Overview of Level 1 Organizational Mandates and Priorities

On this page

• Assistant Deputy Minister (Defence Research and Development Canada)
• Assistant Deputy Minister (Digital Services)
• Assistant Deputy Minister (Finance)
• Assistant Deputy Minister (Human Resources – Civilian)
• Assistant Deputy Minister (Infrastructure and Environment)
• Assistant Deputy Minister (Materiel)
• Assistant Deputy Minister (Public Affairs)
• Assistant Deputy Minister (Policy)
• Assistant Deputy Minister (Review Services)
• Canadian Army
• Canadian Forces Intelligence Command
• Canadian Joint Operations Command
• Canadian Special Operations Forces Command
• Chief Professional Conduct and Culture
• Corporate Secretary
• Department of National Defence and Canadian Forces Legal Services Advisor
• Independent Review Panel for Defence Acquisition
• Judge Advocate General
• Military Personnel Command
• North American Aerospace Defence Command
• Royal Canadian Air Force
• Royal Canadian Navy
• Sexual Misconduct Support and Resource Centre
• Strategic Joint Staff
• Vice Chief of the Defence Staff

Assistant Deputy Minister (Defence Research and Development Canada)

Overview

Dr. Jaspinder Komal – Assistant Deputy Minister (Defence Research and Development Canada) (ADM(DRDC))

• Joined the Public Service in 1994, progressing through senior science and leadership roles across the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, and Health Canada.
• A graduate of the University of Montreal with degrees in veterinary medicine and microbiology, Dr. Komal became ADM(DRDC) in 2022, bringing extensive expertise in scientific innovation and collaboration.

Mandate

Provide national leadership on defence and security science, technology and innovation (ST&I) to enhance Canada’s defence and security posture.

• Act as the Chief Science Advisor to the Department of National Defence (DND), the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) and the public safety and national security communities.
• Engage and collaborate with an extended network of stakeholders, including domestic and international partners.
• Exercise functional authority to ensure coherence of the DND/CAF ST&I investment.

Key Facts

Employees: 1,500

Budget: $400M

Primary Locations:

• National Capital Region (NCR)
• Seven research centres across Canada, each with unique science and technology (S&T) expertise.

Key Partners

Internal

• Defence Team
• Science-Based Departments and Agencies
• Safety and Security Departments and Agencies

External

• North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD)
• North Atlantic Treaty Organization
• Five Eyes Community
• Industry and Academia

Top issues

Implementing the Continental Defence S&T Investment

• Implement the vision of the defence policy Our North, Strong and Free in which Canada is secure in North America.
• Assess new and emerging threats, enable relevant research and development (R&D), and co-develop innovative technological solutions.
• Collaborate with the innovation ecosystem and establish government-level collaborative arrangements.
• Facilitate pull-through of results from S&T investments using capability demonstrators to accelerate the acquisition process.

Advancing Defence and Security ST&I

• Continue the evolution of the Innovation for Defence Excellence and Security (IDEaS) program.
• Support the Public Services and Procurement Canada-led Defence Procurement Review to align innovation efforts with procurement modernization.
• Establish defence and security innovation hubs to strengthen partnerships with industry and academia and accelerate S&T solutions.

Modernization of DRDC Capabilities and Infrastructure

• Modernize infrastructure and information technology capabilities to better conduct R&D activities in support of DND/CAF priorities.
• Revitalize and upgrade DRDC’s research centres and laboratories to foster increased scientific collaboration and capacity across critical domains.
• Expand Arctic research capabilities to bolster support for continental defence and NORAD modernization.

Enabling Research Security

• Improve internal infrastructure, processes, information and culture for an enhanced research security posture.
• Introduce new policy to guide internal practices and collaboration with external partners.
• Enhance training and risk mitigation to proactively address vulnerabilities in defence research activities.

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Assistant Deputy Minister (Digital Services)

Overview

Ross Ermel – Assistant Deputy Minister Digital Services and Defence Chief Digital Officer (ADM(DS))

• Ross Ermel assumed the role of ADM(DS) and Defence Chief Digital Officer for the Department of National Defence and the Canadian Armed Forces (DND/CAF) on 01 May 2024. Leading the newly established Digital Services Group (DSG), he brings a wealth of military and public service experience, having been selected for his vision, dedication, and professionalism. The DSG inherits the mandates of the Digital Transformation Office and Chief Information Officer Group, focusing on data, artificial intelligence, enterprise resource planning modernization, cyber security and operations, information management, and digital products and services.

Mandate

Enable DND/CAF digital ambitions by creating efficiencies and synergies to accelerate the Defence Team's modernization efforts.

• Improve client focused digital products and service delivery to theDefence Team from the edge to the enterprise.
• Improve digital interoperability with key allies: the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), Five Eyes partnersand North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Allies.

Key Facts

Employees: 4,265

Budget: $718M

Primary Locations:

• National Capital Region (NCR)
• Canadian Forces Bases across Canada
• Locations across the United States (U.S.), Europe and Australia

Key Partners

Internal

• All Level 1 organizations

External

• Shared Services Canada
• Communications Security Establishment (CSE) 
• Treasury Board Secretariat
• Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada
• Public Safety Canada
• U.S. Department of Defense
• Five Eyes partners
• NATO
• Government of Canada Chief Data/Digital Officers
• Public Services and Procurement Canada

Top issues

Sustaining and Modernizing Existing Digital and Digitally Reliant Capabilities

• The number of digital systems and capabilities that DSG is required to maintain has increased significantly over the past few years and is expected to continue growing.
• DSG currently lacks sufficient resources to support and implement necessary updates for essential digital capabilities, including a number of key systems such as pay and the Defence Resource Management Information System, CAF Cyber Command (CYBERCOM) and cyber security capabilities, infrastructure compute and storage, hybrid networking and connectivity, secure strategic communications infrastructure and digital licenses.
• DSG requires an uplift of approximately $200M per annum to mitigate growing technical debt and provide appropriate levels of support. A portion of this additional funding will be allocated to seeking efficiencies and exploring new approaches.

Build Capacity and Readiness to Support Future Digital Ambition

• To advance digital modernization, DSG needs to develop capacity and capability to prepare for future capabilities with a significant digital presence and to accelerate digital transformation across Defence.
• While some efficiency savings will be sought from Issue 1, DSG will require $100M per annum to establish additional essential digital foundations such as a data-integration layer, cloud computing ranging from Designated to Top Secret. This will enable support for key future capabilities that have a large digital footprint such as: the F-35 fighter jets, NORAD modernization capabilities and the River-class destroyers, to name but a few.

Future Digital Readiness Investment

• Looking to the 3-10-year future, DSG sees the need to invest in key emerging capabilities that are not funded, such as:
  • 5G followed by 6G: which will revolutionize communication networks by significantly increasing data transmission speeds, reducing latency, and enabling new applications such as autonomous vehicles.
  • Quantum: technologies which promise to transform computing, cryptography, and sensor technology through the principles of quantum mechanics, offering unparalleled processing power and security advancements.
  • Cyber: build capabilities set beyond existing initial operating capability and develop integrated capability with CSE.

Solidify and Advance CAF Cyber Capabilities

• To solidify CAF Cyber capabilities, funding is required to baseline key activities such as core training for the Cyber Operator occupation. This is also crucial to ensure current capabilities are maintained.
• To ensure the CAF CYBERCOM meets its defence policy obligations, additional resources are required to enable the development of integrated capabilities with CSE, which have also not been funded. 
• To remain a relevant partner, offensive cyber capabilities and the mechanisms to bring CAF/CSE integrated capability to bear in support of military operations will need to be developed.

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Assistant Deputy Minister (Finance) / Chief Financial Officer

Overview

Jonathan Moor – Assistant Deputy Minister (Finance) (ADM(Fin)) and Chief Financial Officer (CFO)

• Joined the Department of National Defence (DND) in June 2024 as ADM(Fin) and CFO, where he is responsible for an annual budget of more than $30B and a multi-year investment programme of over $200B. Prior to joining DND, he was the Vice-President of the Finance and Corporate Management Branch at the Canada Border Services Agency. Jonathan came to Canada on interchange from the Government of the United Kingdom (UK) in 2018. He joined the UK’s civil service in 1992 with the Audit Commission and held a number of senior roles at the Department of Transport. Jonathan trained as a Chartered Accountant in the private sector with Touche Ross & Co.

Mandate

ADM(Fin) is the principal organization tasked with managing DND’s finances and leading the effective, and efficient stewardship of financial resources.

• Provide the Minister of National Defence with timely strategic financial advice and guidance on key departmental financial decisions to better support Defence’s mandate and operations.
• Be a trusted partner that provides financial support services and advice to enable sound decision-making and accountability across the department.
• Lead the departmental financial community by building financial capacity to support operations and enable the business of Defence.

Key Facts

Employees: ~545

Vote 1 Notional Budget 25-26: ~$56M

Vote 10 Notional Budget 25-26: ~$455M

Primary Location:

• National Capital Region (NCR)

Key Partners

Internal

• All of Defence Team

External

• Treasury Board Secretariat
• Office of the Comptroller General 
• Privy Council Office
• Department of Finance
• Office of the Auditor General
• North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)
• Five Eyes Partners 

Top issues

Securing Funding

• Secure in-year and major project funding while managing a $20B operational portfolio. Enable the implementation of Defence policies including Strong Secure Engaged (SSE), Our North, Strong and Free and North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) Modernization. Provide financial oversight on corporate submissions including Treasury Board submissions, Memoranda to Cabinet and Budget requests.

Pathway to 2%

• Support a pathway to reach 2% of Gross Domestic Product on defence expenditures. Coordinate with other government departments and agencies within the Government of Canada to identify NATO defence expenditure reporting on behalf of Canada. Support the modernization and renewal of key platforms and fleets, improve readiness and address key capability gaps for the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF).

Organizational Sustainability

• Conduct financial management and accounting operations to properly manage and account for DND financial resources. Build a sustainable organization while delivering and monitoring progress on priorities across DND and the CAF.

Refocusing Government Spending

• Delivery of DND’s Refocusing Government Spending plan to meet the targets and implementation of an Efficiency Program across department activities. Develop efficiency reviews to deliver value for money, while ensuring effectiveness and efficiencies.

One Finance

• Support financial leadership using the One Finance Model. Bolster and build capability of communications across the financial community, both military and Defence Team. Enhance knowledge-sharing, succession planning, and the professionalization of finance professionals. Streamline and standardize approach and templates to deliver efficient business processes. Put Finance at the heart of decision-making.

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Assistant Deputy Minister (Human Resources – Civilian)

Overview

Isabelle Desmartis – Assistant Deputy Minister Human Resources – Civilian (ADM(HR-Civ))

• Isabelle Desmartis was appointed as ADM(HR-Civ) in September 2021. She previously worked as ADM (Defence Research and Development Canada) and has held various key leadership positions with the Department of National Defence (DND) over the last two decades, such as Director General of Policy Planning and Assistant Chief of Defence Intelligence. She trained as a lawyer and is a graduate of Laval University, where she earned her PhD in international security.

Mandate

ADM(HR-Civ) develops and implements plans, policies and programs to recruit, develop and retain public service employees to effectively support the DND / Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) mandate.

• ADM(HR-Civ) supports the department by providing guidance, tools and ensuring sound stewardship in the human resources (HR) management of DND’s public service employees. 
• ADM(HR-Civ) informs strategic decision-making and develops HR strategies that support a modern, healthy, and inclusive workforce reflective of Canada’s rich diversity.

