Mandate of National Defence and the Canadian Armed Forces

Who we are

The Department of National Defence (DND) and the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) make up the largest federal government department. Under Canada’s defence policy, the Defence Team will grow to over 125,000 personnel, including:

What we do

DND and the CAF have complementary roles to play in:

The CAF serve on the sea, on land, and in the air, with the Royal Canadian Navy, the Canadian Army, the Royal Canadian Air Force and the Canadian Special Operations Forces Command, supported by the civilian employees of DND.

At any given time, the Government of Canada can call upon the CAF to undertake missions for the protection of Canada and Canadians and to maintain international peace and stability.

Canada’s Defence Policy presents a new strategic vision for defence: Strong, Secure, Engaged. This is a vision in which Canada is:

More information

Page details

Date modified: