Canada's Army Commander isn't mincing words. "The Army we have is not the Army we need," Lieutenant-General Michael Wright told the Canadian Army Podcast in early February, outlining a transformation plan that will fundamentally reshape how Canada's land forces are structured, equipped, and deployed.

In a wide-ranging 37-minute interview with Captain Adam Orton for the podcast's seventh season premiere, Wright laid out the challenges driving the modernization push and the solutions the Army is implementing to address them.

After years of contribution warfare—sending battalion-sized elements to allied operations—Wright says the Army must prepare for something bigger: large-scale combat operations at the divisional level. That means new weapons, new organizational structures, and new ways of operating.

Wright identified five major equipment priorities driving the modernization push, starting with the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS). The long-range precision strike capability—proven on Ukrainian battlefields—gives Canada something it's never had: the ability to engage targets at ranges exceeding 300 kilometers.

"It's the only existing long-range precision strike system that we can put onto the back of one of the RCAF's C-17 strategic airlift or C-130J Herc aircrafts and deploy it anywhere in Canada," Wright told the podcast, explicitly connecting the system to Arctic defence scenarios.

Ground-based air defence comes second, with the very short-range RBS-70 system already deployed to Latvia and short-range capabilities following soon. Both systems will also equip units in Canada for training and domestic deployments.

The Domestic Arctic Mobility Enhancement project will replace the 40-year-old BV-206 tracked vehicles that have provided Arctic mobility for decades. Wright noted Canada is pursuing this alongside Nordic allies Sweden and Finland, both dealing with similar Arctic operating environments.

Indirect Fire Modernization ranks fourth, replacing the towed M-777 howitzers—effective in Afghanistan but "not fit for the modern battlefield"—with self-propelled systems. The project also reintroduces 120mm mortars to mechanized infantry battalions and new 81mm mortars for light infantry.

The "plus one" priority is C5ISRT: Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Cyber, Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance, and Targeting. "We're getting a whole bunch of great kit, but if we're not able to integrate it into the targeting and intelligence enterprise, make sure that the kit that's operating in Shilo talks to the kit that's operating in Petawawa, then we're not going to get the full effectiveness," Wright explained in the podcast.

Beyond the big-ticket systems, Wright highlighted near-term improvements soldiers will notice. The Canadian Modular Assault Rifle (CMAR) will start rolling out in 2026—up to 30,000 rifles in two versions for infantry units and general service.

The Soldier Operational Clothing Equipment Modernization (SOCEM) program has already begun delivering Merino wool base layers, with puffy jackets and new load carriage equipment following. Wright promised helmets and ballistic vests sized for "every shape and size of soldier in the army."

"I never thought that I would spend so much time talking about long underwear," Wright told Orton, but emphasized the importance of providing kit that soldiers have been buying privately for years.

The biggest organizational shift moves from four geographically-based divisions to three task-oriented divisions plus a refreshed training command.

The Defence of Canada Division, headquartered in Montreal, consolidates domestic operations, Arctic Response Company Groups, and all five Canadian Ranger Patrol Groups under single command. It will also lead the Army's contribution to integrated air and missile defence.

The Manoeuvre Division, based in Edmonton, groups the three Regular Force mechanized brigades with new formations: a light infantry regiment combining the third battalions from each brigade, a fires brigade built around HIMARS and self-propelled howitzers, and—for the first time in recent history—a sustainment brigade.

The Canadian Army Support Division centralizes logistics and base support under Kingston headquarters while maintaining regional execution in Edmonton, Ontario/New Brunswick, and Quebec.

The shift to divisional operations represents the most significant doctrinal change since the Cold War. Canada hasn't exercised at division level since 1992 and hasn't fought at that scale since World War II.

"It's the division level that will allow Canada to get away from pure contribution warfare," Wright said in the podcast. "It's the division level that we need to operate at in order to respond to crises at scale. But it's also the division level that allows us to have national agency, national credibility, and national sovereignty."

Wright acknowledged the challenge: "This is not a small lift. This is a major undertaking." But he pointed to similar transformations by allies like Australia and the United Kingdom as proof it's achievable.

The transition to the new structure happens in summer 2026, with all Level 2 formations—divisions and the doctrine command—required to operate in both English and French from day one.

For soldiers wondering how this affects them, Wright's advice was direct: "Concentrate on what they can influence." Be excellent at your job, stay professional, maintain mental and physical resilience.

"What I need to do is continue making the arguments for why we need to make those investments in the Canadian Army," he told the podcast. "But I need the soldiers of the Canadian Army to continue to be our best ambassadors by going out and every day, making sure they're excellent at their job."

The Army we need is taking shape. Whether the defence industrial base can deliver on schedule—and whether DND can actually spend the money effectively—remains the billion-dollar question.

Article Source Note: This article is based on Lieutenant-General Michael Wright's interview on the Canadian Army Podcast, Season 7 Episode 1, published February 4, 2026.