The 2025 U.S. National Security Strategy arrives, in the words of today’s panel, as a strikingly coherent and assertive statement of American strategic intent—a document whose internal consistency carries deeply worrying implications for Canada, Europe, and global stability. 

It portrays a United States increasingly oriented toward a hemispheric, mercantilist posture, relying on coercive diplomacy in the Americas while softening its language on Russia in ways that appear to concede space for expanded Russian influence in Europe. Rooted in a legislative requirement to justify defence spending to Congress, the NSS must also be read through the lens of U.S. domestic politics, where the coming 2026 midterms and the 2028 presidential election will shape and sharpen Republican debates over the country’s global role.

On today’s episode, Vincent Rigby, former National Security and Intelligence Advisor to the Prime Minister; Kerry Buck, former Canadian Ambassador to NATO; and Christopher Sands, Director of the Center for Canadian Studies at Johns Hopkins, joined us to unpack the new U.S. National Security Strategy (NSS) and its implications for Canada and U.S. allies. The panel discusses the document’s hemispheric framing; shifts in U.S. views toward Russia and implications for European security; the potential weakening of NATO cohesion and transatlantic stability; the domestic political forces shaping U.S. strategy and Republican foreign-policy debates; the absence of Canada in the NSS and what that signals about Canada’s strategic position; risks for Canada related to critical minerals, Arctic sovereignty, industrial policy, and trade diversification; and the broader challenge of navigating U.S. unpredictability and the need to reinforce Canada’s ties to Europe and like-minded partners.

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The CDA Institute is a non-partisan think tank that conducts research and education programming on defence and security.

The CDA Institute is a non-partisan think tank that conducts research and education programming on defence and security.

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The CDA Institute’s Climate Security Programme has launched a limited set of episodes of the Expert Series podcast highlighting key insights from the 4th Montreal Climate Security Summit (MCSS), co-hosted with NATO CCASCOE. 

In our first episode, Director of the Climate Security Programme Pauline Baudu is joined by Eva Cohen, Founder & President of Civil Protection Youth Canada (CPYC), to discuss how civil–military cooperation in Canada is adapting as climate-driven and compound disasters grow more frequent and complex. 

Eva brings experience from Germany’s THW, a leading volunteer-based civil protection model, and has facilitated multiple expert exchanges between THW and the Canadian defence community, including CJOC. Her work outlines why Canada needs a citizen-based civil protection approach and what it will take to make it work. 

In this episode, we explore how community-level preparedness and youth-led training can reduce pressure on national response systems in the context of climate disasters, lessons from THW that could strengthen Canadian resilience, as well as how the CAF can best support whole-of-society emergency management while maintaining civilian leadership 

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THW: https://www.thw.de/EN/homepage/homepage_node.html 

Civil Protection Youth Canada: https://www.civilprotection.ca/

The CDA Institute is a non-partisan think tank that conducts research and education programming on defence and security.

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On today's Expert Series, Paul Taillon and Howard Coombs joined us to discuss Canada's plan to expand its reserve forces, with goals to increase the primary reserve to 100,000 and the supplementary reserve to 300,000. 

They discussed the key challenges, including inefficient recruiting systems, limited training capacity, and the need for better integration with regular forces. Other issues addressed were the supplementary reserve's current role as a civil defence pool rather than a war-fighting force, historical context on the reserve's role in national defence, and the importance of addressing these challenges to maintain Canada's sovereignty and readiness for future threats.

Given the urgent need to address these issues, what steps can Canada take to ensure a more effective and sustainable reserve force strategy in the face of an increasingly unstable global security environment?
Dr. Col. Paul de B. Taillon is the Vice-Chair of the PIF Selection Committee and has over 40 years of academic, intelligence and military experience. Dr. Howard Coombs is an Associate Professor of History at the Royal Military College of Canada and Associate Director Defence Engagement of the Queen’s Centre for International and Defence Policy, both in Kingston, Ontario. He is also a part-time Canadian Army reservist with the Canadian Defence Academy, also located in Kingston.