Key Facts

Employees: 1,415

Budget: $119M

Primary Locations:

• National Capital Region (NCR)
• Québec
• British Columbia
• Nova Scotia
• Alberta

Key Partners

Internal

• Vice Chief of the Defence Staff
• Military Personnel Command (MPC)
• ADM (Finance)
• ADM (Review Services (RS))
• ADM (Digital Services)
• Chief, Professional Conduct and Culture (CPCC)

External

• Treasury Board Secretariat, Office of the Chief Human Resources Officer
• Public Service Commission 
• Public Services and Procurement Canada
• Canada Bargaining Agents 
• Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages 

Top issues

Implement Strategic HR Planning

• Guide the Defence Team in creating Level 1 Strategic HR Business Plans for the Public Service Workforce to better support longer-term business needs and deliver on broader government and departmental priorities.
• Optimize workforce planning and organizational structure consistent with HR policies, guidelines and best practices. This work will help support an ambitious Defence Team agenda as well as DND’s contribution to the Refocusing Government Services initiative.

Lead HR Digital Transformation (HR system upgrade; Dayforce readiness)

• Partner with the Digital Services Group to upgrade and expand HR data systems, with a view to digitalizing processes as much as possible.
• Support departmental readiness and data clean-up for whole-of-government HR-to-Pay modernization.

Support Organizational Structure Reviews

• Support the domain review led by ADM(RS) to streamline and improve the overall management of people (CAF and public servants).
• Lead review of functional structures across the Department at the executive level.
• Create an HR Integration function in partnership with ADM(RS), MPC and CPCC to support readiness.

Promote a Diverse Workforce

• Support CPCC in the implementation of the Modernization of the Official Languages Act.
• Manage the Employment Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Action Plan and related targets (hiring and promotion) for DND public service employees.

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Assistant Deputy Minister (Infrastructure & Environment)

Overview

Peter Hammerschmidt – Assistant Deputy Minister Infrastructure & Environment (ADM(IE))

• Appointed ADM(IE) in August 2024.
• Was Assistant Deputy Minister (Policy) from January 2018 to August 2024.
• Previously held positions with the Privy Council Office, the Treasury Board Secretariat, the Permanent Mission of Canada to the United Nations in New York, and various positions within the Department of National Defence (DND).
• Holds a Master’s degree from the University of Wales, Aberystwyth and a Bachelor’s degree from Queen’s University.

Mandate

• Infrastructure Custodian and Functional Authority – Senior Designated Official for the management of real property
• Housing through the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) Housing Agency
• Also Functional Authority for:
  • Environment and climate;
  • Indigenous affairs;
  • Fire and respiratory safety and protection; and
  • Ionizing radiation regulation and safety.

Key Facts

Civilians: 2,814

CAF: 314

Budget: $2.55B

Primary Locations:

• National Capital Region (NCR)
• Defence establishments across Canada

Key Partners

Internal

• All Defence Team

External

• Defence Construction Canada
• Treasury Board Secretariat 
• Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada
• Indigenous Services Canada
• Public Services and Procurement Canada
• Environment and Climate Change Canada
• Canada Lands Company
• Local Communities
• Indigenous Peoples
• Other Levels of Government
• Industry Associations
• Bargaining Agents
• North Atlantic Treaty Organization & Five Eyes Partners

Top issues

Recapitalizing Our Infrastructure and Putting Our Portfolio on a More Sustainable Path

• Addressing declining real property portfolio condition through recapitalization, maintenance and sustainment efforts.
• Better aligning authorities and streamlining processes to increase agility in responding to emerging risks and future requirements.

Building Modern Infrastructure to Meet Evolving Operational Needs

• Building modernized, secure, and resilient infrastructure to meet evolving operational needs, including bolstering the Defence infrastructure footprint in the North. Collaborating effectively with industry, other Government departments (OGDs), and other levels of Government (e.g., Capital Assistance Program) to deliver on mandate.
• Enhancing collaboration within the Defence Team to more effectively integrate infrastructure requirements into the identification of new capabilities.
• Delivering fiscally sustainable new facilities that reflect ongoing operations and maintenance costs.

Enabling the CAF to Protect and Defend Our North

• Enhancing and enabling northern Defence infrastructure to support sustained operations in the North, including and adapting both existing and future infrastructure to withstand the accelerating impacts of climate change.
• Advancing partnerships and opportunities for multi-purpose infrastructure with Indigenous groups, OGDs, and other stakeholders.

Improving Availability of Accommodations and Housing for CAF Members

• Improving availability and condition of accommodations for CAF members, including supporting quality of life infrastructure.
• Increasing availability of CAF housing through investment and policy changes (e.g., the goal is to construct 668 Residential Housing Units (RHUs) over the next five years, convert existing RHUs into multi-family dwellings, acquire additional RHUs, and expand access through service agreements, transfers, and leases).

Enabling Resilient Critical Infrastructure

• Investing in the reinforcement of critical assets vulnerable to climate impacts, including energy generation and storage, expanding redundancy measures to improve the survivability and readiness of the CAF and collaborating with community stakeholders.

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Assistant Deputy Minister (Materiel)

Overview

Nancy Tremblay – Assistant Deputy Minister Materiel (ADM(Mat))

• Nancy Tremblay was appointed to the position of ADM(Mat) in July 2024. In her role, she supports Canada's military by leading the Maritime, Land, and Aerospace Equipment Acquisition and In-Service Support Programs. She served in the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) as an Aerospace Engineering Officer for more than 35 years. She worked within the Royal Canadian Air Force at the tactical, operational, and strategic levels in various aircraft maintenance operations and engineering support jobs.

Mandate

Deliver the materiel and services required by the CAF.

• Support CAF operations by providing logistics and broad support to military equipment and systems.
• Responsible for defence materiel liaison and coordination with other departments, governments and interdepartmental organizations.
• Functional authority for the Department of National Defence’s materiel assurance program that ensures materiel and services delivered are safe, available, fit for purpose, and compliant.

Key Facts

Employees: 5,007

Budget: $13.5B

Primary Locations:

• National Capital Region (NCR)
• Alberta: Calgary, Edmonton
• British Columbia: Victoria, Nanoose
• Manitoba: Winnipeg
• Nova Scotia: Halifax
• Ontario: Toronto, London
• Québec: Montréal, Québec
• 67 personnel outside of Canada

Key Partners

Internal

• Vice Chief of the Defence Staff 
• Strategic Joint Staff 
• Service Commanders
• Chief of Military Personnel 
• ADM(Finance)
• ADM(Digital Services)

External

• Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) 
• Treasury Board Secretariat
• Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada 
• Canadian and international defence industry

Top issues

Need to improve the effectiveness of Defence Procurement

• The PSPC-led Defence Procurement Review seeks to increase the effectiveness of defence procurement similar to Canada’s allies and will streamline procurement regulations and CAF requirements development, leverage strategic partnerships with defence industry, and introduce a defence industry strategy for Canada.

Need to keep pace with technological change

• To address the current speed of technology improvements and provide the CAF with up-to-date and operationally relevant equipment, Continuous Capability Sustainment will introduce a more agile and responsive procurement approach to complement the current project approval process to ensure existing equipment receive timely updates.

Insufficient National Procurement funding to sustain CAF fleets

• Increasing costs are challenging the CAF’s ability to sustain operational fleets and ensure they are available to meet Government of Canada domestic and global commitments, driven by ageing fleets, impact of high defence inflation, labour costs, and more technologically advanced fleets.

Need to increase capacity to execute acquisition and support with a professional workforce

• Shortage of procurement specialists – third cohort of new and developing Purchasing and Supply (PG) Academy for procurement officers:
  • Project managers – continued institutionalization of Project Management Competency Development levels. 
  • Materiel managers – stand up of Materiel Management Practitioner Professionalization pilot project.

Low inventory levels of ammunition

• Require flexibility in defence funding model to address industry funding constraints and accelerate Domestic Ammunition Production of modern M795 artillery in Canada at a time of unprecedented need and limited global production capacity, while creating economic benefits for Canadians as well as improving North Atlantic Treaty Organization interoperability.

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Assistant Deputy Minister (Public Affairs)

Overview

Geneviève Binet – Assistant Deputy Minister Public Affairs (ADM(PA)) and Chief Privacy Officer

• Appointed ADM(PA) in April 2023.
• She is currently the Defence Team Co-Champion for Official Languages and Chair of the Association of Professional Executives of the Public Service of Canada (APEX) Board of Directors.
• 18 years in the Public Service, including at Emergency Preparedness (Privy Council Office), Canada Border Services Agency, and Canada Revenue Agency.

Mandate

Deliver strategic public affairs advice and clear, innovative and comprehensive communications services that promote transparency, protect privacy and support desired outcomes, while reinforcing the credibility and integrity of the Defence Team with internal and external audiences and stakeholders. We do this with a focus on:

• Developing and implementing strategic communications plans and products;
• Understanding the views of Canadians and defence stakeholders through public opinion research and consultations; and
• Administering the Access to Information Act and the Privacy Act across the Department of National Defence (DND) and the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF).

Key Facts

Employees: 509 – Including 390 civilians and 119 CAF members.

Budget: $54.6M

Primary Locations:

• National Captial Region (NCR)
• Regional operations for stakeholder engagement teams (Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, Québec and Halifax)

Key Partners

Internal

• All Defence Team

External 

• Central agencies
• Various other government departments (including Global Affairs Canada, and Public Services and Procurement Canada)
• North American Aerospace Defence Command
• Defence and security experts' community, (including academia)
• Defence industry
• North Atlantic Treaty Organization, Five Eyes Partners, United Nations
• Diversity partners and stakeholders

Top issues

Policy and Functional Authority

• Ongoing opportunity to communicate progress on key priorities and major capital projects, including within Canada-United States relations.
• Decentralized Public Affairs (PA) operations require consistent collaboration and cooperation between ADM(PA) and all Defence Team organizations. Timely sharing of communications products and approaches in a challenging and very dynamic information space is key.
• Rapidly evolving information environment (including mis- and disinformation) creates challenges with regular and constant engagement with the public and media that is needed to not have the CAF narrative overtaken by others.
• Responsible for Access to Information and Privacy, maintaining a balance between transparency obligations and operational security while handling an increasing volume of complex requests.

Transparency and Privacy

• Transparency remains a key focus, as low compliance rates with the Access to Information Act and a significant backlog have led to increased scrutiny from Parliament, media, and the Information Commissioner of Canada.
• Compliance with the Privacy Act is essential to maintaining public trust, as the protection of personal information remains a growing priority across the Defence Team.

Defence Team Public Affairs Strategy 2025-2028

• Underpins an integrated approach to offset decentralized PA model – guides and coordinates PA efforts under four specific objectives and establishes a strong narrative frame linking major investments to demonstrate clear progress toward achieving Canada’s defence objectives.
• Increases awareness of DND/CAF’s role in national security to build trust with the public, and to bolster the credibility of our organization – under a unified approach.

CAF Recruitment and Reconstitution

• Recruitment is a top priority, as the CAF requires a sufficient number of uniformed members to effectively carry out its operations and fulfill its mission.
• Public Opinion Research (POR) data demonstrates that awareness of the CAF – a pillar for recruitment – remains at an all time low, with only35% of Canadians having recently read, seen or heard something about the CAF (2024).
• Ongoing targeted communications are critical to reaching various audiences, increasing awareness, and ultimately meet recruitment targets for both the CAF in general, as well as essential priority occupations.

Conduct, Culture, and Legal Matters

• Legislative and legal communications: C-65 – CAF harmonization with the Workplace Harassment and Violence Prevention Program; C-13 –Official Languages; Final Settlement Agreement for Systemic Racism Class Action.
• Communicating the continued implementation of external reports' recommendations demonstrating actions to address sexual and other types of misconduct.
• Demonstrating how the CAF is evolving to be an employer of choice, providing a healthy and effective team workplace environment and building stronger teams.

