Info

The Vanguard Podcast

Welcome to the Vanguard Podcast, a weekly radio show discussing news, trends, and event coverage for the Canadian Defence Industry. Vanguard is Canada’s oldest trade journal of record that provides a forum for Canada’s security and defence community, discussing strategic perspectives and overviews of government and military policy and practice, through interviews with leading practitioners and contributions from renowned experts, including representatives from industry. Intersecting strategy, technology and policy, Vanguard explores emerging trends and best practices to help enhance Canada’s holistic approach to defence and security, both domestically and internationally.
RSS Feed
The Vanguard Podcast
2024
January


2023
November
October
September
May
April
March
January


2022
October
September
August
June
May
April
March
February
January


2021
December
November
October
September
July
June
March
January


2020
November
October
July
May
April
March
February
January


2019
December
September
August
July
June
May
April
February


2018
December
November
August
July
May
March
February
January


2017
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January


2016
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February


Categories

All Episodes
Archives
Categories
Now displaying: 2016
Dec 12, 2016

Canadian sailors seize 2 tons of cocaine in a joint anti-drug trafficking operation in the Pacific Coast of Central America, a Canadian pilot perishes in crash in Cold Lake and L 3 partners with Boeing on the Super Hornet Program.

These are the stories we’ll talk about on this edition of the Vanguard Radio.

But first, CAF faces a class action suit….

+++

Former Royal Canadian Navy member Nicola Peffer is on a mission. She’s seeking to change the culture of sexual harassment and abuse in the military.

And she’s filing a class action suit against the CAF, which the lawyer representing her believes will embolden hundreds of other former and current military members who suffered sexual harassment and abuse to join.

The 34-year-old former sailor served onboard frigates in Esquimalt near Victoria B.C.

She left the force in 2012, after the military rejected her complaints of unwanted sexual advances by her superior.

Peffer said she faced retaliation and professional repercussions after refusing to comply with the sexual demands of one of her superiors.

“When I arrived, I learned the culture was not one of camaraderie, at least for women or LGBTQ members,” Peffer said in a phone interview. “The culture was one of fear and intimidation. The culture was one of abuse, discrimination, bullying, and harassment. The culture was of sexual assault.”

Her allegations have yet to be proven in court. DND said it is aware of the planned legal action and is reviewing its options.

This is only the second class action suit linked to sexual misconduct in the military.

Last month, Glynis Rogers, a former CAF member from Nova Scotia, filed a statement of claim against Ottawa before the Nova Scotia Supreme Court.

She claims she was subjected to sexual orientation-based discrimination, bullying and harassment during training and during her time as a regular member of the armed forces.

Rogers, who joined the service in 2006, said that female CAF members were often called names and treated as inferior members of the military.

If the case proceeds, it could include other women who claim to have suffered similar treatment in the military.

 

Peffer and Rogers’ statement of claims underscore a 2015 StatsCan survey which indicates that 960 members of the were victims assault involving fellow military members in the workplace.

More than 43,000 responses were collected representing 53 per cent of the CAF population. The survey was only released this November.

Unwanted sexual touching was the most common form of sexual assault, reported by 1.5 per cent (or 840) regular force members.

79 per cent members of the regular forces saw, heard, or were personally targeted by sexualized behaviour in the military workplace or involving military members, DND employees, or contractors.

Women in the regular force were more likely than men to be sexually assaulted (4.8 per cent versus 1.2 per cent) in the twelve months preceding the survey.

Some of these incidents occurred even after the CDS Gen. Jonathan Vance had given an order for such behavior to stop.

These recent developments are important because they bring home the gravity and insidious impact of this highly sexualized and abusive culture in the military and its members.

When you have nearly 1,000 employees admitting to be sexually victimized – your organization has a problem.

To be fair, the CDS has made efforts to deal with the situation. Op Honour, which was launched by the CDS last year, has resulted in 30 CAF members being punished and 97 investigations into other cases of inappropriate behavior are underway.

In the period of April to July 2016, a total of 148 incidents of harmful sexual behaviour were reported to the chain of command.

But there are still doubts as to whether the message is getting through.

The 148 reported incidents are far overshadowed by the 960 individuals who reported being victims of sexual assault in the StatsCan survey.

Why are fewer people coming forward to formally report these incidents?

