Future Force Design

Description

Develop and design the future force through a deep understanding of the future operating environment and security risks to Canada and Canadian interests. Enhance Defence’s ability to identify, prevent, adapt and respond to a wide range of contingencies through collaborative innovation networks and advanced research.

Planning highlights

In response to an increasingly complex security environment, effective innovation is critical to ensure the Department of National Defence (DND) is successful in achieving a modern and prepared armed forces and supporting its public safety and security partners. DND/Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) will provide ongoing operational research and analysis support for decision-making, to understand the future security environment and consider the effectiveness of options for defence capabilities and force structure. In addition, through the Defence and Security Science and Technology Program, DND/CAF will continue to invest in promising technologies which can improve effectiveness against current threats and enhance resilience in the face of emerging threats. Specifically, this includes investments in countering autonomous systems, detecting and countering opposing force operations in the information environment, and detecting, identifying, and tracking hypersonic weapon systems.

As DND implements its new integrated program priorities, it will establish and build on partnerships and engagements with industry, academia, government and international partners.

In fiscal year (FY) 2023-24, National Defence will turn its focus to implementing Canada’s North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) modernization plan, with many initiatives entering the identification or options analysis phase. National Defence will also deepen its engagement with industry, Northern, and Indigenous partners, as well as the United States, on a project-by-project basis. Where investments take place in the North, DND/CAF will continue to engage with Northern provincial, territorial and Indigenous governments.

In June 2022, the Minister announced Canada’s plan to enhance its contribution to NORAD, and associated funding. This represents the most significant upgrade to Canada's NORAD capabilities in almost four decades. NORAD modernization is a series of required initiatives with immediate to long term projects that will support NORAD and the CAF’s ability to protect Canadians against new and emerging military threats to Canada and North America more broadly. It will also help support the CAF’s engagement abroad, while reinforcing North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)'s western flank at a time when autocratic regimes are threatening the rules-based international order. In FY 2023-24, the Defence Team will:   

• Explore means to engage industry in a strategic manner; 
• Enhance cooperation with key international and domestic partners in climate change, artificial intelligence, space domains, quantum technologies, and other emerging fields; 
• Prioritize partnerships that enable continental defence and NORAD modernization;  
• Enhance cooperation with the United States;
• Optimize the global science and technology (S&T) cooperation portfolio with existing partners and explore cooperation with new allied nations; and
• Enable the stand-up of the NATO Centre of Excellence on Climate Change and Security and the NATO Defence Innovation Accelerator for the North Atlantic Regional Office.

Over five years starting in FY 2021-22, significant investments are being made to support the research and development aspects of NORAD modernization. These investments will lay the groundwork for NORAD’s future through the exploration of cutting-edge technologies that can deter, detect and defend against evolving threats to the continent.

More specifically, investments announced in Budget 2021, will proceed through FY 2023-24 in the following areas: 

• Research on system-of-systems solutions for NORAD modernization;
• Polar over-the-horizon radar research;
• Research in next generation digital high resolution space-based radar;
• Research in defence against hypersonic threats; and
• Research in space low-earth orbit architecture for defence.

Assessment of the long-term military future operating environment helps to determine the likely characteristics of future conflict, warfare, and warfighting. Future operating environment analysis accounts for both adversary and allied considerations and provides a measure against which Canada must maintain with respect to military capability development. It is imperative that CAF force development and design processes are optimized to ensure the most efficient and effective use of national resources, maintain interoperability with allies, meet treaty and allied commitments, and outpace adversaries.

DND/CAF Force Development and Design activities will continue the implementation of Strong, Secure, Engaged: Canada's Defence Policy, and will support all Force Development and Design activities included in the upcoming Defence Policy Update.

With new capabilities comes the need for employees and CAF members with special skill sets. The Cyber Operator military occupation has been created, and initial occupation training is at steady state. Focus will now shift to the development of intermediate and advanced training for cyber operators, beginning with the development of a cyber-security foundations program to be taught in conjunction with the Computer Security Laboratory of the Royal Military College’s Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering.

In FY 2023-24 the Defence Team will work toward growing the military (Regular and Reserve Forces) and civilian workforces with a view toward expanding personnel dedicated to defensive cyber operations, offensive cyber operations, the Cyber Mission Assurance Program, and intelligence support to cyber. Taken together, the continued refinement and maturation of the cyber forces in the aspects of attraction, recruitment, training, and career growth will assure a sustainable pan-DND/CAF capability.