Image Acquisition, Distribution and Preservation

• Imagery produced by DND/CAF still resides in local repositories across the country resulting in the inability for Defence Team, Canadian public (and media) to access these resources directly.
• To resolve this issue, all Level 1 organizations that currently own unclassified imagery repositories must agree to a common approach to distribution developed by ADM (PA) as the functional authority.
• Current risk is increasing difficulty to distribute imagery-based communication products; and undermining the visual legacy of CAF operations and key DND/CAF activities because imagery assets may never reach Library and Archives Canada for long-term preservation and historical use.

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Assistant Deputy Minister (Policy)

Overview

Scott Millar – Assistant Deputy Minister Policy (ADM(Pol))

• Appointed in October 2024.
• Previously the Associate Deputy Minister of Horizontal Policy within the Department.
• 29 years in the Public Service, including at the Canada Border Services Agency, Treasury Board Secretariat, Privy Council Office and Communications Security Establishment.

Wendy Hadwen – Assistant Deputy Minister Policy – lndustry (ADM(Pol-I))

• Appointed in November 2024.
• Previously the Deputy Chief of Policy, Planning and Partnerships at the Communications Security Establishment.
• 22 years in the Public Service, including at Natural Resources Canada, Privy Council Office, Public Safety and the Treasury Board Secretariat.

Mandate

The Assistant Deputy Minister (Policy) leads the development and management of defence policy in support of the Defence Team.

• Provide the Minister with advice and support on the development and implementation of Canada’s defence policy.
• Provide the Minister with policy advice on Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) operations as well as on trends and implications of the global security environment.
• Manage the Minister’s international defence and security relations.
• Advise and support ministerial Cabinet and Parliamentary responsibilities.
• Manage relations with other government departments and agencies, as well as provincial and territorial governments.

Key Facts

Employees: 302

Budget: $2.3M

Primary Location:

• National Capital Region (NCR)

Director Generals (DGs)

• DG Continental Defence Policy
• DG International Security Policy
• DG Policy Coordination
• DG Defence Intergovernmental Affairs

Key Partners

Internal

• All Defence Team

External

• Other government departments – Central Agencies, Global Affairs Canada, Public Safety, etc.
• Academia and think tanks
• Defence industry
• United States (U.S.) Office of Secretary of Defense
• North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and Five-Eyes Partners 
• International organizations, stakeholders, etc.

Top issues

Deterring Russian Aggression ██████████████████

• ████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████
• ADM(Pol) provides strategic and policy guidance for CAF activities and fortifies Canada’s international partnerships in deterring and defending against adversaries. This includes Operation REASSURANCE to deter Russia, and Operation HORIZON to promote peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific.
• ADM(Pol) continues to work with the National Security community to explore additional means to deter and defend against threats to Canada from adversaries.

Strengthening North American Defence and Security

• Canada must bolster its “homeland” defences to help safeguard North America and contribute to shared Canada-U.S. interests in the face of an ever-changing geopolitical landscape.
• ADM(Pol) will continue to provide strategic policy advice to reinforce Canada’s continental defence and Arctic security capabilities, support CAF plans and operations, enable North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) modernization, and provide policy leadership to advance Canada’s defence relationship with the U.S., other key allies and domestic national security partners.

Supporting the Implemention of Defence Investment Commitments

• CAF modernization efforts, including the procurement of new capabilities and improvement of infrastructure, are ongoing, but increased investments are needed to maintain progress and meet Canada’s domestic and international obligations. 
• ADM(Pol) will continue to provide strategic policy advice that supports the implementation of past investment commitments, as well as the current efforts to increase Canada’s defence spending to strengthen the CAF, █████████████████████████████████████████████, and fulfill Canada’s commitments to NATO.

Bolstering Canada’s Defence Industry

• Having an innovative and effective defence industrial base means that Canada can mobilize resources to reinforce the CAF and make meaningful contributions to allies and partners in a world of renewed geostrategic competition.
• ADM(Pol) will continue to engage with leaders in government and industry to bring strategic coherence to Canada’s defence spending commitments in a way that delivers timely and modern capabilities for the CAF while providing growth opportunities for Canadian businesses in the defence supply value chain.

Supporting ADM(Pol) Staff and Institutional Effectiveness

• ADM(Pol) continuously works to improve the skills of its staff and the tools available to them to enable team members to provide consistent, strong policy support to the Minister and the Defence Team. As such, ███████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████.

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Assistant Deputy Minister (Review Services)

Overview

Gibby Armstrong – Assistant Deputy Minister Review Services (ADM(RS))

• Appointed ADM(RS) in May 2023.
• Former roles include Chief Financial Officer and Assistant Deputy Minister (Corporate Services) at the Communications Security Establishment, Deputy Chief Financial Officer at the Canada Border Services Agency, and Executive Director Economic Program Sector at the Treasury Board Secretariat.
• Certified Professional Accountant (CPA), Chartered Accountant (CA), Certified Internal Auditor.
• Chief Operating Officer Program – Massachusetts Institute of Technology (April 2024).
• Executive Certificate in Public Policy – Harvard Kennedy School (May 2022).
• Defence Team Champion for Persons With Disabilities.
• People Management Task Force – Lead.

Mandate

We provide independent, objective and timely assurance services to the Department of National Defence and the Canadian Armed Forces (DND/CAF). We review and promote improvements to defence policies, programs, operations and activities.

• Deliver professional internal audit and evaluation programs.
• Conduct investigations into disclosures related to integrity.
• Manage the Fraud Risk Management Program.
• Facilitate compliance with Conflict-of-Interest policies. 
• Support administrative investigations led by the CAF Chain of Command.
• Coordinate activities of external assurance providers (e.g., Office of the Auditor General (OAG), etc.).
• Fulfill the secretariat function for the Defence Intelligence Oversight Board, the Departmental Audit Committee, and the Performance Measurement and Evaluation Committee.

Key Facts

Employees: 187

Budget: $24.3M

Primary Location:

• National Capital Region (NCR)

Key Partners

Internal

• All Defence Team
• Provost Marshal
• Intelligence Functions

External

• External Assurance Providers / Review Agencies (National Security and Intelligence Review Agency (NSIRA), National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians (NSICOP), OAG, etc.)
• Canadian Forces Morale and Welfare Services
• Public Service and Procurement Canada Integrity Team
• Office of the Public Sector Integrity Commissioner
• Security and Intelligence community
• Functional Communities in other Government Departments

Top issues

National Security and Intelligence Oversight

Review:

• Support multiple NSIRA and NSICOP reviews
• Optimization of internal processes in responding to external reviews and meeting legal obligations

Governance:

• Improve governance processes to support Deputy Minister and Chief of the Defence Staff decision-making and implementation of deliverables

Supporting Integrity

Current Capabilities: 

• Annual Ministerial reporting on gross misconduct and gross mismanagement investigations (Whistleblower Act)
• Fraud Risk Assessments: Two Annually 
• Fraud Awareness and Investigations 
• Proactive Conflict of Interest screening across DND/CAF
• Administrative investigations

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Fraud Program Enhancement

• Data analytics 
• Continuous monitoring and fraud detection
• Fraud Training (enhance awareness)
• Targeted Conflict-of-Interest activities

Audit, Evaluation, and Advisory Activity

Internal audits underway:

• University Teachers Pay Administration
• Sexual Violence Prevention at Canadian Military Colleges
• Contracting for Transportation Services
• Risk Management of DEFENCEx Implementation

Future proposed internal audits:

• Talent Management & Succession Planning in the CAF
• Children's Education Management
• Suicide Prevention at Canadian Military Colleges
• Efficiency Reviews

Evaluations underway:

• CAF Retention
• Military Justice Training
• Operation REASSURANCE
• Sexual Misconduct Support and Resource Centre – Restorative Engagement Program
• Organizational Climate and Culture

External audits underway:

• Canada’s Future Fighter Jets – Spring 2025
• Professional Services Contracts Part II – Spring 2025
• Conserving Federal Heritage Properties – Spring 2025
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• CAF Recruitment - Fall 2025
• Housing CAF Personnel – Fall 2025
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Future proposed evaluations:

• Cyber Operations
• Implementation of Strong, Secure, Engaged
• Procurement Modernization
• Digital Readiness
• Total Health and Wellness
• Army Restructuring
• North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) Modernization – Science and Technology
• Artificial Intelligence Strategy

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Canadian Army (CA)

Overview

Lieutenant-General (LGen) M.C. Wright – Commander Canadian Army (CCA)

• LGen Wright enrolled in the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) in 1990 and joined Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry in 1994. Operationally, he has deployed to Bosnia, Afghanistan, and the Middle East, and served on domestic operations in support of the 2010 Winter Olympics and the 2011 Manitoba floods. He was Commander of the Canadian Forces Intelligence Command (CFINTCOM) and Chief of Defence Intelligence from June 2021 to July 2024. On promotion to LGen in July 2024, he was appointed as the CCA.

Mandate

The CA generates combat effective, multipurpose land forces capable of executing concurrent operations to enable Canada’s defence objectives.

Operations

• On average 2,500 soldiers are deployed on 9 expeditionary and 4 domestic operations annually. 
• █████████████████████████████████████████████
• 568 personnel deployed on extremely short notice to Haiti, Cyprus and Latvia last year in support of Non-Combatant Evacuations and deterrence operations. 

Force Generation

• Train to fight at Brigade Group Level, enabled by allied, coalition, Joint Task Force Headquarters.
• Generate scalable, agile, and responsive land forces.

Key Facts

Personnel: 50,308

Budget: $1.15B

Primary Locations:

• 21 land bases, supporting 55,000 Defence Team members.

Characteristics

• Warfighting advantage derived from well trained and equipped professional soldiers.
• Adaptive and agile force.
• Medium force, with light and heavy capabilities.
• Canadian Army (CA) team integrates Regular, Reserve, Canadian Rangers, and civilian components.

Key Partners

Internal

• Royal Canadian Air Force, Royal Canadian Navy, Canadian Special Operations Forces Command, Canadian Joint Operations Command, CFINTCOM
• Assistant Deputy Minister (ADM) (Materiel), ADM(Human Resources-Civilian), ADM(Policy), Defence Research and Development Canada, Chief Professional Conduct and Culture, ADM(Digital Services Group), ADM(Infrastructure & Environment)

External

• Global Affairs Canada
• Canadian Defence Industry
• Allied Militaries
• Arctic Partners

Top issues

Canadian Army Modernization

Rapidly Rebalancing the Army for Concurrency of Operations

• CA Modernization Strategy will be critical to realign our force for the contemporary and future operating environment.
• CCA intends to modernize the CA into an interoperable, digitally advanced, lethal and agile force capable of providing scalable options for force employment across the full spectrum of operations, enhancing our relevance to Canada and our allies and ensuring flexibility to meet current and future demands.

Managing Capability Gaps as new Capabilities are Introduced

• The last Defence Policy Update, Our North, Strong and Free, is addressing some of the significant capability gaps.
• National Procurement Funding levels continue to have severe impacts on service ability of current fleets.
• A modernized approach is required for Capital Projects to improve flexibility, rapid acquisition, continuous cyclical updating and dispersed sustainment to promote technological advantage for the CA. Continued focus on interoperability and interchangeability with key allies.

Operational Readiness

Achieving Integration and Interoperability with Key Partners

• The CA contributes to the defence of Canada by engaging adversaries with our allies outside of Canada to limit the ability of adversaries to project into Canada. A prime example is the Canadian-led multinational brigade in Latvia, which provides deterrence and contributes to North Atlantic Treaty Organization collective defence.
• The CA is a valuable contributor to key alliances. It will continue to strengthen its partnerships, which contribute to our homeland protection. The CA will arrive trained, prepared, equipped, and self-sustained to all multinational operations and exercises.