What barriers could be preventing them? Are whistleblowers and victims afraid of reprisal? What protections could be provided to them? How much buy-in from officers if Op Honour getting?

Perhaps, we will get the answers to these questions through the class action lawsuits of Peffer and Rogers.

+++

It was with sadness that Vanguard reported the demise of Capt. Thomas McQueen of the Royal Canadian Air Force.

Capt. McQueen was killed Nov 28th when his CF-18 fighter jet crashed at the Cold Lake Air Weapons Range in Saskatchewan. He had been flying on a regular training mission.

McQueen had been in the RCAF since 2006,

Cold Lake is known as the busiest fighter training base in Canada providing training for all Canadian Forces pilots. The air weapons range covers almost 30,000 square kilometres spanning the provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan.

The crash is currently investigated.

++++

In November, the Liberals announced its plan to buy 18 F/A18 Super Hornet jets from Boeing as an “interim purchase” to address its immediate fighter jet “capability gap.”

It was a controversial announcement since the purchase was being done even before the Federal Government had initiated its competition for the CF-18 replacement program.

And appears to have placed Boeing at an advantageous position over its rivals – primarily Lockheed Martin which is proposing the F-35 Lighting II fighter jet.

At least L-3 Communications was happy to announce early this month that it has memorandum of agreement with Boeing on the production and support service for the aerospace company’s Super Hornet fighter aircraft.

L-3 MAS is one of more than 560 Boeing suppliers across Canada.

The MOU comes at a time when L-3 MAS is celebrating its 30th anniversary of providing integrated technical support for the RCAF’s current fleet of CF-18 Hornets. L-3 MAS was awarded on October 31, 1986, an ITS contract for the CF-18 Hornet, a platform that was first produced by McDonnell Douglas before the company merged with Boeing in 1996.

One more thing, L-3 has undergone a branding transformation.

Effective December 31, 2016, the company will be known as L3 Technologies, Inc.

+++

Well, that’s it for this week’s show.

This is your host Nestor Arellano, saying see you again next week

On the next episode of the Vanguard Radio.

Nov 30, 2016

The CAF’s Web site gets hacked, tips on taking care of your supply chain, and shooting first against ISIS.

These are the items we’ll be taking about on the Vanguard Radio today.

Nov 7, 2016

The CAF honours its first female Army colonel. Two Army officers are seeking formal recognition of the growing number of CAF members with Latino heritage. And the century-old Royal Military College goes under a thorough investigation

These are the stories we’ll be reviewing on the Vanguard Radio.

+++

Early last week, cadets and personnel of the Royal Military College in Kingston, Ontario gathered to hear a somber announcement from Vice- Admiral Mark Norman.

The 140-year-old institution that has groomed the men and women who would become officers of the Canadian Armed Forces was being placed under a review.

By now the Special Staff Assistant Visit team has already begun their initial investigation which Adm. Norman said will cover the “climate, training, environment, culture and program construct at the RMCC.

Deployment of the SSAV comes at a time when the there are several concerns over suspected suicide and allegations of sexual misconduct in campus.

In recent months, there have been several reports of sexual misconduct at the college.

Court martial documents show that an officer cadet received a severe reprimand and a fine of $2,000 in May 2015 after pleading guilty to a charge of assaulting a fellow cadet without her consent in 2013.

The military is also investigating the sudden deaths between May and August of three RMCC cadets aged 19 to 22.

However, Adm. Norman wants to make it clear that the ongoing review is entirely about sexual misconduct.

“Yes that has been one of the contributors, he said

But the SSAV is not exclusively focused on that one dimension.

This is an investigation into a broader malaise, he stressed.

In his letter to the parents, the vice chief of staff said the SSAV team will examine the following areas:

* What are the significant stressors affecting RMCC cadets? Can cadets identify and seek help to deal with stress without being viewed as weak?

* What support mechanisms are available to cadets for their mental health support, physical fitness, and counselling? How are cadets being made aware of these?

* What is the state of moral of RMCC cadets, the military wing and the academic wing? What are the factors leading to this state of morale?

* Does the current command structure of the college allow it to carry out its mission?

The admiral said the findings of the team will help inform decision on what changes or remedies should be done.

The military hope to conclude the review by February next year.

