Conference of Defence Associations Institute
The CDA Institute's programming convenes experts in Canadian defence, international security, and politics to provide nuanced discussion about current and ongoing issues in defence and security. https://cdainstitute.ca/
Episodes
98 episodes
Canada Narrows Choice for New Submarines
Canada has shortlisted two international shipbuilders, Germany's TKMS and South Korea's Hanwha Ocean, for its Canadian Patrol Submarine Project, which aims to replace the Royal Canadian Navy's aging Victoria-class submarines. The program plans ...
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Season 4
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Episode 48
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53:34
Carney Launches New Defence Investment Agency
Yesterday, as part of ongoing measures to streamline defence procurement, Prime Minister Carney and the Liberal government launched a Defence Investment Agency (DIA), tasked with accelerating the purchase and delivery of essential military equi...
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Season 4
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Episode 47
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42:00
Is Bureaucracy Hindering Military Preparedness? Modernizing Canadian Artillery
On this week's episode of The Expert Series, Anne Rifenstein sits down with Colonel (Ret'd) Stefan Boucher and Lieutenant General (Ret'd) Andrew Leslie to give a big picture analysis for the Canadian artillery's role over the next ten years for...
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Season 4
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Episode 46
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43:42
NATO Article 4 Talks | Canada & Poland Strengthen Defence Relationship
In early September, Poland reported a major escalation in Russian drone activity, with 19 drones penetrating Polish airspace. In response, Warsaw initiated consultations under Article 4 of the NATO treaty, a rare move that signalled concern the...
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31:45
Will the Coast Guard's shift to DND & the Ice Pact Strengthen Canadian Security & Industry?
In response to an increasingly complex and competitive Arctic security environment, Canada has taken major steps to strengthen its maritime capabilities. Over the past year, this has included joining the trilateral "Ice Pact" with the U.S. and ...
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Season 4
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Episode 44
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39:39
What challenges and opportunities will the River-Class Destroyer pose for Canada's naval strategy?
The River-class destroyer is needed to address the aging and retiring fleet of Iroquois and Halifax-class warships, whose capabilities no longer meet current and future operational demands. These new ships will ensure Canada maintains a credibl...
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Season 4
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Episode 43
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34:27
What Has Canada Learned from Op UNIFIER?
Through Operation UNIFIER, Canada’s ongoing support for Ukraine demonstrates the critical role of middle powers in combatting contemporary security challenges. Since 2015, Op UNIFIER has provided training and advisory support to the Ukrainian A...
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Season 4
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Episode 39
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1:03:54
Can Canada Realistically Diversify Its Defence Partnerships Beyond the U.S.?
The rapidly shifting international environment has sparked renewed interest in CANZUK cooperation as a potential axis for middle powers seeking to safeguard their autonomy and security. While Canada, Australia, the UK, and New Zealand have a lo...
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Season 4
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Episode 38
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45:12
Can Canada Afford to Stay Silent on Ballistic Missile Defence?
As Arctic tensions rise, missile technologies advance, and U.S. foreign policy veers toward unilateralism, NORAD faces mounting pressure to evolve. But can it? And will Canada rise to meet the challenge alongside the United States, or risk bein...
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Season 4
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Episode 37
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29:39
Can Russia be Contained in a Multi-Polar World?
The war in Ukraine is not just a regional conflict, it is a pivotal struggle over the future of liberal democracy, Western unity, and the global balance of power. With Russia pursuing expansionist aims, the West divided, and President Donald Tr...
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Season 4
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Episode 36
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47:15
How the RCN is Preparing for 21st Century Threats: A Conversation with VAdm Angus Topshee
With the Royal Canadian Navy facing urgent demands to grow its workforce, maintain aging ships, and prepare for increasingly complex security challenges in the Arctic and Indo-Pacific, can it balance immediate operational needs with long-term m...
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Season 4
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Episode 35
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28:52
True North Strong? A Citizen's Guide to National Defence
Charles Davies Joined the Expert Series to discuss the need for Canada to rethink its approach to national defence in response to a rapidly changing global security environment.Davies analyzes the impact of the changing global security ...
