Organizational structure of the Department of National Defence and the Canadian Armed Forces

Senior Leadership

The Governor General of Canada is the Commander-in-Chief of Canada. DND is headed by the Minister of National Defence, a federal Cabinet Minister. The Associate Minister of National Defence supports the Minister of National Defence and is also a federal Cabinet Minister. The Deputy Minister of National Defence is the Department’s senior civil servant.

The CAF are headed by the Chief of the Defence Staff, Canada’s senior serving officer. Each has different responsibilities:

• The Governor General is responsible for appointing the Chief of the Defence Staff on the recommendation of the Prime Minister, awarding military honours, presenting colours to CAF regiments, approving new military badges and insignia and signing commission scrolls.
• The Minister of National Defence presides over the Department and over all matters relating to national defence.
• The Associate Minister is also responsible for defence files, as mandated by the Prime Minister, with the specific priority of ensuring that CAF members have the equipment they need to do their jobs.
• The Deputy Minister is responsible for policy, resources, interdepartmental coordination and international defence relations.
• The Chief of the Defence Staff is responsible for command, control and administration of the CAF and military strategy, plans and requirements.

Independent of the reporting structure, the Chief Military Judge, an arm’s-length organization, is considered part of the Defence portfolio.

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Reporting to the Minister of National Defence

• Associate Minister of National Defence
• Chief of the Defence Staff
• Communications Security Establishment (considered part of the Defence portfolio)
• Deputy Minister of National Defence
• Judge Advocate General (provides legal services to the Deputy Minister and the Chief of the Defence Staff, but responsible to the Minister of National Defence for performance of duties)
• Ombudsman
• Military Grievances External Review Committee (considered part of the Defence portfolio)
• Military Police Complaints Commission (considered part of the Defence portfolio)

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Reporting to both the Deputy Minister of National Defence and the Chief of the Defence Staff

• Assistant Deputy Minister (Defence Research and Development Canada)
• Assistant Deputy Minister(Digital Services) and Defence Chief Digital Officer
• Assistant Deputy Minister (Public Affairs) and Chief Privacy Officer
• Assistant Deputy Minister (Review Services)
• Chief of Defence Intelligence
• Chief of Military Personnel
• Department of National Defence / Canadian Armed Forces Legal Advisor
• Vice Chief of the Defence Staff

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Reporting to the Deputy Minister of National Defence

• Assistant Deputy Minister (Finance) and Chief Financial Officer
• Assistant Deputy Minister (Human Resources – Civilian)
• Assistant Deputy Minister (Infrastructure & Environment)
• Assistant Deputy Minister (Materiel)
• Assistant Deputy Minister (Policy)
• Associate Deputy Minister
• Canadian Coast Guard
• Chief, Professional Conduct and Culture
• Corporate Secretary
• Senior Associate Deputy Minister of National Defence
• Sexual Misconduct Support and Resource Centre

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Reporting to the Chief of the Defence Staff

• Canadian Army
• Canadian Forces Intelligence Command
• Canadian Joint Forces Command
• Canadian Joint Operations Command
• Canadian Special Operations Forces Command
• Military Personnel Command
• North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD)
• Royal Canadian Air Force
• Royal Canadian Navy
• Strategic Joint Staff

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An illustration of the Department of National Defence’s high-level reporting structure from the Minister of National Defence to senior levels of the organization.

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