Vanguard Magazine

4 JUNE/JULY 2026 www.vanguardcanada.com E D I T O R' S N O T E The timing of this issue could not have been better planned, though it was not entirely planned at all. When we set Air Force and Continental Defence as the theme for our June/July edition, we knew it was timely. Canada's defence spending is at a generational high, NORAD modernization has moved from announcement to construction, and the RCAF is in the middle of the most ambitious recapitalization in its history. Then CANSEC happened. CANSEC 2026 was the largest edition of Canada's premier defence show to date. Prime Minister Carney took to the stage and announced that Canada had entered discussions with Saab as its preferred sup- plier for an Airborne Early Warning and Control capability built around Global- Eye and the Canadian-made Bombardier Global 6500. Across the show floor, the sense that Canada's air power agenda had moved from planning to execution was hard to miss. Canada's air force modernization is no longer a future commitment. It is hap- pening now. That is the thread running through this issue. MGen Jeff Smyth, RCAF Chief Air and Space Force Development, is direct in our opening interview: the RCAF is replacing around 350 aircraft, roughly 80 per cent of its fleets, over the next decade. BGen Terry Leversedge (Ret'd) examines Canada's integrated air and missile de- fence challenge. Jonathan Cassels, writ- ing as Canadian Policy Hawk, makes the case for why Canada's AEW&C bet makes sense even as the United States moves to- ward space-based alternatives. Our CC- 330 feature looks at the tanker capacity that makes everything else possible across Canadian distances. Cdr. Norm Normand argues that Can- ada's Arctic problem is not a lack of in- tent, but a lack of lift. The Simulation and Training Forum recap brings a different perspective: platforms alone do not gen- erate readiness. Mike Mueller, President and CEO of AIAC, closes the issue with a call to action on turning defence policy into contracts. Canada is buying the future RCAF. Now it has to build the system that lets it operate. 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 E D I TO R | H E N RY LO U I S CONTRIBUTORS T E R RY L E V E R S E D G E J O N AT H A N CA S S E L S N O R M N O R M A N D M I K E M U E L L E R 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 ART & PRODUCTION A RT D I R E CTO R | E L E N A PA N KOVA 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 | office@vanguardcanada.com Publisher's Mail Agreement: 44173998 Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to circulation dept. PO Box 31104 Ajax RPO Westney Heights, ON L1T 3V2 Vanguard magazine is published 6 times per year by Vanguard Media. 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 editor@vanguardcanada.com 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 office@vanguardcanada.com PRIVACY POLICY: We do not sell our mailing list or share any confidential information on our subscribers. VANGUARD MAILING ADDRESS PO Box 31104 Ajax RPO Westney Heights, ON L1T 3V2 Phone: (647) 880-2580

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