+++++

Elizabeth Lawrie (Beth) Smellie was the daughter of a frontier physician who was a chief surgeon for the Canadian Pacific Railway as it was being built.

Despite her father’s discouragement, she left home to study nursing at Johns Hopkins Hospital School of Nursing in Baltimore, Maryland.

At the age of 25 in 1909, diploma in hand, she returned to Canada to as the night supervisor at McKellar General Hospital in her hometown, followed by a stint as a private nurse.

When the First World War broke out in 1914, Beth was one of the first to be accepted into the Royal Canadian Army Medical Corps as a nursing sister.

No one probably knew it then, but Beth would become the first woman to reach in the rank of Colonel in the Canadian Army in 1944.

Few probably remember her accomplishments now, but she made several ground breaking strides in the field of medicine both in the service and in civilian life.

Beth is also known for organizing the Army’s Canadian Women’s Army Corp. in 1941.

You can find out more about bet in Lynn Capuano’s story: First female Army colonel oversaw creation of CWAC.

++++++

Two Canadian Army officers have taken it upon themselves to shine a light on the contributions of Latin-Canadian members in particular.

Captain Rey Garcia-Salas and Captain Milton Hoyos hope to see, beginning as early as next year, Latin-Canadians acknowledged with an event similar to Black History Month each February and Asian Heritage Month in May.

Both men were part of a CAF delegation to this year’s Festival Latino in Ottawa. They and about a dozen other CAF representatives took part in the event, reports Steven Fouchard in his recent Vanguard post.

A native of Guatemala, who joined the Army Reserve in the late 1990s, Capt. Garcia-Salas is hoping a formal event within CAF will also serve as a demonstration to young Latin-Canadians that the organization is both welcoming and an excellent place to build a rewarding career.

Read more about his story, in Steven’s post: Army officers propose formal Latino heritage recognition

++++

Well, that’s it for now.

I hope you enjoyed our review of some of the stories we covered last week.

This is you host Nestor Arellano, saying see you again next week on, the Vanguard Radio.

Oct 31, 2016

Vanguard Radio Oct 26 2016

 

Thanks Terri.

The battle rages on in northern Iraq as Iraqi troops and Kurdish fighters continue their push to root out ISIS terrorists who once held sway in Mosul.

That and just what is the nature of Canada’s involvement in the assault on Mosul is one of stories in this week’s episode of Vanguard Radio.

But first, an update on the latest issue of the Vanguard Magazine

 

+++

That’s right the digital format of the Oct-Nov 2016 issue of the Vanguard Magazine is out.

Our print issue will surely follow in the next few days.

This time around, Vanguard takes dives into the topic of underwater drones or Autonomous Underwater Vehicles.

The Navy is looking to procure AUVs for marine mine hunting operations.

Rick Gerbrecht of Atlas Elektronik Canada explains why underwater drones are perfect for such a task and also provides us a glimpse of the future of “drone swarms.”

While armed airbourne drones have been called the terror of the skies, unmanned aerial vehicles could be their life-saving counter-parts.

In the latest issue of Vanguard Magazine, Ken Chadder and Kevin Young of Hexagon Safety and Infrastructure, talk about the critical role that drones will play in the planning of real-time emergency response.

For this issue, our Game Changers are: Heather Pilot, president of business consulting firm Pilot Hill and lead organizer of the Best Defence Conference; 

Bodo Gospodnetic, president of Dominis Engineering Ltd., a pioneer in the design, machining and measurement of marine propellers, water jet impellers, and hydro turbine runners;

and George Palikaras, founder and CEO of Metamaterial Technologies.

Be sure to check out the latest Vanguard Magazine you’ll find  the link to it at the bottom or our web site.


++++

On Oct 17, Iraqi government troops and Kurdish Peshmerga forces moved in on Mosul to dislodge ISIS terrorists that have been holding the northern Iraqi city since last year.

The Iraqi troops and the Kurds are being backed by a US-led coalition which also includes Canadian forces.

You’ll find some of our earlier accounts of the battle in the stories Major Move Mosul and ISIS sleeper cells launch counterattack.

But what many Canadian would like to know is the nature of involvement of the Canadian Armed Forces personnel in the operation.

Are our soldiers involved in armed combat or not?

Last Week, photos surfaced on social media which gave the impression that they are in the front lines.

