Vanguard Magazine

6DECEMBER 2025/JANUARY 2026 www.vanguardcanada.com S SIT REP Building a Stronger Canada: Inside the Federal Push to Reinforce the Nation's Defence Industrial Base Commanding the Future: Canada Stands Up the Canadian Joint Forces Command On December 5, the Government of Canada unveiled a sweep- ing new package of targeted investments designed to expand domestic capacity, deepen industry-government collaboration, and position the country for the forthcoming Defence Indus- trial Strategy. To prepare for the rollout of the Defence Indus- trial Strategy, the government is moving early with targeted, high-impact investments that will expand and diversify Cana- da's industrial capacity. These investments are designed to do more than meet today's needs—they aim to build the struc- tural backbone for a more resilient, adaptable, and enduring defence economy. A cornerstone of this effort is the creation of the Regional Defence Investment Initiative (RDII), backed by a federal commitment of $357.7 million. As one of the earli- est moves under the emerging strategy, RDII is intended to plant the seeds of long-term industrial growth across Canada. RDII will help ensure that every region—not just traditional industrial hubs—participates in Canada's expanding defence economy. By investing early and strategically, the government aims to nurture the jobs, industries, and innovation clusters that will power national defence and uphold Canadian sover- eignty for decades to come. Canadian Armed Forces sappers conduct a demonstration on explo- sive devices to the members of the Armed Forces of Ukraine as part of Operation UNIFIER on January 22, 2024 in Poland. Photo credit: MCpl Nicolas Alonso, Canadian Armed Forces. Lieutenant-General D.E. Molstad, CD Canada's military is stepping boldly into a new era. With the creation of the Canadian Joint Forces Command (CJFC)—and the appointment of Lieutenant-General Darcy Molstad and Chief Warrant Officer Donovan Crawford as its inaugural lead- ership team—the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) has carved out a dedicated home for the capabilities that tie all branches together. CJFC represents a fundamental rethinking of how Canada generates and sustains the capabilities required for joint operations. It is not a static headquarters; it is purposely adaptive, iterative, and future-focused. Its evolving structure reflects the speed at which the global security environment is changing—leveraging new technologies, refining opera- tional concepts, and ensuring the CAF remains effective and relevant amid rising geopolitical instability. CJFC's mission is clear: to enable decisive, well-coordinated military action in an increasingly complex world by bringing people, systems, and processes together under a unified command dedicated to joint capability development. A series of internal studies made it clear: the CAF's joint capability framework was over- due for modernization. Gaps existed in how critical functions were being generated, developed, and sustained. CJFC was created to close those gaps.

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