Gender-based analysis plus

Gender-based analysis plus (GBA Plus) findings will continue to be an important component of developing and designing the future force. In addition, as capabilities development is modernized in traditional domains and as new domains are added, intersectional gender perspectives will be critical to the development of effective in-spectrum and cross-spectrum success. Important efforts in this area include:

• The Canadian Special Operations Forces Command will continue to conduct, apply and monitor GBA Plus findings and conclusions for specialized military asset acquisitions and materiel support activities. The implementation of Key Performance Indicators inherent to GBA Plus governance with each project will enable the tracking of Statements of Capability Deficiencies specifically associated with gender and diversity, enabling the live monitoring of the GBA Plus effectiveness throughout the design and procurement process; and
• Defence Research and Development Canada’s Innovation for Defence Excellence and Security (IDEaS) program has launched several challenges that employ a GBA Plus lens and are aimed at improving outcomes for Defence Team members in relation to mental health impacts, as well as increasing the representation of women in the CAF. One such challenge, originating from Military Personnel Command and launched 2018 under the Competitive Projects element, aims to recruit, retain, and reach 25 percent representation of women by 2026. Under this challenge, the Defence Team is looking for recommendations as to how the CAF can increase the recruitment and retention of women, including in non-traditional occupations in which women are under-represented.

As part of efforts to implement the Government of Canada decision on NORAD modernization, Defence will continue to ensure that GBA Plus considerations are captured and that intersectional gender perspectives are integrated as initiatives progress. With northern initiatives and investments expected to be critical to fulfilling this commitment, the Defence Team will continue to ensure that these efforts are underpinned by meaningful dialogue and engagement with key stakeholders, including northern, First Nations, Inuit, and Métis partners, to ensure that various viewpoints and priorities are incorporated into this work. The Defence Team will take a distinctions-based, nation-to-nation approach to engagement and consultation throughout this engagement process. As complementary proposals and advice are developed for Government consideration, the Defence Team will ensure those considerations and perspectives are reflected through the policy development process.

More information on GBA Plus can be found in the “GBA Plus Supplementary Information Table” in the Supplementary Information Tables section of this report.

United Nations’ 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Defence has committed to contributing its expertise to advance the recently announced development of the NATO Centre of Excellence for Climate and Security in partnership with Global Affairs Canada.

In FY 2023-24, the IDEaS program will continue to work with Canadian innovators on the following challenges in support of United Nations Sustainable Development Goals:

• Goal 6 Water and Waste – Prototype development for the Pop-up City Contest: Launched under the IDEaS Contest element, innovators are developing solutions to integrate energy, water, and waste management systems to support the CAF’s relocatable temporary camps which are deployed in national and international operations;
• Goal 7 Clean Energy – A Cold Wind Blows: Seeking smaller, ruggedized wind turbines for the Arctic. Launched under the Competitive Projects element, the challenge seeks to address a DND need for ruggedized wind turbines for the Arctic, to reduce the reliance on diesel fuel-generated power;
• Goal 9 Infrastructure and Innovation – Green Heat: Low carbon energy generation for heating existing buildings. Launched under the Test Drive element, the objective of this challenge is to acquire, install, and operate a large-scale low-carbon energy generation and storage system for heating an existing building. This will assess the effectiveness and costs of such a technology for the modernization of the entire DND infrastructure portfolio to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, thus contributing to the Government of Canada’s mandate that its building and facilities operations be carbon neutral by 2050; and
• Goal 13 Climate Action – Less GHGs on the seas: Practical solutions to measure and record energy consumption. Launched under the competitive projects element, the challenge seeks innovative solutions to accurately measure fuel and load energy consumption and GHG emission data across the Royal Canadian Navy fleet.

Innovation

The IDEaS program was designed to complement DND’s internal research programs expertise Competitive Projects with a view to solving defence and security challenges and will provide $1.6 billion in financial and human resources over a 20-year period. IDEaS fosters creativity and ingenuity in Canada by bringing together networks of experts, providing support and opportunities to innovators, and facilitating the integration and adoption of new capabilities for the CAF and the, public safety and security communities.

The IDEaS Test Drive element launched “Green Heat: Low Carbon Energy Generation for Heating Existing Buildings Test Drive” to acquire, install, and operate a large-scale low-carbon energy generation and storage system for heating an existing building. The Test Drive assessed the effectiveness and costs of such a technology for the modernization of the entire DND infrastructure portfolio to reduce GHG emissions.