Professional Military Gaps as new Capabilities are Introduced

• Importance of One Army, with Regular, Reserve, Ranger, and civilian components operating as part of an integrated whole.
• CA will foster and reinforce an inclusive, diverse, respectful, safe and team-based work environment with a view to harness the full potential of the One Army Team and increasing our operational effectiveness. 

Reconstitution

Growth Through Recruitment and Retention

• Strategic Intake Plan +10% will see increased intake of new recruits to begin to address personnel shortfalls. 
• Currently, the CA is missing 9,850 uniformed personnel, which are critical to fulfill current tasks and future capabilities. 

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Canadian Forces Intelligence Command / Chief Defence Intelligence

Overview

Major-General (MGen) Dave Abboud – Commander of Canadian Forces Intelligence Command (CFINTCOM) and Chief Defence Intelligence (CDI)

• MGen Abboud joined the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) in 1994 as an infantry officer with the Royal 22e Regiment. He led a combat team in Afghanistan from July 2007 to March 2008, and has also deployed on operations to Haiti, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Jordan. He was appointed Commanding Officer of the Canadian Forces Leadership and Recruit School in July 2014, Commander 2nd Canadian Division Support Group in July 2019, and Commander 2nd Canadian Division and Joint Task Force (East) in July 2023. 
• MGen Abboud has served in a variety of staff positions within National Defence Headquarters, notably as Chief of Staff (COS) to the Vice Chief of the Defence Staff, COS Operations within Canadian Army Headquarters, COS Support at CFINTCOM, and as Canadian Joint Operations Command (CJOC) J5Plans. He holds degrees in Political Science, Military Art and Science, and Public Administration. He was appointed as Commander CFINTCOM and CDI on 8 July 2024.

Mandate

Provide credible, timely and integrated defence intelligence capabilities, products and services to the CAF, the Department of National Defence (DND), the Government of Canada and allies in support of Canada’s defence and national security objectives.

• Commander CFINTCOM exercises command and control over CFINTCOM and serves as the Senior Military Intelligence Advisor to the Chief of the Defence Staff (CDS).
• The position is dual-hatted, serving as the functional authority for defence intelligence in DND/CAF under the CDI title. 
• As CDI, the incumbent is directly accountable to the Deputy Minister and CDS for providing oversight and binding direction to the DND/CAF defence intelligence community to ensure its continued effectiveness, responsiveness and accountability.

Key Facts

Personnel: ████

Budget: $193M

Primary Locations:

• National Capital Region (NCR) 
• Kingston 
• Winnipeg 
• Gagetown

Key Partners

Internal

• Strategic Joint Staff, CJOC, Canadian Special Operations Forces Command, Canadian Army, Royal Canadian Navy, Royal Canadian Air Forces, North American Aerospace Defense Command, Cyber Forces Command, Assistant Deputy Minister (Policy), National Security and Intelligence Review and Oversight Coordination Secretariat, Judge Advocate General, Defence Research and Development Canada

External

• Privy Council Office
• Global Affairs Canada
• Communication Security Establishment 
• Canadian Security Intelligence Service
• United States
• Five Eyes
• North Atlantic Treaty Organization

Top issues

Evolve Organizational Culture

• Continue to mature CFINTCOM as a Level 1 organization, including ensuring that the civilian and military Defence Team workforce is aligned and integrated to maximum effect.
• Ensure that the CAF’s five intelligence occupations are healthy and CFINTCOM’s two training establishments are resourced to meet the training demand.
• Increase, optimize, and retain civilian personnel. Increase support for civilian learning, training, and development.
• Enable recruitment and retention through improved Culture (Culture Evolution Strategy).

Optimizing Intelligence Support

• CFINTCOM is developing a renewed Defence Intelligence Strategy that will seek to modernize and grow the Defence Intelligence Enterprise to enable pan-domain decision and warfighting advantage, and to respond to an increasingly fragmented, fragile, and unforgiving world.
• Strive to deliver intelligence support in a more efficient, optimized, and integrated manner. More comprehensive, holistic analysis is enabling CFINTCOM to better support decision makers at all levels within National Defence and the broader Government of Canada.

Strengthen and Modernize Defence Intelligence

• Ensure the entire Defence Intelligence Enterprise is championed and that all Defence Intelligence requirements are captured in our programs and projects.
• Resource force development and design effort as a priority.
• Embrace digital transformation, including advancing the work to modernize the DND/CAF Top Secret intelligence networks. Continue work with Five Eye partners to improve information sharing.

Advance Key Projects and Capabilities

• Support for next generation defence systems (Intelligence Mission Data)
• Counter-Intelligence Modernization
• Geospatial-Intelligence Modernization
• Open-Source Intelligence Modernization
• Modernization of Information Management and Information Technology and Top-Secret network
• Strengthening the Defence Intelligence Enterprise, including modernizing our capabilities

Develop and Reinforce Partnerships

• Maintain and continue to build relations with traditional allies to continue to improve information sharing relationships.
• Develop opportunities to expand relationships with non-traditional partners in the evolving global context.
• Operationalize the Defence Policy Update and prioritize partnerships with key Arctic nations.
• Formalize plans in a renewed Global Engagement Plan.

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Canadian Joint Operations Command

Overview

Lieutenant-General (LGen) Steve Boivin – Commander Canadian Joint Operations Command (CJOC)

• LGen Steve Boivin joined the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) in 1991 and attended the Collège Militaire Royal, transferring to the Royal Military College for his final year. He graduated in 1996 and was posted to the 3rd Battalion Royal 22nd Regiment in Valcartier, Quebec where he deployed to Haiti, to East Timor and to Bosnia-Herzegovina. In July 2004, he completed the Special Operations Assaulter Course and joined Joint Task Force 2 (JTF2), serving the next six years with the Unit, including multiple rotations to Afghanistan. He was seconded to the Privy Council Office with the Afghanistan Task Force in 2012 and assumed command of JTF 2 in 2013 for 3 years. After serving as Special Advisor to the Chief of the Defence Staff, he became the Deputy-Commander of Canadian Special Operations Forces Command in 2019 and the Commander in May 2021. In July 2024, he assumed his current position as Commander CJOC.

Mandate

To prepare for and conduct operations to defend Canada, assist in the defence of North America and as directed, to promote peace and security abroad.

• Lead domestic defence operations.
• Conduct expeditionary operations.
• Global Integrator of Operational Effects.
• Coordinate and conduct Search and Rescue operations.
• Conduct Humanitarian Assistance and Non-Combatant Evacuation operations.
• Develop campaign and contingency plans for future operations.
• Deliver joint capability development and training activities.

Key Facts

Personnel: 2,742

Budget (CJOC): $124M

Budget (Operations): $814M

Primary Locations:

• National Capital Region (NCR)
• 1st Canadian Division HQ, Kingston, Ontario
• Joint Task Force North – Yellowknife, Northwest Territories
• Regional Joint Task Forces (double-hatted from Navy and Army HQs) in Halifax, Montreal, Toronto, Edmonton and Victoria

Key Partners

Internal

• Force Generators
• Vice Chief of the Defence Staff
• Strategic Joint Staff (SJS)
• Assistant Deputy Minister (Policy) (ADM(Pol))

External

• Royal Canadian Mountain Police and Public Safety, primarily through the Government Operations Centre
• Global Affairs Canada (through SJS/ADM(Pol))
• United States Global Combatant Commands
• North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)
• Joint Headquarters of Key Allies

Top issues

Moving Forward on Operation UNIFIER

• Canada’s support to Ukraine has incrementally evolved since the Russian full-scale invasion of February 2022.The CAF’s training has been largely focused on recruit training in the United Kingdom (UK), and specialist training in Eastern Europe, along with some in-country surgical training. Allies (particularly the UK and France) have taken a leading role in defining tasks and opportunities in line with Ukraine’s evolving needs. The CAF have been integrally involved in this planning and will continue to seek adjusted authorities to support next endeavours.

Operation REASSURANCE

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Campaign Planning

• As the CAF’s operational employer, CJOC leverages strategic-level (global and regional) policy instruments and directives to develop theatre operational plans, including for continental defence. With ongoing resource challenges, CJOC is seeking to better cohere operations to allow for a more efficient use of already deployed personnel and equipment. The scope of Operation NANOOK, CAF’s signature Arctic operation, is expanding, with a view to increasing integration with Allies and partners.

Resource Availability

• In the coming years, several major CAF platforms █████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████ will become less available for employment as fleets are modernized or existing crews are assigned to qualified and ready new platforms. █████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████ The capacity to force generate for new operations is also impacted by the personnel and equipment demands for CAF reconstitution. ██████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████

Global Integration of Operational Effects

• As the CAF’s primary force employer, CJOC is the battlespace owner for expeditionary operations. During the pre-conflict/competition phase, CJOC’s focus is on ensuring that strategic messaging, engagements, activities and investments are coherent and coordinated to ensure we deliver on expected operational effects both regionally and globally. Clear direction and guidance are essential to ensuring an integrated approach across all DND/CAF actors.

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Canadian Special Operations Forces Command

Overview

Major-General Steve Hunter – Commander, Canadian Special Operations Forces Command (CANSOFCOM)

• Appointed Commander in May 2024.
• Joined the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) Reserve in 1994 as an artillery officer and transferred to the Regular Force in 1997.
• Successfully selected for Joint Task Force 2 (JTF 2) in 2002 with numerous deployments to Afghanistan, Iraq, Haiti, Central Africa, and the Middle East.
• Served as Commanding Officer of the Canadian Special Operations Regiment from 2014-2017, Director Special Operations from 2018-2020, and Deputy Commander CANSOFCOM from 2021-2023.

Mandate

CANSOFCOM is a high-readiness organization, able to deploy agile special operations forces on very short notice on behalf of the Government of Canada in order to protect Canadians from threats at home and abroad.

Three Core Strategic Capabilities:

• Delivery of effective counter-terrorism response;
• Accessing, understanding, and influencing operational environments; and
• Reacting rapidly to emerging or immediate threats.

Command Priorities:

• Delivering Operational Excellence (current operations and future planning);
• Supporting our People;
• Modernizing our Force (CANSOFCOM 2030);
• Evolving CANSOFCOM Culture; and
• Expanding and Reinforcing Partnerships (internally and externally).

Key Facts

Personnel: 2,763

Budget: $323.1M*

* Budget figure: Fiscal Year 2025/26 allocation. Additional $12.9M in operations funding expected to be received in Fiscal Year 2025/26.

Structure

CANSOFCOM is organized into six units:

• Command Headquarters
• JTF 2
• Canadian Joint Incident Response Unit (CJIRU) (chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear response)
• Canadian Special Operations Regiment (CSOR)
• 427 Special Operations Aviation Squadron (427 SOAS)
• Canadian Special Operations Training Centre (CSOTC)

Key Partners

Internal

• Canadian Joint Operations Command
• Canadian Forces Intelligence Command
• CAF Cyber Command
• Canadian Army, Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF), Royal Canadian Navy
• Vice Chief of the Defence Staff Group, Strategic Joint Staff
• Assistant Deputy Minister (ADM) (Policy), ADM(Materiel), ADM(Infrastructure & Environment), ADM(Digital Services)

External

• Interdepartmental: Communications Security Establishment; Canadian Security Intelligence Service; Royal Canadian Mounted Police; Canadian Coast Guard; Global Affairs Canada; Public Safety Canada; Public Services and Procurement Canada; Shared Services Canada
• External: Five Eyes, North Atlantic Treaty Organization, Special Operations Forces partners, Japan, Republic of Korea

Top issues

Advanced SOF Capability Development

To outpace the rapid evolution in the global threat environment, CANSOFCOM is focused on advancing:

• Special Operations Forces (SOF) Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (SOF C4ISR);
• Special Access Programs / Special Technical Operations (SAP/STO);
• Uncrewed systems and Counter-uncrewed systems capabilities; and
• The next Tactical Aviation Capability Set (nTACs), with support of the RCAF.

