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OPINION: by The Honourable Jean Jacques Blais
Just how many wake-up calls do we really NEED?
Canada’s lack of investment in its military is regularly in the headlines. Media seizes on each tragedy as examples of the government’s failure to adequately provide proper, modern and safe equipment to enable the men and women of our armed forces to do the job they are being asked to do. We need to seriously examine how we equip our military to represent our nation to the world. Although Canada is not a poor country, it has gained international notoriety for trying to defend itself – and what it stands for – on the cheap. |
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Policy: by Major Rob Day
Every Pitfall is a Pratfall – Taking Defence Responsibilities Seriously
On the eve of the forthcoming Defence Review and the inevitable White Paper, it is necessary to remind those responsible for this endeavour of the need to avoid some of the more egregious pitfalls and pratfalls of previous documents, so that we can perhaps start afresh. |
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R & D - NEOps: by Dr Orrick White & Dr Ingar Moen
The Human Dimensions of Network Enabled Operations (NEOps)
In the USA and Austrialia, it's called Network Centric Warfare (NCW) and Network Centric Operations (NCO). The UK and NATO call it Network Enabled Capability. Canada calls it Network Enabled Operations ("N-E-Ops"). Whatever you call it, the human-system interface is where the 'rubber hits the road.' Without systems that are designed to be human-centric, NEOps will be a ‘non starter.’ Studies of command and control compatibility between human operators and the network need to be conducted. Without this human oriented emphasis, unintended consequences will emerge. |
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TRADE RELATIONS: Interview by Chris MacLean
International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITARs)
An interview with Stan Jacobson, VP Export, CDIA US State Department Policy – Office of Defense Trade Controls: Canada’s defence industry is struggling to find ways to mitigate some aspects of the ITAR policy and the way it is administered. The CDIA (Canadian Defence Industries Association) has some recommendations which may help. |
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FYI - UAVs: by MGen (ret) John Leech
Learning to Walk Before We Run with ALIX
CFEC has conducted a series of simulated and live experiments with “uninhabited aerial vehicles” (UAVs) and the information environment that supports their use. The Atlantic Littoral ISR Experiment (ALIX), is the latest major undertaking in the ongoing CFEC program. |
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NAVAL INITIATIVES: by Chris Wattie
The Halifax Class Modernization Project
The Department of National Defence (DND) has a $3-billion plan to upgrade the frigates. But what was to have been a mid-life refit and modernization has been pushed back by funding shortfalls to the point that the oldest vessels of the class are not scheduled to begin their nine-month facelift until 2011. |
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INTERNATIONAL FORCES - Germany: by Mark Romanow
German Bundeswehr Transforming for Deployability
The reduced post Cold War threat, attendant budget reductions, and numerous regional conflicts are driving factors behind the comprehensive restructuring of the Bundeswehr (Military) since German reunification, from a large Mechanized (MECH) force structured to repel heavy armoured attacks by Warsaw Pact forces at the InnerGerman border, into lighter rapidly deployable units suited for UN-missions and Peace Support Operations (PSOs). |
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AIR FORCE: by Stefan Degraef and Edwin Borremans
AETE’s Fab T-Birds – Ejecting Dummies, Saving Lives
As the exclusive flight test agency of the Canadian Forces (CF), the AETE (Aerospace Engineering Test Establishment) conducts a wide variety of flight and ground testing involving every aircraft and helicopter type in the Canadian inventory. Furthermore, AETE is also responsible for the evaluation of all new systems to be installed on air-launched weapons used by Canadian military aircraft and helicopters. |
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ANALYSIS: by Sunil Ram
The DND/CF Manpower Crisis
So what IS the reality at NDHQ and DND? Though there is a manpower crisis in the rank and file of the CF, quite the opposite situation exists within the officer ranks. It might be described as ‘officer bloat,’ a situation whereby, from a practical military position, there are statistically too many officers for the number of non-commissioned officers and soldiers in a military organization. |
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NATO ROUNDTABLE: by Joshua Kilberg
Terrorism / NATO / WMD
The Atlantic Council of Canada hosted Ted Whiteside, head of NATO’s Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) Centre, for a roundtable discussion on how NATO is addressing terrorism and WMD concerns. Speaking from the broadest possible definition of NATO – that is, its 26 member states, as well as the seven Mediterranean Dialogue nations, and the 20 partner countries – Whiteside’s presentation offered a unique glimpse into the current WMD defence planning. |
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CANADA/US PARTNERING: by Tara Borin
CABC Awards – Defence Industry Recognized
Recognizing efforts leading to the successful development and marketing of Reactive Skin Decontaminate Lotion (RSDL), a revolutionary safety product for first responders, the ODEL / E-Z-EM team is the recipient of this year’s prestigious Canadian American Business Council (CABC) Achievement Award. The team of O’Dell Engineering Ltd. of Cambridge, Ontario, and EZ-EM, Inc. of Lake Success, New York, was selected as this year’s recipient of the Canadian American Business Achievement Award celebrating highly successful business partnerships between Canadian and American firms. |
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AIR FORCE: by Peter Pigott
JSF Contract Update
By the 1990s, the U.S. Government wanted a single-engine, stealthy (radar-evading), supersonic multi-role fighter for warfare 40 years into the future. And if that wasn’t difficult enough, it also had to be “transformational.” With development costs for modern fighters rising, commonality and outsourcing to multiple allies became the norm that produced the Tornado, the Eurofighter, and the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF). |
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CONFERENCE HIGHLIGHTS: by Chris MacLean
Meet the Minister of National Defence
The Royal Canadian Military Institute held a Joint Research Conference in September on Roles for Canada and NATO (presented in conjunction with the Atlantic Council of Canada and the Canadian Institute of Strategic Studies). Organized by Col (ret) Brian MacDonald, RCMI’s Chair of Defence Studies, this conference offered thought-provoking dialogue on many key aspects facing the defence and security world today.