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The CDA Institute is a non-partisan think tank that conducts research and education programming on defence and security.

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In 2022, Canada unveiled its Indo-Pacific Strategy, committing $2.3 billion to boost its role in a region increasingly seen as the geopolitical and economic center of gravity. Has Canada actually become a relevant player in the Indo-Pacific, or are we still on the outside looking in? And given how quickly things are shifting, is it time to revisit and update this strategy before it becomes outdated?"

On today’s episode of the Expert Series, CDA Institute Research Assistant Daniela Valenzuela Neto was joined by Stephen Nagy for a wide-ranging discussion about Canada’s Indo-Pacific engagement, particularly in light of last week’s budget announcement, and with a new government in Ottawa.

Dr. Nagy discusses the efficacy of Canada’s Indo-Pacific Strategy to date, the importance of moving away from a "preaching" approach and focusing on more sustainable, value-driven partnerships, the challenges of defining Canada's role in a vast and diverse region, how Canada can leverage partnerships like the Quad and AUKUS to maximize its influence without overextending its resources, and the importance of strengthening Canada’s relationship with the U.S. and maintaining a realistic, sustainable presence in the Indo-Pacific.

Stephen Nagy is a Professor at International Christian University, Tokyo and CDA Institute Fellow.

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The CDA Institute is a non-partisan think tank that conducts research and education programming on defence and security.

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Canada's parliament has narrowly approved Prime Minister Mark Carney's first federal budget, allowing his minority Liberal government to avert an early election.

The 2025 federal budget commits an additional $81.8 billion over five years to strengthen Canada’s defence capabilities, with a focus on modernizing military equipment, expanding digital infrastructure, and sustaining current defence assets. It sets a clear trajectory to meet NATO's 2% GDP target by the end of this year and aims for 3.5% of GDP on core military needs by 2035, ensuring strategic investments across personnel, infrastructure, and technology.

Dr. Philippe Lagassé  joined the Expert Series to discuss the significance of the budget,  the creation of a defence industrial strategy and its potential impact on Canada's self-sufficiency in defence technology, the challenges of balancing immediate procurement needs with long-term strategic goals, the role of the new Defence Investment Agency (DIA) in improving procurement efficiency, and the importance of aligning government, military, and industry, the need for a refreshed defense policy and a national security strategy. Lagassé views the 2025 budget as a radical shift, marking a departure from the historical trend of limited defence investment since the mid-Cold War. 

The CDA Institute is a non-partisan think tank that conducts research and education programming on defence and security.

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Canada has shortlisted two international shipbuilders, Germany's TKMS and South Korea's Hanwha Ocean, for its Canadian Patrol Submarine Project, which aims to replace the Royal Canadian Navy's aging Victoria-class submarines. The program plans to acquire up to 12 conventionally powered submarines with under-ice capability and extended endurance, with the first delivery targeted for the mid-2030s. Both bids are now being evaluated for technical performance, delivery timelines, and potential economic benefits to Canadian industry. A final selection could be made as early as late 2025 or early 2026, with contract signing to follow. Full fleet delivery is projected to occur in the 2040s.

On today's episode, CDAI Board members VAdm (Ret) Bob Davidson and RAdm (Ret) Luc Cassivi discuss Canada’s submarine replacement efforts, implications of the downselection and the factors that lead to the shortlisting, technical requirements of the new submarine fleet, Canada's industrial capacity to contribute to the construction of the new submarines, managing long-term sustainment, interoperability with allies, and the potential impact of the new defence procurement agency on the submarine acquisition process.

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The CDA Institute is a non-partisan think tank that conducts research and education programming on defence and security.

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Yesterday, as part of ongoing measures to streamline defence procurement, Prime Minister Carney and the Liberal government launched a Defence Investment Agency (DIA), tasked with accelerating the purchase and delivery of essential military equipment. The DIA aims to ensure that the CAF receives what it needs with minimal delay, while also promoting domestic industry growth. The agency’s creation comes at a time when Canada is seeking to diversify its defence partnerships with allies.