Pictures appearing on Twitter showed men in Canadian uniforms apparently setting up heavy weapons or manning armoured vehicles.

Accompanying reports said they were helping Kurdish fighters in an area east of Mosul.

In our recent story Are Canadian in the front lines in Mosul, the reaction of Defence Chief Harjit Sajjan has been cryptic.

While he did not question the photos, he also did not clearly say if Canadian troops were involved in combat.

Under Operation Impact, the Canadian Armed Forces provide training and assistance to the Iraqi security forces.

We support the Coalition with highly skilled personnel, and provide support to Coalition air and intelligence efforts.

 

Canada is at the forefront of international efforts to defeat Daesh and to address the significant security, humanitarian, and political challenges it poses.

 

But right from the start, the role of Canadian troops was stated by the Liberal government to be non-combative.

Has this role somehow changed to active battle involvement?

 

We think Canadians deserve to know.

The government needs to be more transparent

Canadians shouldn’t be kept in the dark about this and left to find out what’s happening really happening through Twitter.

+++++

 

 

That’s it for this episode of Vanguard Radio.

We hope you enjoyed our recap of some of the developments we have been following this week.

Vanguard will continue to monitor the unfolding events in Mosul as well as the latest reports from the defence industry.

This is your host, Nestor Arellano

Saying see you again next week on the Vanguard Radio

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Oct 4, 2016

Vanguard Radio reports on the military ombudsman’s call for an end to the delay of benefits for medically discharging CAF members. And, the head of Canada’s Communication Security Establishment sounds the alarm on a ticking time bomb called quantum computing.

++

Last month Gen Jonathan Vance provided the public an update on Operation Honour, the CAF’s military campaign against sexual misconduct in the military.

At that time, the CDS said the campaign was off to a good start but also warned that there awas lots of work ahead.

Last week, those tasked with carrying out Operation Honour received much needed help with the launch of The Sexual Offence Response Team.

The new 18-member team will help identify, investigate and help prosecute CAF and DND members responsible for criminal sexual offences.

The Sexual Offence Response Team are dispersed in three-member teams at the six Canadian Forces National Investigation Service’s regional offices located in Victoria, Edmonton, Borden, Ottawa, Valcartier, and Halifax.

The Canadian Forces National Investigation Service is a unit within the independent Canadian Forces Military Police Group.

Frontline Military Police remains a key part of the investigative process as they are often the first point of contact for complainants in reporting any offence. 

++++

Several weeKs ago, Vanguard covered the release of a report from the military ombudsman’s detailing the procedural red tape that delays the benefits and medical services that many medically discharged CAF members need.

The report by Gary Walbourne, the DND and CAF ombudsman, was written back in May but only made public in September.

In it he said the voluminous documents and requirements and administrative procedures that ill and injured CAF members need to navigate through illustrate that the current system is broken.

Last week, the Ombudsman produced another report.

Plainly titled Simplifying the service delivery model for medically releasing members of the Canadian Armed Forces, the document provides a more detailed account of the changes that Walbourne’s office is recommending.

Once more, the Ombudsman also decried the complex procedures which CAF members and their families had to deal with.

For example, medically discharging CAF members had to discuss their cases and produce documentation for three distinct offices – the CAF Veterans Affairs and the Service Income Security Insurance Plan (SISIP).

This meant they had deal with three separate case managers, file 21 separate applications, and navigate three different processes with different timelines.

Among the recommendation of the Ombudsman were:

  • The retention of ill or injured CAF members until all benefits and services from CAF, Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC)and Service Income Security Insurance Plan (SISIP) are put in place.
  • The establishment of a transition concierge service to act as a single point of contact for members and their families. (The UK and U.S. provide this service).
  • The development of a secure web portal (already done by VAC, but not DND and SISIP) single point of entry for all matters related to the transition from CAF to civilian life.

“Far too many members are medically released from the military before they learn what medical or financial support, if any, they will receive,” said Walbourne.

+++

Quantum computing is a much vaunted revolutionary way of computing which promises to help organizations solve complex problems more than a thousand times faster that they could with the fastest computers available today.

Researchers, technology experts and leaders of various sectors believe quantum computing will help accelerate innovation, cut down cost of production and more.

