Welcome to Spring and to a new episode of Battle Rhythm, with co-host Thomas Hughes, Assistant Professor at Mount Allison University. Steve and Thomas discuss European reactions to the US demands for assistance and how this may affect the upcoming NATO Summit in Ankara as Canada meets its 2% of GDP defence investment and the New York Times reporting that the arctic may be too cold for the Canadian Armed Forces to operate in. Today’s Feature Interview is with CDSN Co-Director and Continental Defence expert, Dr. Andrea Charron.

Dr. Charron holds a PhD from the Royal Military College of Canada (Department of War Studies). She obtained a Masters in International Relations from Webster University, Leiden, The Netherlands, a Master’s of Public Administration from Dalhousie University and a Bachelor of Science (Honours) from Queen’s University. Dr. Charron worked for various federal departments including the Canadian Privy Council Office in the Security and Intelligence Secretariat. She is now Professor (IR), Political Studies and Director of the Centre for Defence and Security Studies. Dr. Charron has been featured in the Economist twice for her Canadian foreign policy and NORAD expertise (2019 and 2021) and on the CBC radio show Ideas (2020). She has 4 peer reviewed books (2011, 2022, 2023, 2023) on NORAD, sanctions and 9/11. She is on the editorial board of the Canadian Foreign Policy Journal, the Journal, the Canadian Naval Review and the Army Journal. She has peer-reviewed articles in International Affairs, International Studies, Strategic Studies Quarterly, International Journal, Canadian Foreign Policy Journal and others.

Check-Out Thomas’s forthcoming book: Military Exercises and Threat Perception in Europe: NATO, Russia, and the Politics of War Games, 1975–2018 https://www.routledge.com/Military-Exercises-and-Threat-Perception-in-Europe-NATO-Russia-and-the-Politics-of-War-Games-1975-2018/Hughes/p/book/9781041234210