The Auditor General of Canada has reported that the current $11.2 billion defense budget (this is Canadian dollars equal to $7.4 billion US dollars) is $750 million (Canadian dollars) short of the amount needed to maintain readiness and replace equipment as it wears out. The Auditor General says that the government will have to make hard choices, either increase the budget, reduce the size of the military, or reduce the readiness level of many units.--Stephen V Cole