Vanguard Magazine

8 APRIL/MAY 2026 www.vanguardcanada.com E D I T O R' S N O T E For those I have not yet had the chance to meet, it is my pleasure to introduce myself as the new Editor of Vanguard Canada. Many of you will know this note has been written by Terri Pavelic for many years, and I am grateful to be joining her and the team she has built. I am excited to step into the role as Vanguard enters what I think is one of the most conse- quential periods in Canadian defence in a generation. Canada has reached NATO's 2% GDP defence spending target for the first time since the end of the Cold War. A Defence Industrial Strategy is in place. The De- fence Investment Agency is open for busi- ness. Major platform decisions are being made or are imminent. The conversation in this community has shifted in a way that felt unimaginable just a few years ago. Vanguard's role in that conversation matters. For over three decades this pub- lication has been briefing and connecting Canada's defence community through its magazine, newsletter, and conferences. The people in these pages, the ones being interviewed, writing analysis, and moder- ating panels, are the same people shaping the decisions that will define Canadian de- fence for the next generation. Vanguard exists to give that community a platform to think out loud, share expertise, and en- gage with the challenges ahead. That is the community we serve, and I intend to make sure we continue to deserve that trust. This issue reflects the moment we are in. Lieutenant-General Darcy Molstad put it plainly at the C4ISR and Beyond confer- ence in January. The idea of Canada as a fireproof house, insulated from conflict, is behind us. Now is the time to stand on our own two feet. LGen Molstad's profile traces the stand- ing up of the Canadian Joint Forces Com- mand, a decade in the making and now moving fast. A standing joint capability, ready before the mission rather than as- sembled for it. On page 28, three CAF officers look at that same drive toward readiness from the operator level. They describe what it actually takes to move a good idea from the field into fielded capability. The gap between prototype and operational de- ployment remains a persistent challenge in defence modernization. They are working to close it. The $11.2 billion Future Aircrew Train- ing program is the largest training invest- ment in a generation. Our feature exam- ines what it takes to build a pilot training system matched to the platforms Canada is acquiring. In our Last Word, Ian Mack examines what sovereignty looks like from a supply chain perspective. Building sovereign sup- ply chains and sustaining what we build and buy, through disruption, surge, and the demands of a less stable world, is part of what standing on our own two feet ac- tually requires. There is a lot of promise in this moment for Canadian defence. There is also a lot of work ahead. I look forward to covering it with you, and I hope to meet many of you at CANSEC in May. Henry Louis Editor, Vanguard Canada EDITORIAL E D I TO R-I N-C H I E F | T E R R I PAV E L I C terri@promotivemedia.ca P U B L I S H E R A N D E X E C U T I V E E D I TO R | J. R I C H A R D J O N E S john@promotivemedia.ca E D I TO R | H E N RY LO U I S CONTRIBUTORS N O R M A N J O L I N I A N M AC K EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD LGen S T U A RT B E A R E (Ret'd) Col R I C H A R D F AWC E TT (Ret'd) Capt(N) N O R M A N J O L I N (Ret'd) Col P I E R R E L E B LA N C (Ret'd) CA R I N N A L I N S H A N N O N M CC L U R E SALES D I R E CTO R, CO N T E N T & B U S I N E S S D E V E LO P M E N T | DAV I D B LO N D E A U david@promotivemedia.ca ART & PRODUCTION A RT D I R E CTO R | E L E N A PA N KOVA elena@promotivemedia.ca S U B S C R I P T I O N S A N D A D D R E S S C H A N G E S C I RC U LAT I O N S E RV I C E S | circulation@promotivemedia.ca Publisher's Mail Agreement: 40052410 Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to circulation dept. 21374, 2nd Concession Rd, East Gwillimbury, ON, L9N 0H7 Vanguard magazine is published 6 times per year by Promotive Communications Inc. All opinions expressed herein are those of the contributors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher or any person or organization associated with the magazine. Letters, submissions, comments and suggested topics are welcome, and should be sent to terri@promotivemedia.ca REPRINT INFORMATION: Reproduction or photocopying is prohibited without the publisher's prior written consent. High quality reprints of articles and additional copies of the magazine are available through circulation@promotivemedia.ca PRIVACY POLICY: We do not sell our mailing list or share any confidential information on our subscribers. VANGUARD OFFICE 21374, 2nd Concession Rd, East Gwillimbury, ON, L9N 0H7 Phone: (905) 727-3875 THE FORUM FOR CANADA'S SECURITY AND DEFENCE COMMUNITY

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