Investment in advanced SOF capabilities is required in order to:

• Maintain technological overmatch of adversaries; 
• Safeguard information security and protect identities and capabilities;
• Deliver classified capabilities while reinforcing relationships with key allies and partners; and
• Ensure CANSOFCOM has the platforms and equipment necessary to meet the full breadth of operational requirements.

People

• CANSOFCOM operates in a very high operational tempo environment. While this provides our personnel with purpose and a clear mission focus, it also requires increased resources to ensure our SOF professionals are fit for duty. To sustain this tempo in the service of Canadians and the Government of Canada, CANSOFCOM needs sustained investment in unique:
  • Physical and mental supports, and
  • Prioritization of currently unfunded civilian positions. 
• Recruitment and retention pressures within the CAF will have follow-on effects on CANSOFCOM and its long-term operational output.
• CANSOFCOM relies heavily on low-density enablers (i.e., Intelligence, signals, medical, and signalsintelligence (SIGINT)) to meet its critical mission requirements. The Command’s exceptionally highoperational tempo has resulted in increased demand for these specialized support personnel. 

Image Description: Graphic depicting the composition of CANSOFCOM personnel: 81% from the Regular Force, 12% from the Reserve Force, and 7% civilians.

Re-baselining CANSOFCOM Funding

• CANSOFCOM’s baseline funding has been under-resourced for many years. The most recent business planning process provided $47.5M in additional baseline funding. However, outstanding funding gaps within institutional, training, and force development activities will require in-year injects to fund core business.
•  
• CANSOFCOM needs additional predictable and sustainable resourcing to continue to support tasks from the Government of Canada.

Notice: Due to the nature of CANSOFCOM’s work, other key items are at a higher security classification. CANSOFCOM will provide further information on these items and CANSOFCOM operations under separate cover as part of transition briefings.

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Chief Professional Conduct and Culture

Overview

Lieutenant-General (LGen) Paul Prévost – Chief Professional Conduct and Culture (CPCC)

• LGen Prévost, from St-Bruno-de-Montarville, Québec, joined the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) in 1990. A CF-18 pilot with over 2,500 flight hours, he commanded 425 Squadron and later both 2 and 3 Wing in Bagotville. He deployed to the Balkans, commanded the Joint Task Force Afghanistan Air Wing, and was Director of Coalition Middle East air operations in Qatar. He has held many staff roles, including within the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF), the Canadian Joint Operations Command (CJOC), and several Strategic Joint Staff (SJS) positions, including Director of Staff from 2021 to 2024. On 17 July 2024, he was promoted to his current rank and was appointed CPCC.

Mandate

The CPCC mandate is to establish an enduring capability to continuously evolve professional conduct and ethics to meet the standards expected of the Defence Team and Profession of Arms.

To achieve this, CPCC will:

• improve team cohesion by fostering work environments that enable personnel to make their best contributions to our shared goals and common purpose. 
• cascade these efforts throughout the institution to reinforce and cultivate a readiness-focused mindset. 
• prioritize the full implementation of the Comprehensive Implementation Plan (CIP) milestones, as well as the operationalization of our Culture Evolution Strategy (CES).

Key Facts

Personnel: 487 – Including 337 civilians and 150 CAF members (94 Regular Force, 56 Reserve Force)

Budget: $47M

Primary Locations:

• National Capital Region (NCR)
• 16 Conflict and Complaint Management Services (CCMS) offices across Canada

Key Partners

Internal

• Military Personnel Command/Canadian Defence Academy
• Assistant Deputy Minister (ADM) (Human Resources – Civilian)
• Sexual Misconduct Support and Resource Centre
• Judge Advocate General
• ADM (Public Affairs)
• ADM (Review Services)

External

• Like-minded Allies
• External Monitor
• Veteran Affairs Canada (VAC)
• Women and Gender Equality Canada (WAGE)
• Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC)

Top issues

Grievance and Complaints Transformation

• Grievance transformation will provide a modern, timely and efficient redesigned CAF Grievance System by improving the member experience, encouraging informal resolutions, increasing accountability and Chain of Command oversight, and ensuring the system can withstand legal scrutiny. The Complaint Process Transformation (CPT) initiative includes updating policies, procedures, and technology, including the development of a Defence Complaints Portal, to enhance the experience for all members and empower senior leadership to proactively address systemic issues. 

Systemic Racism Class Action Final Settlement Agreement Implementation and Apology

• The implementation of the Systemic Racism Class Action Final Settlement Agreement (FSA) represents a critical initiative to address systemic barriers experienced by racialized personnel in the CAF. As outlined in the FSA, CPCC will coordinate key systemic relief measures, including research on retention challenges affecting Indigenous, Black, and other racialized members and support for the delivery of the Restorative Engagement program. These efforts seek to enable operational effectiveness by building trust, promoting accountability, and strengthening relationships within the Defence Team (DT).

CIP and Implementing the CES

• The CIP enhances cross-functional engagement and collaboration across the DT to streamline recommendation implementation and address key milestones for successful completion. It will deliver measurable progress on the 206 CIP recommendations, ensuring alignment with public commitments. The CES serves as a comprehensive guide for the DT, aiming to cultivate a healthier and more resilient organizational culture through an iterative approach that fosters incremental, cumulative change over time.

Departmental Update to Department of National Defence DND/CAF Code of Values & Ethics

• DND/CAF are working to update their Code of Values and Ethics this year, aligning with the Government of Canada/TreasuryBoard Secretariat Values and Ethics Code for the Public Sector. This update will provide a clear north star for the DT, enabling alignment, clarity and coherence on principles and values and informing updates on training and education programs.

Implementation of Bill C-13 – Modernization of Official Languages Act (OLA)

• The implementation of Bill C-13 represents a major step in modernizing the OLA within the DND/CAF. By June 2025, all new bilingual supervisory roles in bilingual regions must meet the required proficiency standards. CPCC will lead the alignment of operational practices with these requirements, addressing challenges such as resource constraints and employee stress. Additional efforts include ensuring fairness in staffing processes, providing accessible training, and fostering greater linguistic equity. These measures are designed to strengthen compliance with the OLA and enhance linguistic proficiency across the DT.

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Corporate Secretary

Overview

Taylor Paxton – Corporate Secretary

• Appointed as the Corporate Secretary in September 2023.
• 16 years in the Public Service, including at the Department of National Defence (DND), the Privy Council Office (PCO), Western Economic Diversification Canada and Transport Canada.
• Taylor is a proud graduate of the Laurentian University (Bachelor Honours) and Athabasca University (Master of Arts).

Mandate

Enable the Defence Team by facilitating and fostering sound departmental governance and decision-making while promoting government openness and transparency.

• Manage and coordinate complex litigation activities by providing strategic oversight, policy analysis, risk management, compliance, and support for claims administration, while ensuring effective communication, business continuity, and adherence to legal and regulatory obligations.
• Professional and non-partisan advice and support to the Minister: Governor in Council (GiC) appointments; correspondence; Ministerial corporate and liaison services.
• Defence Governance and Executive events: Executive Retreats, General Officers and Flag Officers and the Defence Leadership Symposium.

Key Facts

Employees: 294

Budget: $24M

Primary Location:

• National Capital Region (NCR)

Key Partners

Internal

• Office of the Minister of National Defence
• Office of the Deputy Minister
• Office of the Chief of the Defence Staff
• Office of the Vice Chief of Defence Staff
• All Civilian Assistant Deputy Ministers’ and Military Commanders’ Offices

External

• PCO
• Treasury Board Secretariat 
• Office of the Information Commissioner 
• Office of the Privacy Commissioner 
• Office of the Prime Minister

Top issues

Independent External Comprehensive Review (IECR)

• In accordance with Part 1 of Recommendation 29 of the IECR and as directed by the Minister of National Defence, a review of the Canadian Military Colleges is being conducted by a combined Review Board, which includes representatives of DND and the Canadian Armed Forces, and external reviewers, known as the Canadian Military College Review Board (CMCRB). The CMCRB Final Report was submitted in early 2025.
• The Deputy Minister (DM) and the Chief of the Defence Staff are the “Convening Authority” for the CMCRB. They oversee CMCRB’s work, through the CMCRB Secretariat under the Corporate Secretary.
• Upcoming GiC priorities: Expiry of the External Monitor mandate in October 2025 and Independent Review Panel for Defence Acquisition mandate renewal.

Governance Modernization

• Completing the Governance Modernization Project to streamline decision-making and transition it into a centre of expertise to sustain efficient and transparent processes and improve governance skills.

Management and Oversight of Major Class Action Settlements

• In 2025, the Federal Court approved a $150 million settlement for the Systemic Racism Class Action, including policy measures and an apology event planned for Fall 2025. 
• The Sexual Misconduct Class Action, with a $900 million settlement approved in 2019, has paid $596 million in compensation and will begin an external review and awareness initiative in 2025. 
• The LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender) Purge 4th Supplementary Agreement involves compensation, memorialization initiatives, and the release of 15,000 pages of records by 30 June 2025.

Financial Guidance and Smooth Ministerial Transition

• The Corporate Secretary Comptroller will continue providing financial advice and guidance to the Minister and the DM.
• The Departmental Assistant’s Office will work with internal and external partners and act as the facilitator for ensuring a smooth transition for an incoming minister.

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Department of National Defence and Canadian Forces Legal Advisor

Overview

Daniel Roussy – Senior General Counsel and Department of National Defence and Canadian Forces Legal Advisor (DND/CF LA)

• Appointed as Senior General Counsel and DND/CF LA in March 2022.
• Throughout his 25+ year career with the Government, he has held numerous senior legal positions, including Deputy Assistant Deputy Minister at the Privy Council Office Legal Services Sector, Executive Director and Senior General Counsel of the Global Affairs Canada Legal Services Unit, and Deputy Executive Director and General Counsel at the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission Legal Services Sector, among others. 
• University of Ottawa Faculty of Law (LL.L-LL.B). Member of the Barreau du Québec and the Law Society of Ontario.

Mandate

Legal Services Unit of the Department of Justice. Provides legal advisory services and litigation support pursuant to sections 4 and 5 of the Department of Justice Act.

• Works closely with the Judge Advocate General (JAG) in areas of overlap, including National Security.
• Supports the Department of National Defence and the Canadian Armed Forces (DND/CAF) Litigation Management Committee and works closely with the Departmental Litigation Oversight on the implementation and coordination of complex litigation, such as class actions, that impact several areas of DND/CAF.

Key Facts

Employees: 85

Budget: $27.5M

Litigation Budget: Over $400M for the 2024-2025 fiscal year (variable from year to year)

Primary Location:

• National Capital Region (NCR)

Key Partners

Internal

• Departmental Regulatory and Litigation Oversight
• JAG
• Justice Canada (Public Services and Procurement Canada, Treasury Board Secretariat, National Litigation Sector)

External

• Federal and Provincial Courts
• Legal Services of other agencies not served by Justice

Top issues

Sensitive Litigation

• Workplace class actions and individual litigation brought on behalf of CAF members or public service employees, alleging systemic discrimination based on race, gender, sex or mental health, or based on the administration of medicine to CAF members (e.g., mefloquine mass tort, COVID-related litigation);
• Class actions from CAF members involving alleged miscalculations or delayed payment of benefits;
• Class actions and individual litigation related to alleged sexual misconduct by CAF members, for the conduct itself or with respect to alleged failures to adequately prevent or respond to it (e.g., military police investigation or prosecution). This includes a number of recent and historical claims related to Cadet organizations;
• Litigation pertaining to DND/CAF’s use of property (e.g., environmental contamination or claims by Indigenous groups that DND/CAF has breached their treaty or other rights); and
• Litigation by current and former senior CAF personnel challenging military administrative or disciplinary processes.

