Harnessing Strategic Foresight at the Canadian Joint Warfare Centre
July 11, 2023 – Defence Stories
By: Jennifer Whiteley, Information Management Officer for the Canadian Joint Warfare Centre (CJWC)
The Canadian Joint Warfare Centre (CJWC) is a hub of expertise, committed to supporting the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) amidst the complexities of an ever-evolving operational environment. One aspect of CJWC's approach to accelerating the adoption of technology is the integration of strategic foresight. This article explores how strategic foresight can contribute to building a more agile, resilient, and future-ready Force.
Strategic foresight is instrumental in enhancing the ability to support the CAF in operating as an integrated force. By systematically identifying, analyzing, and exploring plausible future scenarios, CJWC ensures that its efforts to examine emerging technologies are informed by a comprehensive understanding of the evolving environment. This forward-looking approach enables CJWC to advance innovative solutions and recommendations which anticipate and address the potential challenges and opportunities faced by the future force.
An example of strategic foresight in action is our focus on examining and testing technologies to enhance the CAF's preparedness for various operations. CJWC employs foresight methodologies, such as scenario planning and horizon scanning, to anticipate potential changes in the operational environment, including emerging threats, technology advancements, and geopolitical developments.
Drawing from these foresight-driven insights, CJWC identifies and evaluates advancing technologies that have the potential to address anticipated future challenges and operational contexts. By rigorously evaluating these technologies and assessing their effectiveness in realistic simulations, CJWC accelerates the adoption of cutting-edge solutions, ensuring that the CAF remains agile, adaptive, and prepared to tackle a wide range of missions.
For instance, CJWC may use strategic foresight to anticipate the growing need for advanced technology systems that leverage AI to better understand the information environment, particularly in the sub-threshold context where actions may not reach the legal definition of armed conflict. In response, we may identify and evaluate emerging AI-driven systems capable of observing and acting on data across physical, virtual, and cognitive dimensions. These systems are designed to help us detect hostile actions, understand the intent and attribution of these actions, and generate possible response options.
Technology assessments not only contribute to the organizational knowledge of the CAF but also support the development of new capabilities and operational concepts tailored to the evolving security landscape. By integrating AI-driven systems into operations, we will be better equipped to process, understand, and exploit vast quantities of data at machine speed, improving our ability to navigate the complexities of the information environment.
The integration of strategic foresight into our efforts to enhance readiness plays a crucial role in ensuring we remain agile, resilient, and future-ready. By employing forward-looking methodologies, we focus on examining and testing technology to effectively navigate the complexities of an ever-evolving operational environment.