HALIFAX - Canada's military can carry its current workload in Afghanistan, Haiti and the upcoming Vancouver Olympics, Defence Minister Peter MacKay said Monday.
MacKay, speaking after a funding announcement in Halifax, said there's no doubt the military is currently "firing on all cylinders" and is operating at a "very high tempo."
But he added that the question remains, "For how long?"
MacKay didn't answer his own question, but he said the military is adept at planning for contingencies and is now flexible in its ability to respond to international crises because of newer equipment such as the C-17 heavy-lift aircraft.
Meanwhile, he said there has been no cap placed on the length of the mission to earthquake-ravaged Haiti, where up to 2,000 Canadian military personnel will be deployed.
"That appears to foot the bill in terms of the need currently" said MacKay. "We still have some soldiers to deploy from CFB Valcartier, but the numbers there on the ground are sufficient to the work that we are doing."
Canada has over 2,500 troops in Afghanistan and another 4,000 are expected to support security efforts at next month's Olympic Games.
MacKay said many reserve units have stepped forward to bolster the ranks.
"They have really stepped up during this time both for the Afghanistan mission, but in particular to Haiti as well," MacKay said.
According to military figures about 90,000 regular force and reserve personnel comprise the ranks of the Canadian Forces.
In Afghanistan, about 20 per cent of the troop strength comes from reservists.