Service Income Security Insurance Plan

• Providing legal advice respecting ongoing negotiations with Manulife regarding the terms of future optional life insurance coverage for CAF members.
• Informing discussions respecting amendments to the governance and authorities of the regime that would potentially be required.

Indigenous Issues

Challenge: DND/CAF is currently responding to claims brought by Indigenous groups and DND/CF LA is supporting on Indigenous law issues more broadly. Key Indigenous files include:

• Sainte-Foy: Advising on the disposition of lands to the Huron-Wendat Nation and a group of Innu First Nations; 
• Cold Lake Air Weapons Range (CLAWR): advising on litigation where access to the CLAWR is the primary motivation for the settlement and managing a judicial review appeal from Cold Lake First Nation; 
• Dakota Tipi First Nations (DTFN): advising on the consultation requirements for the Future Aircrew Training Program and advising on two claims by DTFN where they allege deprivation of access to, use and management of the lands of Southport, and the economic benefits from these lands; and
• Council of Haida Nation (Haida): advising on litigation where Haida is making claims of Aboriginal title and rights to the lands in Haida Gwaii, British Columbia, and advising on negotiations of the Agreement between Haida and the Government of Canada that is being led by Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada and involves eight federal departments including DND/CAF. CAF Station Leitrim Detachment Masset is located on Haida Gwaii.

Review Agencies

Key issue: Protection of sensitive DND and solicitor-client privileged information in the context of reviews.

• Provision of legal advice on the interpretation of relevant legislation (National Security and Intelligence Review Agency Act, National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians Act, Access to Information Act, Foreign Interference and Security of Information Act).
• Support to relevant actors in the context of ongoing reviews.

Contractual and Procurement Matters

• Supporting DND in reforms to policies, strategic partnerships and legislative amendments respecting defence procurement in Canada.
• Supporting DND’s Dual-Use Pathfinder Initiative on questions pertaining to the Crown mandate and real property law.
• Facilitating the provision of materiel and training to Ukraine in consultation with our counterparts at the Canadian Commercial Corporation.
• Providing advice on other matters, including the Defence Procurement Review and housing.

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Independent Review Panel for Defence Acquisition

Overview

Larry Murray – Chair of the Independent Review Panel for Defence Acquisition (IRPDA)

• Larry Murray held a number of positions in the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF), including Deputy Chief of the Defence Staff, Commander Maritime Command, Vice Chief of the Defence Staff, and Acting Chief of the Defence Staff. After his retirement from the military, he served as Deputy Minister at the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of Fisheries and Oceans. Mr. Murray has been Chair of the IRPDA since it was stood up in 2015 and is honorary GrandPresident of the Royal Canadian Legion.

Mandate

The IRPDA is mandated to help validate requirements for major procurements by providing independent, third-party advice to the Minister of National Defence.

• Reviews all projects with an estimated cost above $100M or that meet other criteria under the IRPDA’s mandate.
• Brings a broad range of outside expertise through its five members: two with senior CAF or Government of Canada expertise; two with senior-level private sector experience; one academic.
• Advice is routinely requested by the Treasury Board Secretariat to validate credibility of requirements for submissions on defence capabilities.

Key Facts

Employees: 13 – Five part-time Governor in Council appointees and eight employees

Budget: $1.7M

Primary Location:

• National Capital Region (NCR)

Results

• Since its inception, the IRPDA has produced advice on over 75 projects, and initiated reviews of over 100 projects.

Key Partners

Internal

• Vice Chief of the Defence Staff
• Assistant Deputy Minister (Materiel)
• Assistant Deputy Minister (Digital Services)
• Royal Canadian Navy
• Canadian Army
• Royal Canadian Air Force

Top issues

Ministerial Advice

The IRPDA will continue to play its role of challenge function and provide independent written advice to the Minister of National Defence on priority projects to support confidence in the development of capability requirements by the Department. Advice expected to be provided to the Minister in 2025 includes:

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Forward Agenda

The IRPDA will continue to carefully synchronize its agenda with Departmental priorities to ensure timely and meaningful engagements on key projects. In addition to the projects for which advice will be provided to the Minister, the IRPDA is also expected to begin reviews of several projects including:

• Airborne Early Warning;
• Space Command and Control;
• Space-Based Processing, Exploitation and Dissemination;
• Intelligence Mission Data; and
• Canadian Multi-Mission Corvette.

Progress Report and Process Improvements

• The IRPDA is working towards the publication of its biannual progress report in the summer of 2025. As part of this process, the IRPDA is looking to identify ways to streamline its processes while maintaining its ability to independently validate requirements.

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Judge Advocate General

Overview

Brigadier-General (BGen) R.F. Holman – Judge Advocate General (JAG)

• BGen Robin Holman joined the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) in 1986. After initially serving as a pilot, he was selected for the Military Legal Training Plan and joined the Office of the JAG (OJAG) as a legal officer. He served as a military prosecutor, deployed to Afghanistan and served as Deputy JAG for both military justice and operational and international law. After serving as Acting JAG from November 2021, he was appointed by the Governor in Council as the JAG on 28 June 2023. BGen Holman is a graduate of the Royal Military College (Bachelor of Engineering), Queen’s University (Bachelor of Laws) and McGill University (Master of Laws). BGen Holman and his wife have three children.

Mandate

• Acts as legal advisor to the Governor General, the Minister, the Department and the Canadian Forces in matters relating to military law.
• Has the superintendence of the administration of military justice in the Canadian Forces.
• Responsible to the Minister in carrying out duties and functions.

Mission:

• Deliver timely, client-focused, options-oriented, and operationally driven military legal services in support of the Government of Canada and Department of National Defence (DND)/CAF priorities and objectives. 
• Superintend the administration of military justice, and promote the maintenance of discipline, efficiency and morale in the CAF by enabling the proper operation of the military justice system. 
• Lead by example, inspire excellence, and empower team members to reach their full potential.

Key Facts

Employees: 381

Budget: $14.5M

Primary Locations

• National Capital Region (NCR)
• North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) / Europe
• Locations across Canada
• Deployed locations

Key Partners

Internal

• Vice Chief of the Defence Staff
• DND/Canadian Forces Legal Advisor
• Assistant Deputy Minister (Policy)
• Chief of Defence Intelligence
• Strategic Joint Staff
• Force Generators
• Force Employers

External

• Department of Justice
• Five Eyes, North Atlantic Treaty Organization and Canadian Partners’ Military and Strategic Legal Advisors
• Global Affairs Canada Legal Bureau

Top issues

Promoting Canadian Armed Forces Readiness and Operational Effectiveness

The CAF legal enterprise must promote CAF readiness and operational effectiveness, including through the provision of legal services that enable the lawful accomplishment of CAF operations, lawful administration of the CAF and its members and discipline, efficiency and morale through the proper operation and administration of the military justice system. Legal Officers are employed to support all CAF lines of effort.

• Force Employment – CAF operations are authorized by the law and conducted in compliance with the applicable Canadian and international law. Alleged breaches are investigated, and where appropriate, prosecuted. 
• Force Generation – Legal support is required by all force generators. This support helps lead to ready, resilient, relevant forces. A ready force requires disciplined, effectively trained troops, including in the application of the law of armed conflict. Ready forces are administered in accordance with the law. Legal Officers support this entire enterprise.
• Force Development – Military law helps to shape and define the CAF of tomorrow. Planned capabilities must be lawfully designed, acquired, staffed and fielded.

Implementing Governmental Responses to External Reviews Recommendations

• Recent reports of the Third Independent Review Authority (the “Fish report”), the Independent External Comprehensive Review (the “Arbour” report), and the Auditor General made significant recommendations that have informed governmental decision-making in relation to the military justice system.
• The OJAG provides military justice policy and legal advice regarding options to implement these recommendations and provide legal support to advance selected options, including through legislation, regulation, orders, directives and policy-level instruments. Extensive resources have been required to prioritize, synchronize, and implement decisions in coordination with other governmental priorities.

Organizational Transformation of OJAG

Focus on People, Digital Transformation, and Leadership

OJAG provides a low density, high impact capability that enables CAF readiness and operational effectiveness. Transformation must remain an internal focus in order to ensure efficient and effective employment of the legal capability in support of DND/CAF priorities. 

• People – We are dedicated to empowering every member of our team, enabling them to achieve their full potential and contribute to the operational success of DND/CAF.
• Digital Transformation – We continue to evolve allowing professionals to effectively and efficiently produce legal products to support CAF operations. Adopting digital capabilities, like artificial intelligence, will ensure that OJAG remains ready, resilient, and relevant in support of operations.
• Leadership – We are committed to continuing to develop critical leadership skills for present and future leaders of the OJAG and DND/CAF.

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Military Personnel Command

Overview

Lieutenant-General (LGen) Lise Bourgon – Commander Military Personnel Command (MPC)

• LGen M.H.L. (Lise) Bourgon is Commander of the MPC and Chief Military Personnel, and the Defence Team Women’s Champion.
• Enrolled in 1987 as a Maritime Helicopter Pilot, LGen Bourgon commanded in both international and domestic environments at strategic to tactical levels. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, a Master’s Certificate in Project Management, a Master’s Degree in Public Administration, and completed a one-year Fellowship at Queen’s on Diversity, Inclusion and Culture in 20

Mandate

• MPC generates and enables the core capability of the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF): personnel, the foundation of the CAF.
• MPC supports people from recruiting to transition via pay, compensation, benefits, education, health and wellness, and care management to build a ready, resilient and relevant CAF.

Key Facts

Personnel: 18,379 – Includes 13,723 military and 4,656 civilian

Budget: $8.5B – Includes $6.35B for Regular Forces salary

Primary Locations:

• National Capital Region (NCR)
• Canadian Forces Base Borden
• Toronto Canadian Forces College
• Kingston Royal Military College (RMC)
• St-Jean-sur-Richelieu RMC
• Medical/Dental Clinics (48)
• Recruiting Centres (26)
• Transition Centres (32)

Key Partners

Internal

• Navy, Army, Air Force, Special Operations Forces, Vice Chief of the Defence Staff
• Assistant Deputy Minister (Infrastructure & Environment), Canadian Forces Housing Agency
• Canadian Forces Morale and Welfare Services

External

• Five Eyes
• North Atlantic Treaty Organization
• Treasury Board Secretariat
• Veterans Affairs Canada
• Health Canada
• Governor General
• Provinces and Territories
• The Technical Cooperation Panel

Top issues

Recruiting

• Recover and rebuild the CAF to Strong, Secure, Engaged authorized strength of 71.5K Regular Force and 30KPrimary Reserve Force.
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Retention

• Offer a rewarding, empowering career dedicated to defending Canada’s interests.
• Increase incentives to continue serving in the CAF through a competitive suite of compensation and benefits.
• Support the health and wellness of CAF members and their families.

Health Services

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• Address critical health workforce gaps, stabilize health data and digital systems, modernize healthcare training, overcome critical capability gaps in medical and dental equipment.
• Meet our operational sustainment and support elements domestically and internationally.

Modernize the Personnel Enterprise

• Transform the Profession of Arms.
• Deliver on the Our North, Strong and Free commitment for the Electronic Health Records Program.
• Deliver on the update to the human resource management system from analog to digitally enabled.
• Deliver a new military pay system.
• Deliver a digitalized recruiting system.

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North American Aerospace Defense Command

Overview

General (Gen) Guillot – Commander North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD)

• Gen Gregory Guillot is the American Commander of NORAD. He also serves as the Commander of the United States (U.S.) Northern Command (U.S. NORTHCOM). He previously served as Commander 9th Air Force and Deputy Commander U.S. Central Command in the Middle East. Gen Guillot is a senior air battle manager with more than 1,380 flying hours in the E-3 Sentry (Airborne Warning and Control System) and RC-135 Rivet Joint.