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Season 4
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Episode 34
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58:49
Will Canada Hit NATO's 5% Defence Spending Target?
This week, Canada sat with its allies at the Hague and agreed to triple its defence funding over the next 10 years.Former Defence Minister Peter MacKay joined us to discuss the outcomes of the 76th NATO Summit in The Hague, which saw com...
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Season 4
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Episode 33
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31:19
2% is Just the Start: How will Canada Deliver on Carney's Defence Pledge?
On Monday, June 9th, 2025, Prime Minister Mark Carney announced Canada will accelerate its defence spending to reach 2% of GDP by the end of the 2025–2026 fiscal year, moving the target forward by several years.With Canada accelerating ...
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Season 4
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Episode 32
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41:08
Unpacking Carney's Defence Announcement
On Monday, June 9th, 2025, Prime Minister Mark Carney announced Canada will accelerate its defence spending to reach 2% of GDP by the end of the 2025–2026 fiscal year, moving the target forward by several years.CDAI Board Member and for...
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Season 4
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Episode 31
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28:43
How Ukraine pulled off 'Operation Spiderweb'
Could a swarm of cheap drones launched from hidden trucks inside Russian territory mark a turning point in the Ukraine war?Nearly a week ago, Ukraine carried out a covert drone operation inside Russia, striking five military air bases a...
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Season 4
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Episode 30
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47:57
Is Europe Planning for Yesterday's War? Lessons from NATO's Frontline
As Russia’s war in Ukraine grinds on and tensions rise along NATO’s eastern flank, Lithuania is sounding the alarm, not just for itself, but for the entire transatlantic allianceIf countries like Lithuania or Latvia are tested and Canad...
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Season 4
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Episode 29
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33:53
Ghost Fleets: What does Maritime Autonomous Systems Integration offer the RCN?
As maritime security environments grow increasingly complex, particularly in remote and contested regions like the Arctic, the RCN is considering adoption of maritime autonomous systems (MAS) to enhance surveillance, extend operational reach, a...
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50:22
"Nice but not there": Canada's Reputational Challenges in the Indo-Pacific
With tensions rising in the Indo-Pacific and the global economy vulnerable to disruption, Canada faces growing pressure to define its role in a region that is central to future global security and prosperity. As great power competition intensif...
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Season 4
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Episode 29
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55:01
Trump’s Golden Dome | Ukraine Strikes Deep into Russia | Gaza War Ground Offensive Expansion
In this week's installment of The Geopolitical Update podcast, we discuss intensifying tit-for-tat drone warfare between Ukraine and Russia amidst a substantial prisoner swap and Donald Trump’s call with President Vladimir Putin, President Trum...
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Season 2
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Episode 4
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27:36
The Golden Dome
Dr. Rob Huebert joins today's Expert Series podcast to discuss the implications of Prime Minister Mark Carney’s announcement that Canada is exploring participation in the United States' “Golden Dome” defence initiative, unveiled by Donald Trump...
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Season 4
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Episode 27
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27:36
The Future of the Five Eyes (FVEY) and Canada's Role in it
What do recent changes in the United States’s strategic posture mean for the Five Eyes intelligence-sharing alliance? Over the past several months, allies within the Five Eyes have flagged an alarming level of polarization within t...
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Season 4
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Episode 26
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38:07
Sir Lawrence Freedman | Lessons from Ukraine for the Future of Warfare
How did the 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine reawaken strategic thinking in the West? Russia’s 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine poses challenges for the future of international security. Joining us today is Sir Lawrence Freedm...
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Season 4
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Episode 25
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29:20
Canada Ignores the South China Sea At Its Peril
How should Canada increase its engagement in the Indo-Pacific region? The South China Sea has become a global flashpoint for economic and military tensions. Despite Canada itself being a Pacific nation, our regional engagement and r...
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Season 4
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Episode 24
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51:29
What Does Securing the Arctic Look Like?
Faced with heated threats in the Arctic and American uncertainty in bilateral cooperation, Arctic sovereignty and security has emerged at the forefront of security concerns in the recent Canadian federal election.We met with Dr. Andrea C...
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Season 4
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Episode 23
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47:12