The IDEaS Test Drive presents innovators with the opportunity to sell their non-commercial S&T solution to DND/CAF for the department to evaluate it in a real world/operational environment. This experimentation fulfills the obligation under the IDEaS program of allowing an innovator to propose a new S&T solution, work to develop it, demonstrate it, and achieve a sale with the Government of Canada which lends credibility to its solution and offers a chance at commercial success. It allows the department to learn and compare what it is doing now, versus what it could do better with clear results at the end. In FY 2023-24, two new Test Drives have been approved under the “What is in that Full-Motion Video” challenge and the “Detecting and Responding to Hostile Information” challenge.

Departmental Result 4.1 – Defence capabilities are designed to meet future threats

DND/CAF will finalize the Force Capability Plan, which will outline the capabilities that will be needed to address those gaps and to be ready for future challenges. DND/CAF will also develop a Concept for the Future Force and will initiate the development of a Future Warfighting Concept. These two conceptual efforts will work together to make sure that the DND/CAF develops the future military capabilities that Canada needs. DND/CAF will continue to work with NATO as the defence plans evolve to assess the capabilities needed to support the requirements assigned to the Defence Team by the Alliance.

Through the Defence Team Structure Design analysis, DND/CAF will evolve the institution’s personnel structure to ensure the Defence Team is ready and able to deliver on Canada’s Defence Policy objectives now and into the future.

Through the Digital Campaign Plan, the Defence Team will enable the CAF to better serve its members at home and abroad, align equipment and generate the capabilities necessary to compete in the modern battlespace. This is expected to promote interoperability with allies (NORAD and NATO) while supporting departmental and Government of Canada digital plans.

The CAF is undertaking the conceptual shift towards pan-domain operations that are characterized by high-speed digital communications, coordinated competition across multiple domains (air, cyber, information, land, maritime, and space), and exponential increases in the generation of data that must be rapidly assessed to support decision-making. The DND/CAF solution to guide this evolution is the development of the Pan-Domain Command and Control (PDC2) concept which will align existing and future initiatives, programs, and projects across DND/CAF to ensure interoperability across domains within the CAF and with Canada’s closest allies. Areas of focus for the CAF will include:

• Existing threats and safety risks from Drones/Uncrewed Aerial Systems (UAS) are increasing in scope and complexity. The CAF Counter Uncrewed Aerial System (C-UAS) approach endeavors to understand the operational requirements and technological solutions in support thereof. Maintaining awareness and readiness, iterative research and development and testing/evaluating industry solutions are critical to maintain pace with perishable technologies. C-UAS partnerships with other governmental departments, NATO and allies is a must to maintain interoperability and coalition command and control; and
• Multisensor Input Surveillance and Tracking - Artificial Intelligence aims to deliver an AI – Machine Learning tool for object detection, recognition and tracking from airborne multimodal sensor data, as well as synthetic data, through data fusion and explainable AI capabilities.

In terms of RCAF force development, the Defence Team will ensure that current and future projects are aligned with the CAF Digital Strategy, with the goal of digital transformation by 2030. This will result in a modern, digitally enabled, integrated, and interoperable sustainment enterprise.

To ensure that the RCAF has the capabilities to continue to generate Ready Air and Space Forces, the following Future Force Design efforts will begin to take place in FY 2023-24:

• Canada needs an integrated, agile and inclusive Air and Space Force that can gain and maintain operational advantage against its competitors when needed. The RCAF Strategy provides the guidance to achieve this aim, delivered by proud members of the Defence Team within the RCAF. Modernization of the RCAF, in support of Strong, Secure, Engaged and NORAD Modernization initiatives, represents a significant evolution in the ongoing development of the RCAF. FY 2023-24 will see it continue that progress towards accomplishing its mission to meet Canada’s defence challenges today and into the future by focusing on four strategic objectives: value our people and invest in their future, ready to conduct operations, modernize for tomorrow and engage and partner for success.

