Vanguard Magazine

F E AT U R E www.vanguardcanada.com FEBRUARY/MARCH 2026 21 willingness of political leaders, officials, scholars, and citizens to think in terms of ends, ways, and means. It demands that choices be debated openly and that inter- ests be defined explicitly. Nations that pos- sess such cultures, such as Britain, France, and Australia, can adapt to changing envi- ronments without losing coherence. Cana- da must join them. Building this culture requires deliber- ate effort. Professional military education should emphasize strategic theory along- side operations. Universities and think tanks should foster sustained dialogue between scholars and practitioners. Parlia- ment must institutionalize strategic review, ensuring that defense and foreign policies are debated as integrated instruments rath- er than separate portfolios. Most impor- tantly, Canadians must learn to see secu- rity not as a distant abstraction but as the precondition of prosperity and autonomy. Developing a grand strategy will not be achieved through a single document or commission. It must evolve through sustained practice. Yet several steps could begin the process. First, Canada should es- tablish a National Security Strategy Secre- tariat responsible for integrating defence, foreign, and economic policy planning. Such a body would provide continuity across governments and ensure that na- tional objectives inform departmental pro- grams. Second, the government should mandate a comprehensive maritime strat- egy that connects Arctic sovereignty, trade resilience, and alliance commitments into a single framework. The Navy, Coast Guard, and commercial shipping sectors must be treated as parts of one ecosystem of national power. Third, Canada should develop a National Industrial Mobilization Plan linking defence procurement, tech- nological innovation, and energy security. Economic resilience is strategic resilience. Finally, strategic education must be in- stitutionalized. Senior public servants and military officers should undergo joint training in strategic analysis, ensuring a shared vocabulary of power and purpose. These steps are not revolutionary. They are the routine practices of mature pow- ers. What is revolutionary for Canada is the willingness to think strategically at all. For generations, Canada's security rested on fortunate geography and be- nevolent hegemony. Those conditions no longer guarantee safety or influence. The world that allowed Canada to drift with- out strategy has disappeared, replaced by one in which deliberate choice and cred- ible power determine survival and pros- perity. The RCN stands at the forefront of this national adjustment. Its mission: defend- ing sovereignty, contributing to deter- rence, and maintaining global stability embodies the link between prosperity and power. But the larger task extends beyond any single service. It requires a transforma- tion in how Canadians conceive of their place in the world. To act strategically is to accept responsi- bility for one's future. Canada must learn once again to connect its ideals to its in- terests, its ambitions to its means. Only by cultivating a genuine strategic culture rooted in history, informed by debate, and expressed through maritime strength can the nation move from reacting to events toward shaping its destiny. Reprinted with permission, Starshell Fall 2025 issue, www.navalassoc.ca Brian Santarpia (retired Rear-Admiral) is a decorated Canadian naval officer and for- mer Commander of Maritime Forces Atlan- tic, where he was responsible for the Force Generation of half of the Royal Canadian Navy's capacity, specifically the Maritime Combat Capabilities in Halifax. He began his military career in 1986, holding operational and training positions in both of the Royal Canadian Navy's Fleets until his retirement in 2023. During his career, Brian has held increasing responsibilities in support of the Vice Chief of Defence Staff, naval personnel, and joint operations. He graduated from the National Security Programme and holds a Bachelor of Commerce from Royal Roads Military College and a Master of Defence Studies from the Royal Military College of Canada. Vard Marine Inc. Naval Architects & Marine Engineers www.vardmarine.com autonomy at sea. engineered by vard.

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