Arriving for a Dinner Address, the Honourable William Graham, Minster of National Defence, expressed a desire to “listen to the ideas that have come out of your discussions around today’s timely topics.” Read the Minister’s speech.
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INTERVIEW: by BGen (ret) James Cox
Major General Andrew Leslie - Kabul and ISAF
Returning from his Kabul posting as Deputy Commander of ISAF, MGen Leslie remains convinced of the need for more soldiers and modernized equipment. In an exclusive FrontLine interview, he offers his insight of time spent in Kabul, and makes a surprising suggestion for increased efficiency. |
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NAVY: by Richard Gimblett
Asia-Pacific Diplomacy: Navy-style
Navies have many purposes, primary among them being diplomacy. Our Navy has begun the return to peacetime diplomatic activities. Canada’s West Coast fleet, known as Maritime Forces Pacific (MARPAC), developed an “Asia-Pacific Engagement Plan” to guide its deployment priorities in conjunction with its normal naval training and operations cycles. The most recent deployment was made by HMCS Regina, over the summer of 2004. |
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INTEROPERABILITY: by Michael Abramson
Defence Interoperability for Crisis Management
The events of 9/11 are forcing greater sharing of critical information and imposing major cultural changes within governments and defence, safety and crisis management agencies. The near-universal call for increased sharing of intelligence and situational awareness information demands a closer look at existing solutions. |
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FYI: by MGen (ret) John Leech
Robots Everywhere!
We have been bombarded by more and more reports of how unmanned systems are becoming part of our lives. An overview of UVS Canada, and a look at where Canada is going with UAVs in the near future. |
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ENFORCEMENT: by Paul C. Whitehead
Police Helicopters: Cost vs Benefits
Well accepted in some communities, Police Helicopters are a contentious issue in others. North American communities fall into three broad categories: those that have police helicopters; those that don't want them; and those that don't have them but have divided opinions on the need. And in the latter, those opinions are often fiercely divided… |
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NATO: by Peter Pigott
NATO Airborne Early Warning
Created to give warning of a Soviet air attack, the NATO Airborne Early Warning and Control Force (NAEW & CF) dates from October 17, 1980, and is based at Geilenkirchen on the German/ Dutch border and at three Forward Operating Bases at Trapani, Italy, Aktion, Greece and Konya Turkey and a Forward Operating Location at Oerland, Norway… |
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R&D: by Dr Harold Stocker & Dr Ingar Moen
Non-Lethal Weapons
Non-Lethal Weapons (NLWs) are explicitly designed and primarily employed so as to incapacitate personnel or materiel, while minimizing fatalities, permanent injury to personnel and undesired damage to property and the environment. The legal and ethical suitability of the non-lethal application of technologies is complicated by outdated international laws and protocols… |
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AIR FORCE: by Anil R Pustam
US Air Power
An analysis of weapons platforms used during Operation Desert Storm through to the technology and capabilities available for Operation Iraqi Freedom… |
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FINANCE: by Pamela O’Dell
SR&ED Tax Credits
Looking to get back some of your investment in research activities? Scientific Research and Experimental Development (SR&ED) refundable tax credits may be the way to put the money back in your company’s coffers. Most of us have to do research... here’s how take advantage of the government tax breaks… |
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NEWSLETTERS: by WO W.E. Storey
60th Anniversary of D-Day
Commemoration of the 60th Anniversary of D-Day included several public events held in Ottawa during the weekend of 4-6 June, 2004. |
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BOOK REVIEW
Operation Apollo / Author: Richard Gimblett
Anyone who might question the relevance of Canada’s naval service needs to read Richard Gimblett’s new book. The author's vast experience, most significantly his 27 year naval career, has enabled him to capture Canada’s important contribution to the War on Terrorism in an insightful and cohesive presentation. - reviewed by Jerrod Riley |
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BOOK REVIEW
JUNO: Canadians at D-Day / Author: Ted Barris
If you are looking for a book about the involvement of “average” Canadians in the D-Day landings, as told by those that were there, you will find this book a “must read.” - reviewed by Maj Rob Day |
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BOOK REVIEW
Mud, Blood & Poppycock / Author: Gordon Corrigan
This book undertakes to "right” many of the myths and falsehoods that have persisted about that war. The author suggests that the popular view of the war is not supported by the empirical evidence at hand. He posits that our view of WWI was shaped by the interpretation of a relatively small number of writers and intellectuals. - reviewed by Maj Rob Day |
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GUEST EDITORIAL: by Dr Bernard Rudolf Bot
The EU's Fight Against Terrorism
Dr Bernard Rudolf Bot, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Netherlands, discusses the need to strengthen transAtlantic relationships to fight terrorism. "To safeguard international peace and security, the multilateral system will have to find an effective response. Whatever their differences, the United States and Europe should maintain a united front in the face of tomorrow’s challenges..." |
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NATIONAL SECURITY: by LCdr George Kearney
NSP – New Approach to Maritime Security
Entitled Securing an Open Society: Canada’s National Security Policy, the NSP sets core national security interests. It recognizes that one of the most effective means of ensuring Canadian security is to deal with potential threats overseas, before they reach Canadian territory. Emphasizing overseas intelligence gathering, cooperation with our allies, and the ability to contribute capable and credible forces to international operations will continue to be vital to our national security... |
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SECURITY & INTELLIGENCE: by BGen (ret) Cox
NSP – Time to Get Serious!
