Canada will add hundreds of new elite special forces commandos, wage offensive cyber warfare and deploy armed drones to international battlefields as part of its military response to global security threats.
The new defence review released today identifies a wide range of harrowing and borderless threats, including the ``grey zone'' of hybrid warfare, ever-present terrorism and climate change.
Some of Canada's military operations will include government-sanctioned cyber attacks and drone strikes on foreign threats, and an increased the role for special forces in overseas missions.
The review says this new, elite and futuristic approach to war fighting will respect domestic and international laws.
However, the very nature of the secrecy that envelops almost all of Canada's special forces, as well as the active expansion of fighting in cyberspace will likely raise questions about transparency and civil liberties.
The policy increases the ranks of special forces by 605 people and says they will get new airborne intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance tools.