In specific reference to the Canadian Army, to ensure the Defence Team has the capabilities required to generate ready land forces, the following Future Force Design efforts will take place in FY 2023-24:

• The Canadian Army Modernization Strategy is a five-year horizon document that will position the Army to maintain an agile and responsive force, support Strong, Secure, Engaged initiatives, and prepare for present and future threats and challenges. FY 2023-24 will mark the halfway-point of the five-year plan, and there will also be a midcourse review to take stock of progress to date and identify achievable outcomes and results within the change initiatives by the end of the five-year change horizon;
• In accordance with Force 2025, the Canadian Army will move forward with the first phase of execution, including work to improve Intelligence organization structures, enhancement of Canadian Ranger capabilities, and optimization of the Leopard 2 tank capability. Implementation of Force 2025 will continue through subsequent FYs as new capabilities are on ramped through procurement and structural changes take effect; and
• The Canadian Army will continue to work toward meeting the requirements of Strong, Secure, Engaged to enhance the effectiveness of the Canadian Rangers. An ongoing review of its role, mission, and tasks will result in new CAF direction and administrative orders. It is expected by FY 2024-25, the Army will be in a position to use assigned resources to execute a methodical plan to enhance the Canadian Rangers as a critical component of the One-Army Team.

DND/CAF will continue to work with other government departments to update the policy and capability requirements of the National Cyber Security Strategy.

• Under the auspices of the Cyber Mission Assurance Program (CMAP), the department is working to integrate cyber resiliency in all aspects of Defence, including people, processes and technology, with the CMA Program reaching maturity in FY 2023-24. Specifically, the department will publish a CMA Defence Administrative Order and Directive, develop a CMA stakeholder engagement strategy, develop and begin implementation of a CMA Training and Awareness Framework, and clarify CMA governance structure;
• DND/CAF will continue to maintain the stability, integrity, and availability of Information Management/Information Technology (IM/IT) capabilities that support critical services and operations within the department; and
• DND/CAF will work with Government of Canada partners to ensure IM/IT solutions are secure, resilient, and recoverable from incidents in a timely manner so as not to impact the operations of the department.

As part of the Quantum S&T Strategy Implementation Plan, DND/CAF will support basic research with other government departments, universities and industry in domains such as:

• Quantum sensing and quantum PNT (position, navigation, and timing);
• Quantum communications, specifically in the area of networking; and
• Algorithms to exploit the unique capabilities of quantum computers.

DND/CAF will also invest in the facilities and personnel required to understand the application of these emergent technologies to defence and security, with international partners and organizations such as the Five Eyes Technology Cooperation Program.

Cyber-related IDEaS challenges will continue with contracts awarded in FY 2023-24. Key challenges include:

• Understanding Cyber Intent;
• How to Detect and Respond to Hostile Information Activities;
• Staying Four Steps Ahead: Understanding and predicting the behaviour of adversaries;
• Remaining Vigilant: Identifying cyber dependencies, vulnerabilities and threats;
• Wireless is Where it’s at: Secure and seamless wireless network onboard ships;
• We Sea You: Digital tracking and accounting on navy vessels;
• 5G and Beyond Innovation Network;
• Cyber Attribution of Sophisticated Threat Actors in the Defence of Canada; and
• Methods to mitigate Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition Systems' vulnerabilities.

The department will continue to invest in advances in artificial Intelligence by:

• Reaching out to academia and industry to explore applications of interest for DND/CAF; and
• Seeking cooperation with allies for research, development and experimentation.

Planned results

Departmental Results	Departmental Result Indicators	Target	Date to achieve target	2019–20 Actual results	2020–21 Actual results	2021–22 Actual results
4.1 Defence capabilities are designed to meet future threats	Extent to which the Future Security Environment assessment remains valid	At least 2 *	31 March 2024	2	2	2
	Degree to which future security assessments and capability deductions remain coherent with those of our allies and partners	At least 2 **	31 March 2024	2	2	2
	Degree to which future capabilities required to ensure an operational advantage over defence and security threats have been accounted for in defence plans	At least 2 ***	31 March 2024	2	2	2

Notes:

* During the Future Security Environment (FSE) validity period of four years, the FSE document will be assessed annually through internal CAF foresight and allied collaboration analysis activities. Should these analysis activities identify significant issues, the Chief of Force Development will indicate the intent to produce an updated FSE with anticipated milestones.

** During the FSE validity period of four years, the Force Capability Plan and Investment Plan are reviewed annually through internal CAF and allied collaboration analysis activities. Should these analysis activities identify significant issues, the Chief of Force Development will indicate the intent to produce updated documents with anticipated milestones.