What happened to the National Security Policy (NSP)? After being announced amid considerable fanfare on April 27, 2004, it quickly disappeared from the radar screen during the federal election campaign. Now that the election is over, the NSP needs significant work. To be fair, there are some positive aspects in the document... |
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ACCOUNTABILITY: by Alan Breakspear
Intelligence Oversight
The war on terror has brought with it a new awareness of the business of intelligence – how intelligence is conducted, what it produces, how it is used and its strengths and weaknesses. Some observers have identified a new phenomenon of “public intelligence,” in which governments talk publicly about the intelligence they have used as the basis of major decisions, including that of going to war. The public, and the media, have more access to information about intelligence than ever before, but is the information well understood by its presenters and its audience? |
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OP-ED: TERRORISM: by Mjr Rob Day
Terrorism, Is Canada Ready?
There would be only one rule that the Fourth Generation War fighters would follow – that there would be no rules… While the United States has conducted a relatively robust review of their security weaknesses and made massive structural and administrative changes to address their shortfalls, what have Canadian officials accomplished? |
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NAVY: by Richard Gimblett
The Naval War Against Terrorism
The departure of HMCS Calgary from the Arabian Sea on 1 November 2003, marked the end of Operation Apollo, almost exactly two years after HMCS Halifax ‘chopped' to the operational control of CENTCOM on 24 October 2001. It has been the fullest two years of Canadian naval activity since the end of the Korean War, and the lessons are legion... |
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INITIATIVES: by Chris Wattie
CF on the PR Offensive – “warts and all” coverage?
In a far corner of sprawling Camp Julien, a group of eight reporters set up shop – the first journalists to be formally “embedded” with a Canadian Forces (CF) unit in the field. Members of the 3rd Battalion, Royal Canadian Regiment battlegroup in Kabul were on the sharp end of a quiet public relations offensive by the Canadian Forces: an attempt to raise the profile of our perennially hard-pressed, perpetually cash-strapped and often derided military... |
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ANALYSIS: by Sunil Ram
The Big Snafu: The Media and the CF
In an environment of instant access to news, military leadership must understand the media and, by default, recognize that the media is the primary conduit that they have to the Canadian public. However, this relationship is a two-way street as the media can also represent or misrepresent the CF and its leadership to the public. Thus, this relationship has developed into a love-hate affair, which has led to a level of conflict between the military and media... |
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AIR FORCE Report Card: by Peter Pigott
"Baby Herc" the C-27J SPARTAN
During 1995 discussions on possible offsets for an Italian order of its C-130J, Lockheed Martin and Alenia conceived an updated variant of the G222. Company executives concluded that there was a need for this and a feasibility phase was launched the following year with the Lockheed Martin Alenia Tactical Transport Systems (LMATTS) company formed in November, 1996 ... |
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SAR Report Card: by Jacques Simard
FWSAR Contenders
Using the C-130E Hercules for comparison Jacques Simard offers a different point of view of the SAR contenders vs the CP-140A Arcturus... |
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RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT: by Ingar Moen
S&T - Transforming Defence
One of the major Science & Technology (S&T) drivers for defence transformation over the next 5-10 years is the integration of rapidly advancing technologies: networks and communications; information systems; long-range precision capability; sensor technologies; and low observable technologies... |
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LEADERSHIP: by LCdr John Morrison
Measuring Leadership Potential
From performance comes new knowledge as lessons learned can then be applied to improve future performance. Knowledge becomes both a strategic and tactical asset that has the potential of being a “force multiplier” in the decision-maker’s tool kit. In some respects corporate knowledge could be viewed as a leader’s ultimate resource system in achieving his objectives ... |
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BOOK REVIEW: Lance Goddard, author
D-Day: Canada's 24 Hours of Destiny
Goddard has done an admirable job in giving the people who actually did the fighting an opportunity to speak for themselves. Canadians need to hear their stories. As well as being a must-buy for every Canadian home, D-Day: Canada’s 24 Hours of Destiny should be required reading in every Canadian high-school ... |
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