Lieutenant-General (LGen) Frawley – Deputy Commander NORAD

• LGen Blaise Frawley is the Canadian NORAD Deputy Commander and Commander Canadian Element NORAD. He previously served as Deputy Commander Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) and Deputy Vice Chief of the Defence Staff (VCDS). As a pilot, LGen Frawley has accumulated over 3,000 hours in the CF-18 Hornet.

Mandate

NORAD has three binational missions to defend North America: aerospace warning, aerospace control, and maritime warning. NORAD’s motto is WE HAVE THE WATCH.

• NORAD relies on a layered network of satellites, ground-based and airborne radars, and fighter aircraft to detect and track potential aerospace threats to North America. This includes warning of all missile attacks against North America (e.g., cruise, ballistic and hypersonic).
• NORAD looks outward conducting air defence operations to deter and respond to state threats such as military aircraft and cruise missiles.
• NORAD looks inward responding to possible non-state actor threats.
• U.S. NORTHCOM and the Canadian Joint Operations Command (CJOC) cooperate bilaterally to conduct complementary homeland defence operations, such as maritime control and defence.

Key Facts

Personnel working in the NORAD Headquarters (HQ): 140 Canadians, 389 U.S.

Canadian NORAD personnel and budgets fall under VCDS in the U.S. or the RCAF in Canada.

Primary Locations

1. NORAD HQ + Joint Operations Center U.S. commander and Canadian deputy
2. Canadian NORAD Region HQ Canadian commander and U.S. deputy
3. Continental U.S. NORAD Region HQ U.S. commander and Canadian deputy
4. Alaska NORAD Region HQ U.S. commander and Canadian deputy
5. Canadian Air Defence Sector Canadian commander and U.S. deputy
6. NORAD Forward Operating Locations Employed upon activation

Image Description: Map of North America depicting NORAD primary locations.

Key Partners

Internal

• VCDS, RCAF (primarily), Royal Canadian Navy, Canadian Army, CJOC, Canadian Special Operations Forces Command, Canadian Forces Intelligence Command
• Assistant Deputy Minister (ADM) (Materiel), ADM(Infrastructure & Environment), ADM(Policy)

External

• U.S. force providers
• U.S. NORTHCOM
• Other U.S. and Allied Military Commands
• Transport Canada and U.S. Department of Transport
• NAV Canada and Federal Aviation Administration
• Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) and U.S. law enforcement

Top issues

Adversary Capabilities and Cooperation

• North America faces concurrent global threats from all avenues of approach, all domains, and spanning the diplomatic, informational, military and economic spectrum.
• Russia and the People’s Republic of China (PRC) continue to rapidly field advanced weapons specifically designed to strike North America to degrade our will and ability to respond to a conflict in Europe and/or the Indo-Pacific. North Korea and Iran are also improving their capabilities.
• ███████████████████████████████████, these countries are cooperating in new ways, expanding their capabilities and reach.
• For example, Russia and the PRC conducted their first combined bomber patrol in the Arctic in 2024. PRC aircraft operated from a Russian base bringing them in range of North America for the first time. This prompted a binational NORAD intercept.

Warning and Response Authorities

• The Commander’s top priority is defending the homelands – plural – Canada and the U.S. NORAD is on watch 24/7.
• For Canada, leaders in the binational command are responsible for warning, attack assessments and response options. This includes NORAD warning against all missile attacks but does not involve the interception of ballistic missiles by U.S. NORTHCOM.
• Senior elected officials hold certain authorities for response over Canada, the details of which are retained at higher classification.
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Enhanced Domain Awareness

• We cannot defeat what we cannot see. Enhancing our domain awareness across all domains is critical. 
• Canada must deliver on key projects outlined in the defence policy (e.g., Over the Horizon Radar, F-35s, P-8s, MQ-9s, Early Airborne WarningAircraft and maritime sensors).
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• Integrating data across sensors and borders provides decision makers with more information and time to consider response options.

Arctic Readiness and Infrastructure

• The Arctic region is the most direct approach to North America from Russia/PRC and is seeing increased activity.
• Trained personnel, specific equipment and infrastructure are necessary to operate in the harsh Arctic environment.
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• Expedient development of NORAD Northern Basing Infrastructure Project, dual-use infrastructure and improving energy resiliency in the Arctic will enable NORAD operations, other Canadian Armed Forces operations and support Arctic communities.
• The development of defence and dual-use infrastructure presents opportunities to work with a whole-of-government approach.

Defence of Critical Infrastructure

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• A wide range of aerospace threats, such as cruise missiles, ballistic missiles and hypersonic glide vehicles, can reach Canada and the U.S. to target our critical infrastructure. ████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████
• NORAD is tracking the growing threat posed by small-Uncrewed Aerial Systems domestically, including to our operating locations and critical infrastructure, which requires increased coordination and cooperation with civilian agencies and law enforcement.

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Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF)

Overview

Lieutenant-General (LGen) Eric Kenny – Commander Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF)

• LGen Kenny was appointed Commander of the RCAF on 18 August 2022.
• He is trained as a CF-18 Pilot and has held numerous command positions including 1Canadian Air Division (CAD) / Canadian North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) Region.
• LGen Kenny has been deployed multiple times and has been involved in missions in Libya, Bosnia, Kosovo, Afghanistan, and Iraq.

Mandate

Generate relevant, responsive and effective air and space power at home and abroad.

Description of secondary mandates and key responsibilities

• Detect, defend and defeat threats in Canadian and North American airspace through NORAD.
• Employ air and space warfare capabilities to detect, deter, and defend against threats to Canada, Allies, and to protect Canadian interests.
• Support Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) operations through strategic airlift and space capabilities.
• Provide 24/7/365 Aeronautical Search and Rescue across Canada.
• Train and equip the RCAF to address future threats.

Key Facts

Personnel: 14,779

Budget: $1.3B

Primary Locations:

• RCAF Headquarters – National Capital Region (NCR)
• 1 Canadian Air Division / Canadian NORAD Region – Winnipeg
• 2 CAD – Winnipeg
• 3 Canadian Space Division – Ottawa
• RCAF Aerospace Warfare Centre – Trenton

RCAF Assets

• 16 Aircraft Fleets
• 392 Aircraft
• 5 Satellite systems

Key Partners

Internal

• Military Personnel Command
• Vice Chief of the Defence Staff
• Assistant Deputy Minister (ADM) (Materiel) 
• ADM (Infrastructure & Environment) (IE) 
• ADM (Digital Services)
• NORAD
• Canadian Special Operations Forces Command
• Canadian Joint Operations Command
• Defence Research and Development Canada 
• Strategic Joint Staff
• Military Personnel Command (MPC)

External

• North Atlantic Treaty Organization
• Five Eyes
• Public Services and Procurement Canada
• Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada
• Transport Canada
• Industry

Top issues

People

• The RCAF is approximately 2,000 trained Regular Force members short of its establishment.
• Three initiatives will address this shortage: The RCAF will analyze its occupations to better understand and tailor solutions to meet 2029 personnel goals; establish the Future Occupation Working Group to ensure the RCAF is equipped with the right and people; and establish optimization for the delivery of future air and space capabilities led by a Force Structure Review team. Investment in MPC-led initiatives to recruit, train and retain personnel are key.

Delivering RCAF Modernization

• Given current prevalence in discussions, early F-35 briefings and classified read-ins are critical for decision makers.
• The RCAF is undergoing a massive modernization which will upgrade, replace or introduce many new fleets and capabilities including aircraft for search and rescue, fighters, surveillance, transport, air-to-air refueling, plus five new aircrew training fleets. Full delivery will require increased trained personnel and new infrastructure, including improved northern basing and modernized command and control systems.
• To ensure timely delivery of capabilities, the RCAF will need to make tough decisions regarding the prioritization of projects, personnel, operational commitments and divestment of less relevant capabilities.

Improving Operational Readiness

• The RCAF has set the goal of achieving operational relevance focused on continental defence by 2028. This will inform prioritization of current and new capabilities to ensure Canada can defend against threats to the continent.
• To deter, detect, and defeat current and emerging threats, the RCAF will advance Long-Range Air-Air Missile and Long-Range Precision Strike projects to ensure sufficient ammunition stockpiles.
• To meet operational mandates, the RCAF must repair and/or replace deteriorating infrastructure with ADM(IE).
• Relevant, modern and integrated training is essential and the RCAF will advance the Operational Training Infrastructure Enterprise Modernization project to support the readiness of our new tactical fleets with current equipment and ranges.

Space Capability Development

• Space is critical to CAF operations, particularly in the Arctic and to the NORAD mission. The RCAF must rapidly advance the procurement of space capabilities to enable satellite communications, surveillance from space, surveillance of space, and space command and control and to address rapidly evolving space threats.
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Advancing Future Capabilities

• Enhanced domain awareness is critical to defeating threats to Canada and achieving NORAD’s mission. The RCAF must rapidly advance the Over The Horizon Radar projects and define the scope for Airborne Early Warning Capabilities.
• The RCAF will continue to lead efforts in addressing the ONSAF IAMD challenge and implement an initial counter-Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) capability.
• In 2025, the RCAF will seek to complete options analysis for both the Next Tactical Aviation Capability Set and the Maritime Helicopter Upgrade to deliver advanced rotary wing aircraft, commence work to define a suite of surveillance and strike UAS, and address the need to replace the Snowbird Air Demonstration Aircraft.
• Emerging capabilities such as Collaborative Combat Aircraft and 6th Generation platforms will be investigated.

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Royal Canadian Navy

Overview

Vice-Admiral (VAdm) Angus Topshee – Commander Royal Canadian Navy (RCN)

• VAdm Angus Topshee is the 38th Commander of the RCN. His diverse academic background includes military and civilian institutions on three continents. The highlight of his time at sea was his command of Her Majesty’s Canadian Ship Algonquin in 2009-2010. His shore postings include two tours in the Navy’s Strategy directorate as penance for all his sea time, three years in command of Canadian Forces Base (CFB) Halifax, and two years as the Deputy Director, Strategy, Policy, and Plans at the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) and United States Northern Command Headquarters, in Colorado Springs. He deployed to Afghanistan in 2011 as director of Afghan National Police Training within the North Atlantic Treaty Organization Training Mission Afghanistan. He has somehow been involved in Arctic issues at every one of his shore postings (except Afghanistan). Before taking command of the RCN in May 2022, VAdm Topshee had the honour and the pleasure of commanding Maritime Forces Pacific and Joint Task Force Pacific, located in Esquimalt, British Columbia.

Mandate

• Protect Canadians
• Make the world safer
• Secure our future
• Support our economy
• Increase global influence
• Build our national identity
• Defending the people of Canada against threats from the sea is our primary role achieved by our naval fleet of 12 Halifax-class multi-role frigates, 6 Harry DeWolf-class Arctic and Offshore Patrol Vessels, 12 Kingston-class Maritime Coastal Defence Vessels (starting to be retired), 4 Victoria-class Patrol Submarines and the leased replenishment vessel Asterix. 
• Key procurement projects of the future fleet that are ongoing include 15 River-class Destroyers (RCD), 2 Protecteur-class Auxiliary Oiler Replenishment vessels, as well as the Canadian Patrol Submarine Project (CPSP) and the Continental Defence Corvette to replace the Kingston-class Vessels.

