AEW&C REPORT – Arctic Overwatch
We delved into the importance of these AEW&C aircraft and explore some of the best options available to Canada.
Reports & Features
2025 Cyber Report: The Stakes Get Higher
CDR tackled this topic with the help of Major General Dave Yarker, Commander of the CAFCYBERCOM, plus some key experts from Canada’s defence IT industry.
ITB Offset Management – Defence Procurement
ITB Offset Management: CDR recently spoke with Stephanie Batstone and Leigha Cotton, Managing Partners at NyRad, a professional services firm specializing in defence procurement, to get their opinion on how they believe Canada’s ITB policy can be improved.
IDEaS That Work: DND/CAF’s Innovation for Defence Excellence and Security program
IDEaS That Work: DND investing over $1billion in innovations for defence and security over 20 years. In other words, IDEaS is helping to fund ideas for solving DND/CAF’s technological challenges!
Reshaping CANSOFCOM
CANSOFCOM: Out-of-the-box’ ideas on how CANSOFCOM can expand its capabilities and maintain its strategic and operational relevancy.
Planet Labs: Space & Communications
Planet Labs is ready to support the CAF with near real-time monitoring of the nation’s extensive coastlines and vast arctic region.
Attack on Iran Highlights Need for Canada to Increase its Firepower
Tomahawk has revolutionized modern naval warfare, offering pinpoint precision and long-range strike capability.
Carney Commits to Hitting NATO 2% Target This Year
Prime Minister Mark Carney says Canada will hit its 2% GDP NATO spending target this year. The federal government will also write the Defence Industrial Strategy that the domestic defence industry has been asking for, and create a centralized Defence Procurement Agency to speed up defence purchases in Canada.
Should Canada Consider a Mixed Fighter Fleet?
Canada is actively looking at potential alternatives to the US-built F-35 stealth fighter and will hold conversations with rival aircraft manufacturers. This procurement re-examination is taking place amid the bruising political fight with the Trump administration over tariffs and threats from the American president to annex Canada by economic force.
PM Carney Promises Single Procurement Agency for Canada
Having a single procurement agency is something that Canada’s domestic defence industry has been seeking for many, many years. It would be a welcome change from the current multi-departmental procurement approach.
RCN COMMENDATION – Federal Fleet Services
CSS Asterix personnel received the Special Service Medal – EXPEDITION for their role in Operation PROJECTION while in consort with the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) and NATO allies during 2023.
Arctic Quick Reaction Force – ARCTIC POLICY
Arctic Quick Reaction Force (QRF) – Composed of highly mobile and flexible units that specialize in cold-weather warfare and surveillance.
DEFENCE INFRASTRUCTURE: Under Construction
CDR asked Ottawa Bureau Chief, James Careless, to speak with DND and major contractors to get an update on current and future defence infrastructure projects from coast-to-coast-to-coast. Here is our report.
NSS Update – National Shipbuilding Strategy
As part of CDR’s annual update on the National Shipbuilding Strategy, we explore how Canadian companies are looking to contribute to critical international collaborations like the Canada-United States-Finland ICE PACT.
INDO-PACIFIC – Defending the ‘First Island Chain’
CDR asked its writer, Richard Nghiem, to look at some of the ways Canada might be called on to help and highlight areas where it can increase its capabilities and capacities in the region.