Analysis: NATO’s Race Against Time as Senior Commander Warns Alliance Must Adapt Faster to Deter Russia | CBC

A warning about delay

Vandier says his central concern is that NATO could be caught unprepared as military technology advances. He said delayed decisions, uncommitted funding and outdated processes keep him awake at night.

The 32-member alliance faces this challenge as Russia’s war against Ukraine nears its fifth anniversary. European governments are also confronting sabotage, cyberattacks and drone incursions along NATO’s eastern flank, while Western countries work to restore defence production lines reduced after the Cold War.

“Time is not our friend,” Vandier said, describing the changing strategic timetable. He said the agenda is being set by the other side.

Russian forces are changing

Despite severe casualties and equipment losses, the Russian military has adapted during the war, Vandier said. He pointed to faster, jet-powered attack drones that have made it harder for Ukraine to protect cities and critical infrastructure.

A Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies study said Russian military institutions reward loyalty over competence and noted Moscow’s reliance on military help from China, Iran and North Korea. A United Kingdom-based International Institute for Strategic Studies assessment described Russia rebuilding inventories, expanding units and reorganizing forces near NATO territory.

Production is the central challenge

Vandier said the key issue is industrial capacity, not just the number of weapons currently available. Russia can produce large quantities of relatively inexpensive drones and missiles, exposing limits in Western industries geared toward smaller runs of advanced weapons.

He said NATO needs to make weapons rapidly and in large quantities, rather than focus only on highly sophisticated systems produced in limited numbers. Vandier also cautioned that the conflict cannot be assumed to be a crisis lasting only a few weeks.

Canada’s defence commitments

Reports about shortages of high-end weapons systems have also emerged during the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran. Vandier’s concerns come as Western governments try to rebuild military capabilities and industrial output.