Key Facts

Personnel: 17,100

Budget: $4.2B

Primary Locations:

• National Capital Region (NCR)
• CFB Halifax, Nova Scotia
• CFB Esquimalt, British Columbia
• Naval Reserve Headquarters, Québec City, Québec

Key Partners

Internal

• Canadian Joint Operations Command
• Assistant Deputy Minister (Materiel)
• Royal Canadian Air Force
• Canadian Army

External

• Fisheries and Oceans Canada
• Canadian Coast Guard
• Transport Canada
• Royal Canadian Mounted Police
• Canada Border Services Agency
• Public Services and Procurement Canada
• Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada

Top issues

Personnel

• Restoring the RCN to 100% Trained Effective Strength by 22 December 2028.
• Restructuring the Naval Reserve and Naval Training System to speed recruiting & training.
• The Ask – Increased funding for Reserve Pay and Operations & Maintenance.

Readiness

• Sustainment of the current fleet of Halifax-class frigates to ensure the defence of Canadian waters and contributions abroad.
• Critical supporting infrastructure is old/degraded and spare parts are in very short supply.
• The Ask – Funding for existing infrastructure and national procurement (maintenance/parts).

Future Fleet

• Delivery of RCD ships and progressing the CPSP.
• Essential to ensuring the defence of Canada’s three oceans into the foreseeable future.

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Ship Introduction

• Introduction of Harry DeWolf and Protecteur classes into service.
• Effective surveillance and response in all three of Canada’s oceans.
• The Ask – Funding new capabilities to ensure Maritime Domain Awareness, especially in the Arctic

Being Ready to Fight

• Culture of innovation and initiative.
• Whole of RCN focus on being meaningfully ready to defend Canada from any threat.
• No Ask – This is an RCN responsibility to deliver.

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Sexual Misconduct Support and Resource Centre

Overview

Martin Gravel – Sexual Misconduct Support and Resource Centre (SMSRC) Chief Operating Officer

• Martin Gravel was appointed as Chief Operating Officer of the SMSRC in February 2025.
• Prior to joining the SMSRC, he served as the Director General for Corporate Integrity at National Defence, overseeing key integrity functions and advising senior officials. Prior to this, he played a central role in Canada's COVID-19 response and held various senior roles in defence, safety, and risk management across public and private sectors.
• He holds a Bachelor of Science in Public Service Administration from the University of Cincinnati.

Mandate

The SMSRC provides and facilitates access to support services and resources for persons directly and indirectly affected by sexual misconduct within the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) and the Department of National Defence (DND).

• The SMSRC provides advice, guidance and recommendations to the CAF and DND, on all matters related to sexual misconduct, as well as awareness activities, both departmentally and more broadly, as they pertain to sexual misconduct subject matter expertise.
• The SMSRC’s services are confidential with prescribed limits and available to the Defence Community across Canada and the world.

Key Facts

Employees: 257

Budget: $35M

Primary Locations:

• National Capital Region (NCR): 124 employees
• Across Canada, outside the NCR: 133 employees

Key Partners

Internal

• Chief, Professional Conduct and Culture
• DND/CAF Legal Services Advisor
• Judge Advocate General
• Canadian Forces Health Services
• Canadian Forces Provost Marshal
• Chaplain General
• National Defence/Canadian Forces Ombudsman
• Other Level 1 organizations and the Environments

External

• People with lived experience
• External Advisory Council to the SMSRC
• Other Government Departments: Veterans Affairs Canada, Department of Justice, Women and Gender Equality Canada, Ombudsperson Offices
• Academics/Researchers
• Five Eyes partners (United States, United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand)

Top issues

Stability of SMSRC Services

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Potential Mandate Expansion

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Clarifying the SMSRC's Independence

• The SMSRC's Chief Operating Officer reports directly to the Deputy Minister and is independent of the CAF Chain of Command. However, confusion about this independence remains, posing a reputational risk. Clear, consistent messaging about the SMSRC's mandate, role and responsibilities is essential to maintain and promote client trust and to reinforce the SMSRC's status as a centre of expertise in sexual misconduct.

Restorative Engagement Programs

• The Sexual Misconduct Class Action Restorative Engagement Program is in its final year. A final report will be published under the Class Action Final Settlement Agreement. █████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████

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Strategic Joint Staff

Overview

Major-General (MGen) Bob Ritchie – Strategic Joint Staff (SJS) Director of Staff (DOS)

• MGen Bob Ritchie enrolled in the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) in 1994. He has commanded from platoon to brigade level and has also served as the Deputy Command General – Operations for XVIII Airborne Corps of the United States Army.
• His staff experiences include Aide-de-Camp to the Chief of the Defence Staff (CDS), Canadian Army G35 Plans, a secondment to the Foreign and Defence Policy Secretariat at the Privy Council Office (PCO), Canadian Joint Operations Command Operations Officer (J3), and Chief of Staff for the Vice Chief of the Defence Staff. He assumed the duties of the DOS of the SJS on 16 August 2024. He is married with two children.

Mandate

The SJS provides military analysis, decision support, and command enablement to the CDS, who is the principal military advisor to the Government of Canada.

• Empower CDS’ strategic leadership and CAF command.
• Provide strategic awareness: CDS, Deputy Minister (DM), Minister of National Defence, PCO, other government departments (OGDs).
• Manage and optimize readiness as the central output of Defence.
• Conduct strategic planning with OGDs, allies and partners.
• Enable CDS via formulation of advice up and orders down.
• Integrate strategically: planning, direction, synchronization, command and control, effects, and sustainment.

Key Facts

Employees: 432

Budget: $61M

SJS Staff Directorates – National Capital Region:

• Director General Operations
• Director General Plans
• Director General Strategies, Effects, and Readiness
• Director General Support and Chief Joint Logistics
• Director General Coordination
• CDS’ Liaison Officer to the Pentagon

Key Partners

Internal

• Force Employers: Canadian Joint Operations Command (including Space), Canadian Special Operations Forces Command, Cyber Command, Canadian Forces Intelligence Command
• Force Generators: Navy, Army, Air Force, Chief of Military Personnel

External

• North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD)
• North Atlantic Treaty Organization
• United Nations
• Public Safety: Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Canadian Security Intelligence Service, Canada Border Services Agency
• Global Affairs Canada, Canadian Coast Guard, Veterans Affairs Canada
• Public Health Agency of Canada, Transport Canada, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada
• Allies and Partners

Top issues

Continued Support to CAF Current Operations and Future Plans

• Provide timely and effective military analysis and decision support to CDS to inform advice to the government on the employment of the CAF in Canada’s national interest.
• Define the strategic framework for the planning, direction, command and control, sustainment and synchronization of CAF operations.

CDS/DM Directive Implementation: Delivering Ready, Resilient and Relevant Forces

• Outlines 14 Key Tasks under three lines of effort: 1) Strengthening the Defence Team; 2) Delivering Operations and Enhancing Readiness; and 3) Modernizing our Forces and Institution.
• Serves 4 critical functions to aid in implementing defence policy/signature initiatives: 1) sets clear priorities; 2) informs allocation of resources; 3) assigns responsibilities to Level 1 organizations; and 4) establishes a framework for performance measurement.

Strategic Campaign Plan: Defence of Canada, North America and Engagement

• In development, the Strategic Campaign Plan will provide strategic coherence to CAF operations, activities and investments with a focus on Canada, North America and their approaches.
• It will establish Military Strategic Objectives, Effects, and Activities to provide a renewed focus on the Defence of Canada and the three priority regions of the Arctic, Euro-Atlantic and Indo-Pacific.

National Defence / CAF Managed Readiness Optimization, Including Executive Decision Support

• In development, the Managed Readiness Output Plan will better direct/maximize the generation of military forces in support of prioritized defence policy objectives.
• This direction will be informed by a supply/demand analysis of defence resources accounting for both force generation and force employment activities to better inform senior leadership/decision-making.

Joint Logistics Modernization: Defence Supply Chain and Industry Engagement

• Ongoing and future initiatives to transform the Logistics Network into a digitally integrated, agile and resilient enabling capability (changes to authorities, responsibilities and accountabilities, organizational structure and systems for optimized sustainment).
• Fosters closer ties with industry through clear and timely demand signals as a means to enhance strategic preparedness, operational readiness and military resilience.

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Vice Chief of the Defence Staff

Overview

Lieutenant-General (LGen) S.R. Kelsey – Vice Chief of the Defence Staff (VCDS)

• LGen Kelsey began his service with the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) in 1985. He commissioned into the Regular Force and Royal Canadian Armoured Corps in 1988, serving in Canada, West Germany, and Italy. Promoted to Colonel in 2013, he held key roles including Joint Training and Exercises (J7) at the Canadian Joint Operations Command and command of Kingston Garrison. He deployed to Baghdad in 2016 and served as Army Chief of Staff – Strategy in 2017. Promoted in 2020, he became Chief of Force Development, and from 2022 to 2024, he was the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Deputy Commander, Allied Joint Force Command, in Naples. He holds a Master’s Degree in Conflict Analysis.

Mandate

The VCDS coordinates and directs activities to achieve Defence policy and strategic objectives on behalf of the Deputy Minister (DM) and the Chief of the Defence Staff (CDS).

• The VCDS provides proactive leadership, guiding the evolution of National Defence Headquarters (NDHQ) to a strategic-level headquarters and ensuring the realization of Defence and programme objectives.
• Responsible for departmental Level 0.5 governance functions; Chief of Staff for NDHQ.
• Senior Designated Official for programme and projects.
• Second in Command of the CAF.
• Support 17 x Level 2 organizations distributed in the National Capital Region (NCR), the United States, and globally.

Key Facts

Personnel: 10,506

Budget: $400M

Primary Locations:

• NCR
• In Canada (Non-NCR): Military Police (MP) Units across Canada, 1,079 cadet corps/squadrons in ~ 800 communities
• Outside Canada: Defence Diplomacy in 69 countries, MP members serving in over 50 locations.

Key Partners

Internal

• Royal Canadian Navy, Canadian Army, Royal Canadian Air Force, Canadian Special Operations Forces Command
• Strategic Joint Staff, Assistant Deputy Minister (ADM) (Finance), ADM(Policy)
• ADM(Materiel), ADM(Infrastructure & Environment)

External

• NATO, North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), United Nations
• Global Affairs Canada
• Five Eyes Community
• Public Services and Procurement Canada
• Public Safety
• Central Agencies

Top issues

Set Conditions / Assure Both CDS and DM Priorities

• Reconstituting the Armed Forces to an established strength of 71,500 personnel.
• Maintaining support to current operations.
• Continuing to improve culture across the Defence team.
• Supporting the achievement of 2% of gross domestic product (GDP) on defence spending.

Implement – Defence Policy and Investments

• Implementation of the defence policy, including Strong, Secure, Engaged, NORAD Modernization, and Our North, Strong and Free, to include project management, initiative synchronization, funding profile oversight and coordination of the pan-departmental effort.
• This effort includes the provision of expert advice on the means by which the Department may contribute to the plan to reach 2% of GDP on defence derived from and considering departmental resource requirements.

Deliver – Ready, Resilient and Relevant Forces

• 14 Key Tasks under three lines of effort: 1) Strengthening the Defence Team; 2) Delivering Operations and Enhancing Readiness; and 3) Modernizing our Forces and Institution.
• Serves four critical functions to aid in implementing defence policy/signature initiatives: 1) sets clear priorities; 2) informs allocation of resources; 3) assigns responsibilities to Level 1 organizations; and 4) establishes a framework for performance measurement.

Modernize – Departmental Programme and Project Management

• Interoperability with allies and security partners along three lines of effort: 1) Advancing Joint and Emerging Capabilities; 2) Accelerating the Operationalization of Pan-Domain Command and Control Concept; and 3) Enabling the Operational Sustainment Modernization Strategy.
• Optimize internal processes to better define capability requirements and accelerate early governance (identification and options analysis) to deliver warfighting advantage and alliance commitments.
• Collaboration with stakeholders to ensure the CAF closes capability gaps as efficiently as possible while planning the Defence Team structure needed for the future.

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