Vanguard Magazine

54 APRIL/MAY 2026 www.vanguardcanada.com So What Those in the defence business will not be surprised by what I have written, nor will such industry experts agree entirely. I have never worked in a Canadian defence com- pany but I have worked with many. I have an appreciation for just how challenging it has been for many of Canada's defence in- dustries to survive and prosper. So why did I write this note? I hear many positive comments in con- ferences and announcements from all sides about bigger defence budgets, the stand up of the Defence Investment Agency (DIA) and the recently released DIS. And to support DIS, the government has also launched a Canadian Defence Industry Re- silience Program to address the sorts of is- sues mentioned in this article. Anyone who has followed my published work will know how passionate I am about setting and managing expectations in a transparent manner. Having been a plank owner of the implementation of the Na- tional Shipbuilding Procurement Strategy when expectations were not well managed, I see some parallels. I am truly thrilled to see the excitement and long overdue intentions to dramati- cally increase the funding and support for the CAF, the creation of the DIA and the release of the DIS. While I would be disappointed to be branded as a perpetual naysayer, I do admit to being a profes- sional worrier as a result of a decade with a portfolio of billion-dollar-plus platform acquisitions for the Royal Canadian Navy and the Canadian Army. I have tried to provide a glimpse of just a couple of potential challenging issues ahead in terms of achieving in-service sov- ereign supply chains. All of these activities will only thrive if the right expectations are set in terms of patience, perseverance through the shortfalls and the creation of multitudes of truly collaborative relation- ships based on trust. We have done it before. We will stumble when we miss weak links in the chain, as Tony Hsieh has reminded us. But we must persevere in a pragmatic way in home- shoring our weapon systems platform sustainment capabilities to the greatest extent possible. As General John Pershing is quoted as saying so very long ago, "The infan- try wins battles but logistics wins wars." Beyond the shiny weapon systems, the support must be assured despite the challenges. Failing in that mission is not an option – CAF members' lives are at stake. Rear-Admiral (Retd) Ian Mack served for a decade (2007-2017) in the Department of National Defence, with responsibilities re- lated to the National Shipbuilding Strategy, three shipbuilding projects and four vehicle projects. Ian is a Fellow of the International Centre for Complex Project Management, the World Commercial and Contracting As- sociation and the Canadian Global Affairs Institute. T H E LA S T W O R D FROM CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE TO THE BATTLESPACE Resilient communications and edge networking for austere environments Aliter Technologies-3CIS Resilient communications for austere environments. aliter.com Modern operations — whether supporting defence missions or critical infrastructure — are increasingly conducted in remote and communications-challenged environments. Aliter Technologies 3CIS brings together NATO-proven defence systems expertise with operational experience supporting Canada's energy, telecommunications, and utility sectors. From tactical networking and edge computing to deployable communications infrastructure, Aliter Technologies 3CIS delivers technologies designed to operate where traditional networks cannot. By bridging defence and critical infrastructure applications, Aliter Technologies 3CIS enables resilient operations across some of the world's most demanding environments. Electronic Countermeasures NATO Platform Experience ICT systems integration supporting major defence platforms including armoured vehicles, artillery systems, and air defence infrastructure. Critical Infrastructure Operations Supporting Canadian energy, telecommunications, and utility operators working in remote and austere environments.

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