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The Vice-Chief of the Defence Staff, who holds authority over the Provost Marshall, submitted his resignation Monday following criticism over his decision to golf with former CDS General Vance who is currently under military police investigation for misconduct. His judgement was incredibly short-sighted, but is it enough to ruin a career?

An unsettling revelation that Information Ops on the Canadian public had been underway for some time before the CDS got wind of it called an immediate halt. Considering that neither the CDS nor the Minister were aware of this initiative, one has to wonder what level of oversight exists for those operators?

10 May update: Partial remains of second crew member, Captain Brenden Ian MacDonald, have been identified after CH-148 Cyclone accident. A repatriation ceremony for all six Canadian Armed Forces members killed at sea in a helicopter crash, took place on 6 May 2020. Read original story and updates here.​

To get the insider perspective on the future of NORAD and how important Canada’s participation in this effort is, FrontLine spoke to Deputy Commander Lieutenant-General Christopher Coates from his post at NORAD HQ, Peterson Air Force Base in El Paso County, Colorado Springs.

The recent revelation of a decision by Correctional Service Canada begs the question, how many other murderers are being released to spiritual healing lodges rather than serving their full sentences?

In taking the lead to highlight innovation, we will endeavour to provide publicity to the companies that are making a difference today. In our Fall edition, we will be initiating a special FrontLine Innovation Platform (FLIP) across multiple industries related to Defence and Safety and Security. 

After VAdm Mark Norman’s request for financial assistance was rejected by DND (which had somehow decided the vice-admiral was guilty before being charged), supporters have stepped up to help pay legal fees for his defence. An overview of the situation that brought Canada's highly respected Vice-Chief to the courthouse.

A former MP is revisiting the "detainee" question, suggesting Canadian soldiers committed war crimes when handing captives over to the local authorities.

At first, I was satisfied that the Canadian Armed Forces had done their due diligence to discipline five members of the CAF who had disrupted a peaceful Mi’kmaq protest. But boasting of a "win" by the Proud Boys clearly indicates little, if anything, was learned.

Defence procurement is a dysfunctional system that includes an ever-growing continuum of approvals but has a non-accountability as its goal.

According to the Oxford Dictionary, a lie is an intentionally false statement (often involving deception or founded on a mistaken impression). A mistake, on the other hand, is caused by bad judgment or a disregard of rule or principle (for example, it was a mistake to lie ).

We're told that procurement has to be complicated, and that teams of lawyers are required on all sides, but let's deconstruct that notion. Thinking outside the bureaucratic box would allow us to reset the parameters for a less cumbersome, faster, and ultimately "more fair" system.

Why does Canada penalize advance investors for losing a defence bid? Why does only one sector benefit from defence offsets when all taxpayers contribute? Good questions, right? 

The year 2016 started out with great promise. First, we had a new and invigorated government...

Is it surprisingly ironic, or sadly inevitable, that the Liberals have begun to reach too far in a quest for control? On 27 October 2016, in a clarification to previous wording, the Government of Canada forbade any private companies interested in work on the CSC project (primes or subs) from any form of public announcement or promotion without prior consent from Irving Shipbuilding. This dangerous first step must be reversed – entirely.

The most important lesson the Trudeau government should take away from Brexit is take advice from informed sources.

May 20 - The U.S. Navy accepted delivery of the most technically complex and advanced warship the world has ever seen, the future USS Zumwalt.

Average citizens should not have to dwell on how to deal angry jihadis. The Government of Canada should not depend on polls or approval ratings before making the necessary hard choices to ensure our peaceful lifestyle is protected against those who would obliterate it.

General Vance admonishes The Chronicle Herald for an editorial cartoon that insinuates the CAF has some issues with the subjugation of women.

Rona Ambrose has been chosen by her fellow party members as the interim leader of the new Conservative party. Ambrose, a very experienced Minister who held the portfolios of Environment, Public Works, and Health during her time in the Conservative Cabinet, was at times impeded by an Opposition that often opposed for the sake of being combative...

Does quality and integrity in journalism matter? Do trade publications do enough to advocate for constructive change with informed commentary? Does the defence and security industry do enough to support the right effort?

The PPF course is for advanced infantry certification on a variety of infantry operations including: airborne, airmobile, rugged terrain and amphibious operations. Trained to rapidly deploy from water, land or air, soldiers with Patrol Pathfinder certification fill a valuable niche in the Canadian Army, including both combat and humanitarian roles.