However, quantum computing could also usher in a new age of cyber insecurity where even the strongest data and network protection tools and techniques could be easily bypassed by hackers.

Greta Bossenmaier, head of the Canada’s Communication Security Establishment, warned that within a mere 10 years or by 2026 quantum computing will have the ability to break down even the toughest encryption method we use today.

This has a tremendous impact on how governments, militaries and businesses protect their networks since much of the world’s industries, businesses and utilities are tied to power grids and connected to the Internet.

The CSE fears that an attack on one system could create a cascading effect that would topple other systems connected to the initial target.

The CSE and other similar agencies around the world are now working to develop a new encryption standard before Y2Q – or year to quantum arrives.

“The clock has started to tick. So, unless we collectively get ahead of the quantum challenge and rethink encryption, the systems, and information of companies, governments, of organizations, of citizens – potentially every Canadian citizen – could be vulnerable,” she said.

+++

That’s it for this week’s Vanguard Radio.

Thank you very much again for tuning into our show.

If you would like read more about our stories today, please head over to vanguardcanada.com

I know not a few of you have your own thoughts about the developments we reported on.

You can always leave your comments and thoughts on the comment section of each story, tweet them to us, or share them on our Facebook page.

Until then, this is your host Nestor Arellano, saying see you again next week On Vanguard Radio.

Sep 20, 2016

The Maritimes become host to one of the worlds largest naval exercise,

the public safety minister shoots down a potentially troublesome firearms classification directive by his predecessor,
and CAE bags some $10 million in defence contracts.
This are the stories we’ll discuss on this episode of the Vanguard Podcast.
But first the latest from Operation Honour….

You’ll probably remember near the end of August that the CDS, provided an update on Operation Honour.
That’s the CAF’s campaign launch in 2015 in response to an investigation by Retired Justice Deschamp
On sexual misconduct in the military.
Justice Deschamp found “sexualized culture” within the armed forces
And an edemic sexual culture condoned by the military leadership
While Gen. Jonathan Vance reported last month, that 30 CAF members have been punished
and 97 more investigations were being carried out
He also warned people not to there would be no quick fixes.
It seems the armed forces is getting down to cleaning up its ranks.
Last week, it reported that two military personnel were facing sexual assault charges
One of them is a Master Seaman who is being charged for allegedly sexually assaulting
Another member of the HMCS Athabascan while the vessel in Nov of 20015.
The other, is a sergeant in the Military Police Unit based in Halifax.
The charged military personnel were identified in the released report although there were very little details accompanying the release.
But still, I think this is a step in the right direction and sends the signal that the CAF is serious about Operation Honour
and taking steps to be more transparent.
We look forward to learning from the military as well what is happening to these charges and cases
As they move along the military justice system

Simulation and training company CAE has several updates that they were happy to share as well.
The company, which has regional operations in Canada,
reported that it recently won in excess of $120 million in defence contracts.
Topping the list was an agreement to provide
aircrew training services and courseware development program
for the US the MQ-1 Predator and MQ-9 Reaper drones.
Other notable contracts include:
Contract options on the MH-60 Tech Refresh and Procurement Simulators Program
And a contract to upgrade the Australian Armed Forces
Of their CAE GESI command and staff training system

The Royal Canadian Navy is leading a fleet of 11 ships
and approximately 25 aircraft from Canada, France, Spain, the United Kingdom,
and the United States in anti-submarine warfare drills
Cutlass Fury 16 takes place in and around the Maritime Operating Areas
off the coasts of Halifax, Nova Scotia, and St. John’s, Newfoundland, from September 12 to 26.
Cutlass Fury 16 brings together 3000 participants from five partner nations
and includes 11 surface ships, 3 submarines, and approximately 25 aircraft.


Former public safety minister Steven Blaney
Must have thought a directive he made to the RCMP was locked and loaded.
But Ralph Goodale, the current Liberal minister of public safety, stepped in to shoot it down.

In the waning days of the Conservative government, Blaney issued a directive
To RCMP Commissioner Bob Polson
Blaney gave the RCMP 180 days to evaluate, classify
and issue a Firearms Refernce Table (FRT)
for a certain firearm model so that that model could be imported into Canada.
Blaney then issued a press release
Announcing that he had overturned the RCMP’s earlier decision to classify as prohibited firearms.

