Partnerships and opportunities: Allies

Defence Research and Development Canada (DRDC)’s international relationships are anchored in two multilateral arrangements, the Technical Cooperation Program (TTCP) and the  NATO Science and Technology Organisation (NATO STO). Through these arrangements, DRDC gains an understanding of allies’ science and technology programs and cooperate in a broad range of defence activities to augment defence and security knowledge and resources, avoid unnecessary duplication and jointly identify and close important gaps in the technology and knowledge bases.

DRDC also collaborates with allied countries under a number of bilateral and multi-lateral arrangements which facilitate information exchange, collaborative projects and exchange of personnel and equipment. Canada has privileged relationships with Australia, Germany, France, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, the United Kingdom and the United States. Through these relationships complementary science and technology activities are completed and thus national programs harmonized in defence as well as in public security.

DRDC’s international relationships are facilitated by a number of memoranda of understanding providing a framework for joint activities that result in new knowledge generation, application and integration. International linkages ensure that DRDC can obtain the most efficient and cost-effective science and technology results, share the burden of and collaborate with allies for the generation of the technological and knowledge advantage that DRDC provides to the Canadian Armed Forces and the Department of National Defence and ultimately facilitate greater interoperability with Canada’s allies.