operate more at stand-off distances, thereby denying them air superiority over the battlefield, but also been used to systematically destroy Russian logistics nodes, command and control centres, and munition depots to delay or even outright halt Russian offensive operations.

PrSMs

Recognizing this critical need for new long-range missile capabilities, the Canadian government should immediately purchase a large batch of Lockheed Martin’s next-generation surface-to-surface Precision Strike Missiles (PrSMs). These munitions are designed not only to be fired from the well-renowned M142 HIMARS, but to neutralize, suppress and destroy key, strategic targets more than 500 km away. Such aim points include air defence systems, mobile missile launchers, command and control centres, troop assembly/staging areas, and other high-payoff targets at all possible depths of the multi-domain battlefield.

Developed as the successor to the US Army’s ATACMS ballistic strike missile, the PrSM also possesses improved accuracy with GPS and anti-jamming capabilities along with the ability to carry more missiles per pod. Future upgrades in the pipeline additionally include an active multi-mode seeker head that can target moving vessels more than 1,000 km away, making the PrSM a true Land-Based Anti-Ship Missile (LBASM) system when fired from the 6×6 HIMARS.

The PrSM will soon be deployable on the Autonomous Multi-Domain Launcher (AML), an unmanned missile platform capable of autonomous and leader-follower navigation, as well as remote fire control operations. The ability to deploy, maneuver and fire anti-ship ballistic missiles from the launcher remotely with no risk to Canadian troops would be a considerable asset for the Canadian Army.

SUSTAINED INACTION IN A
RAPIDLY CHANGING WORLD

Overall, with America’s gradual shift towards offshore balancing and withdrawal from the world stage, European and Asian capitals are currently rethinking what taking responsibility for their conventional deterrence and defence looks like in practice and are adjusting their military spending accordingly.

A plan proposed by CAF senior leadership in March of this year to purchase $5 billion worth of HIMARS launchers and munitions, potentially including PrSMs, generated a great deal of optimism among defence circles. However, in recent months, this proposal has been put under review just like the F-35 as Ottawa seeks to find non-US alternatives to these platforms due to political and economic tensions with Washington. As a result, while DND added deep precision strike to its capability priority list in its recent DPU, a concrete investment with regards to deep-strike weaponry or a ground-based ballistic missile capability still seems to be a far-fetched dream. Such an acquisition will likely take years or even decades to complete. Ultimately, only concrete implementation will determine whether alliance divisions of labor will finally shift at last.

Richard Nghiem is a Regular CDR Contributor