New strategy outlines ‘ambitious’ defence readiness objective months after downgrading air fleet target

National Defence's most recent departmental plans reduced the readiness target for the air fleet to 70 per cent, down from 85 per cent. The new Defence Industrial Strategy has reversed that decrease just eight months later.

Defence Minister David McGuinty faces a tough task to rectify long-standing readiness short-comings for the military's fleets. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

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BY NEIL MOSS

February 19, 2026

Eight months after downgrading the air fleet readiness target, the Liberal government’s Defence Industrial Strategy is promising new ambitious goals for serviceability in the next 10 years.

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