The Canadian military has developed a theoretical model for how it would combat an American invasion, envisioning mujahideen-style insurgency tactics and other forms of unconventional warfare, according to the Globe and Mail.
While Canadian officials told the outlet that such a scenario is “unlikely,” the move reflects growing tensions between the two neighbors, with President Donald Trump having repeatedly floated the idea of making Canada the 51st US state. On Monday, he shared an edited photo depicting both Canada and Greenland as American territories.
“The Canadian Armed Forces have modelled a hypothetical US military invasion of Canada and the country’s potential response,” the Globe and Mail reported on Tuesday, citing two unnamed senior officials.
It added that the model “includes tactics similar to those employed against Russia and later US-led forces in Afghanistan,” which would aim to “impose mass casualties on US occupying forces.”
In the event of an attack, Canadian military planners believe US troops could overrun the country’s strategic positions both on land and at sea in as little as two days, the senior officials said. The model therefore proposes various types of “unconventional warfare,” including “ambushes, sabotage, drone warfare or hit-and-run tactics” by small groups of Canadian soldiers or “armed civilians.”
The new military modelling comes as the Trump administration steps up its threats toward Greenland – even hinting that it could seize the territory by force. Ottawa is now reportedly considering sending troops to Greenland, where several European states have deployed soldiers for military drills in an apparent warning to Washington.
Responding to recent comments by Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney – who indirectly suggested the US president was causing a geopolitical “rupture” – Trump insisted Ottawa should be “grateful” for its relationship with the United States.
“Canada gets a lot of freebies from us, by the way. They should be grateful, also, but they’re not. I watched your prime minister yesterday. He wasn’t so grateful,” he said. “Canada lives by the United States. Remember that, Mark, next time you make your statements.”
Even as Canada’s military considers a hypothetical US invasion, one of the senior officials told Globe and Mail that relations between the two countries “remain positive,” noting that joint work continues on the proposed “Golden Dome” missile defense shield. However, Trump has argued that acquiring Greenland is vital to that project, a move that Canada opposes.
“We’re concerned about this escalation, to be absolutely clear… we always will support sovereignty and territorial integrity of countries, wherever their geographic location is,” Carney told reporters over the weekend.