Getting many new ship builds underway through cooperation with key government departments, ­managing operations with reduced fleets, finding innovative ways to train enough new recruits, and the daunting task of overhauling navy culture, are all key priorities on the Admiral’s plate.

Canada’s air strikes are having the intended disruptive effect. The big question going forward is: will the peaceful Muslim community respond in unity against the so-called “Islamic State”?

Canned media releases and prepared statements are making true journalism more and more difficult.

Many have said it wouldn’t be done, some believed it couldn’t be done, but the federal government is actually working together to find the most workable combinations for defence procurement.

Change is in the wind. Although no one knows exactly how this will play out, defence and aerospace industry leaders welcome the new initiatives, hoping they will bring positive change.

There’s no denying that the Department of National Defence is in financial disarray.

CAF Health Services is recognized as a leader in many areas of military medicine, but is failing veterans suffering mental illnesses.

How Canada builds new destroyers could determine success or failure of National Shipbuilding Procurement Strategy.

The new Commander of the Royal Canadian Navy, has taken the wheel during a time of renewed fiscal restraint. How will these priorities affect readiness throughout the fleet?

Should Canada make defence decisions based on the military’s perceived requirements, or should key national interests dictate what the military needs?

A FWSAR fly-off would be a great idea if it tested either the search or the rescue capabilities (and preferably both). But it tests only speed and range?

Focus on the need for a robust system to challenge requirements specifications and the need to make defendable discretionary decisions to stay on track.

How have women fared in infantry roles over the past decade? Don't even ask, it's a politically incorrect question.

With this great summer weather, one might expect FrontLine’s editorial lineup to be on the light side. We have instead, some serious summer reading on many aspects of defence procurement.

Defence Procurement, SAR and Communication Control.

"Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter," said Martin Luther King Jr., a strong leader during a tumultuous time.

The new Commander of the Royal Canadian Navy talks candidly about maritime and national security, ­discusses the challenges involved in preparing our sumbarines for operational readiness, increasing recruitment and securing the ocean commons for all peaceful nations.

Former Police Commissioner has a steep learning curve ahead if he is to make any difference to Defence Procurement.

The Conservative government has its well-deserved majority.

Are the requirements for public safety, national security and military force converging? Gasp!

One of the most important decisions facing governments of “the west” is how to handle the dangerous unrest in the middle east, particularly Afghanistan.

Can we truly justify sovereignty claims of our Northern lands simply through a few joint exercises held up there during the more ­hospitable months of the year? The simple answer is no.

Three people from different ­backgrounds tackle the topic from widely different perspectives.

Vehicle wear and crew fatigue pose both safety and combat ­performance concerns.

Human rights do not exist for women and children in Afghanistan.

FrontLine articles provide a wide-ranging selection of topics related to space, satellites and research.

Canada’s Minister of National Defence, Peter MacKay, briefs readers on the Canada First Defence Strategy.

Many new names have joined the ranks of FrontLine contributors.

Recruit, train, and equip – these three words sum up the responsibilities of the Chief of the Air Staff – and always with an eye to the future. Long term plans focus on investing in capability, something that has been gradually diminished in recent decades. 

“The Army is growing – and that’s wonderful news because we are now able now to contribute more to the defence of Canada and Canadians.” Lieutenant-General Andrew Leslie discusses transformation, training, capability requirements and other changes that have taken place in the Army in recent years. Even with all the new kit, there are key capability shortfalls.

The creation of Canada Command is one of the most transformational initiatives in the Canadian Forces. FrontLine finds out why we need it, and how its command structure differs from the way things were done in the past.

As one of the four new Force Employers, CEFCOM (Canada Expeditionary Force Command) will focus on international Canadian Forces operations, ensuring that CF assets are optimized to this one effect. The new CF vision fully integrates global operations – with Army, Navy, Air Force, and Special Forces all working as one team – under one operationally-focused commander...

Communicating with the public is increasingly being seen as an essential (and inevitable) aspect of maintaining public support for Canada's dangerous missions. Both CF and government leaders have repeatedly stated the need to rally support for the young Canadian men and women who are presently in harms way…

PSEPC was created with a mandate to build and implement national policies for emergency management, national security, and public safety. Minister McLellan discusses some of the many priorities facing her department.

The new emphasis on Security being recognized and supported by the Canadian Government has had a reinforcing effect on the Navy. After decades of downsizing, the Navy is building and diversifying to cover a wide range of security and policing roles on our coasts.

The revolutionary new way of contracting for the Air Force, Optimized Weapons System Support Management, puts more responsibility on industry, but they also gain in the global market by becoming “best of breed.”

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 has some recommendations which may help.