On this week’s episode, Wendy Gilmour, Jeff Tasseron, and Ugurhan Berkok joined us to discuss several key aspects surrounding the creation of the Defence Investment Agency (DIA), offering insights into its intended role in Canada’s defence strategy. They examine how the agency aims to streamline the procurement process, gaps in Canada's defence industrial capacity, challenges in building the necessary domestic capacity, the development of a defence industrial strategy, the potential for increased integration with Europe’s defence industrial base through Rearm Europe, and the challenges in setting up the DIA and avoiding disruption of existing procurement processes and projects.

Wendy Gilmour is the CDA Institute’s Vice Chair of the Board of Directors and former NATO Assistant Secretary for Defence Investment, Jeff Tasseron is CAE’s Director of Strategy and Innovation, and Dr. Ugurhan Berkok is an Associate Professor of Economics at Royal Military College.

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The CDA Institute is a non-partisan think tank that conducts research and education programming on defence and security.

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On this week's episode of The Expert Series, Anne Rifenstein sits down with Colonel (Ret'd) Stefan Boucher and Lieutenant General (Ret'd) Andrew Leslie to give a big picture analysis for the Canadian artillery's role over the next ten years for Canada. They point towards the reactionary approach to defence funding and how it addresses the Army, discuss the best pathways forward for the Artillery to develop its personnel and training programs, and the technological assets that would best serve the agenda of continental defence.

Learn more about the RCAA: https://rca-arc.org/

Subscribe to the RCAA's YouTube channel:    / @theroyalcanadianartillerya2505 

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The CDA Institute is a non-partisan think tank that conducts research and education programming on defence and security.

The CDA Institute is a non-partisan think tank that conducts research and education programming on defence and security.

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In early September, Poland reported a major escalation in Russian drone activity, with 19 drones penetrating Polish airspace. In response, Warsaw initiated consultations under Article 4 of the NATO treaty, a rare move that signalled concern the security of the entire Alliance.  Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney also made a high-profile visit to Warsaw, where he met with Polish leaders and issued a joint statement reaffirming Canada's commitment to regional security and defence cooperation with Poland.

To unpack these latest developments as well as the Canada-Poland defence relationship we’re joined by Polish ambassador to Canada, Witold Dzielski. Ambassador Dzielski discusses Poland's response to Russia’s drone incursion and the broader NATO security implications, NATO’s adaptability to evolving threats, stressing the importance of political will and rapid response, the current Canada-Poland defense relationship, joint operations in Latvia and Ukraine, the outcomes from Prime Minister Carney’s recent visit to Warsaw, and suggests that Canada can draw valuable lessons from Poland’s military spending and defence reforms. 

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The CDA Institute is a non-partisan think tank that conducts research and education programming on defence and security.

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In response to an increasingly complex and competitive Arctic security environment, Canada has taken major steps to strengthen its maritime capabilities. Over the past year, this has included joining the trilateral "Ice Pact" with the U.S. and Finland, beginning construction on two heavy polar icebreakers, and integrating the Canadian Coast Guard into the Department of National Defence. These developments mark a significant evolution in how Canada approaches Arctic sovereignty, maritime security, and allied interoperability.

On this week's episode of The Expert Series, Chris Henderson discusses the rationale and implications behind the integration of the Canadian Coast Guard into the Department of National Defence, the Coast Guard’s evolving national security and law enforcement mandate, the “Ice Pack” agreement with the U.S. and Finland, the geopolitical motivations behind the Ice Pact agreement and its industrial and technological benefits, industrial policy, and long-term governance options for the Coast Guard.

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The CDA Institute is a non-partisan think tank that conducts research and education programming on defence and security.

The CDA Institute is a non-partisan think tank that conducts research and education programming on defence and security.

Learn more: CDA Institute