*** During the FSE validity period of four years, the Force Capability Plan, Investment Plan and Force Development scenario sets are assessed annually through internal CAF analysis activities. If significant issues are identified, the Chief of Force Development will indicate the intent to produce updated documents with anticipated milestones.

Financial, human resources and performance information for the Department of National Defence and the Canadian Armed Forces’ Program Inventory is available in the GC InfoBase.

Departmental Result 4.2 – Defence and security challenges are addressed through innovative solutions

The IDEaS program continues to cultivate its program of transforming concepts, options and prototypes into DND/CAF capabilities. Utilizing investments through the IDEaS program, DND is spawning an innovation ecosystem that will create new strategic capabilities. The IDEaS Sandbox program element gives innovators the opportunity to demonstrate their solutions in the presence of DND experts and users and receive observational feedback. The Test Drive element gives innovators the opportunity to have their advanced solutions tested in a real-world environment.

Defence will invest in dual-use technologies including:

• Mitigating the environmental impact of military operations;
• Alternative energy sources for remote sites;
• Cyber security for critical infrastructure;
• Training and strengthening of CAF personnel;
• Defence against future biological and chemical threats;
• Secure, cloud-based information architectures;
• Clothing and shelter options for austere environments; and
• Improved maintenance processes for vehicles and aircraft.

Defence will continue to provide S&T leadership to public safety and security communities by fostering domestic and international partnerships with the United States, the United Kingdom, and the Five Research and Development, a Five Eyes forum. In FY 2023-24, the Canadian Safety and Security Program will invest up to $15 million in new projects to leverage the innovative application of science and technology across the spectrum of emergency preparedness and response in a public safety and security environment that is highly complex, volatile, and rapidly evolving.

Defence will demonstrate the delivery of data science and advanced analytics capabilities using artificial intelligence and machine learning through various cloud platforms. Specifically, Defence will:

• Set a benchmark to securely deploy open-source cloud-based applications in line with information management requirements;
• Pursue opportunities for interactive reporting and predictive/prescriptive support;
• Support future use cases that are amenable to data science, and advanced analytics applications;
• Assist and advise on best practices to develop and deploy data science, machine learning, and artificial intelligence tools for use across the enterprise; and
• Move forward with experimental and innovation projects to advance business transformation development and practices across the Department.

Gradient Ascent, the Canadian Special Operations Forces Command’s digital and analytics initiative, will continue throughout FY 2023-24 to develop and enable real time analytics reports, and to automate operational and institutional workflows using software development best practices. Gradient Ascent will help reinforce low code application development to enable products to be delivered to end users faster. The focus in this area is on digitization and, automation with the aim of supporting decision-making. 

Planned results

Departmental Results	Departmental Result Indicators	Target	Date to achieve target	2019–20 Actual results	2020–21 Actual results	2021–22 Actual results
4.2 Defence and security challenges are addressed through innovative solutions	% of initiatives and projects that are supported by Defence Science and Technology	At least 90%	31 March 2024	30%	46.09%	50.78%*
	% of Innovation for Defence Excellence and Security (IDEaS) projects that resulted in useful advice, adoption, integration or eventual procurement of a new defence and security capability	At least 20%	31 March 2024	5.5%	77.8%	78%

Notes:

* With the Strong, Secure, Engaged data review, an increase in initiatives supported by Defence Science and Technology were identified. The target will be revised through the next Departmental Results Framework review.

Financial, human resources and performance information for the Department of National Defence and the Canadian Armed Forces’ Program Inventory is available in the GC InfoBase.

Planned budgetary spending for Future Force Design

The following table shows, for Future Force Design, budgetary spending for FY 2023–24, as well as planned spending for that year and for each of the next two fiscal years.

2022-23 budgetary spending (as indicated in Main Estimates)	2023-24 planned spending	2024-25 planned spending	2025-26 planned spending
887,051,786	887,051,786	857,336,604	839,633,586

Financial, human resources and performance information for the Department of National Defence and the Canadian Armed Forces’ Program Inventory is available in the GC InfoBase.

Planned human resources for Future Force Design

The following table shows, in full time equivalents, the human resources the department will need to fulfill this core responsibility for FY 2023–24 and for each of the next two fiscal years.

2023–24 planned full-time equivalents	2024–25 planned full-time equivalents	2025–26 planned full-time equivalents
1,890	1,894	1,898

Financial, human resources and performance information for the Department of National Defence and the Canadian Armed Forces’ Program Inventory is available in the GC InfoBase.