The CEska Zbrojoyka CZ-858 rifle and some firearms from Swiss Arms.
Upon assuming office, earlier this year, Goodale discovered the directive and had them rescinded.

His reasons:
Bad time – the directive was issued just days before the federal elections
An arbitrary time line was imposed
And the directive could lead to misclassification of firearms
Which could put the public in danger, said Goodale.
This issue is important
Because it touches on the critical matter of gun control in Canada
And who can classify which firearms as restricted and non-restricted.

 

Sep 14, 2016

It's the new management methodology being used by the Liberal government, and if you work for the government, or are doing business with the government, you need to brush up on deliverology!

Here's your chance to learn the in's and out's of deliverology.

Also in this week's program, we congratulate 8 scholars of the Wounded Warriors of Canada Scholarship Program.

Check out our tips and advice for Canadian defence businesses seekig to expand overseas markets or do business in the U.S.

Aug 31, 2016

The latest edition of the Vanguard Magazine is finally out. In it, readers will find an exclusive interview with Chief of Defence Staff Gen Jonathan Vance. The CDS opens up on the CAF’s controversial Operation Honour and his assessments of how well the armed forces is the protecting rights of individual soldiers and.
Also in this podcast, we discuss the implications of an resolution by the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police (CACP) to seek access to peoples’ smartphone passwords in the course of their investigation.

Aug 9, 2016

Lockheed Martin's F-35 A Lighting II fighter is designated "combat ready" by the United States Air Force. However, the fate in Canada controversial stealth-capable fighter is still up in the air.

Work begins in compiling and reviewing more than 20,000 submissions from Canadians who the government to hear their say on the country's upcoming Defence Policy Review. And Canadian troops are off to a number of military exercises and competition around the globe.

These and more and discussed in this episode of the Vanguard Podcast

 

For more Information

Follow Us on Twitter: @VanguardMag

Like Us on Facebook: Vanguard Magazine

Visit our Website: www.VanguardCanada.com

Subscribe to us on YouTube: Vanguard Canada

Jul 18, 2016

Honour the fallen, help the living

In the show today, we talk about Wounded Warriors and some of their programs that are being used to assist those who have been injured in the line of duty. Joining us to talk more about this is Astrid Neuland of Thales Canada. Astrid is also serving as VP Marketing & Affiliations for Women in Defence and Security and a strong supporter of Wounded Warriors.

We discus the work being done by Wounded Warrior, not only for wounded service men and women, but for those who have served as first responders as well. Finally they talk about how people can get involved and support Wounded Warriors through donating to the upcoming Wounded Warriors Highway of Heroes Bike Ride taking place September 24th and 25th.

For more information or to make a donation please visit:

www.woundedwarriors.ca or,

www.woundedwarriors.ca/highway-of-heroes-ride/home/

Jul 14, 2016

In this episode of the Vanguard Podcast - A NATO report released before the military alliance's summit in Warsaw reveals that Canada lags behind other nation members in terms of defence expenditures.

However, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announces the deployment of Canadian troops at the very doorstep of Russia to act as a buffer against Kremlins recent aggressive stance.

It's back to drawing board for Liberals on the CF-18 replacement program and the latest edition of Vanguard Magazine is now available.

Jun 20, 2016

This week we interview Billie Flynn, a former Canadian Air Force Squadron Commander, with an impressive list of flight experience and combat experience throughout the globe.

 

Nestor Arellano discusses with him the pros and cons of the new F-35 and why it may just be a better "dog-fight" jet than most are making it out to be.

Jun 13, 2016

This week, Nestor covers the recent comments by Harjit Sajjan on the need for replacement fighter jets.

He also discovers the collaboration of Magellan Aerospace and Atlas Elektronik to create the SeaSpider. An underwater warfare weapon that's best described as an anti-torpedo torpedo. 

And BlackBerry has scored a contract extension to the Pentagon, with BlackBerry's AtHoc PFPA network, used to safeguard the Pentagon building and 69 other buildings in the area. With upgrades to the system, BlackBerry's AtHoc solution should help to solve all networking issues the Pentagon had previously complained about.

May 23, 2016

In this episode of the Vanguard Podcast, we report on the Canadian Armed Forces' contributions to the multinational coalition efforts against ISIL which includes the deployment of three CH-146 Griffon helicopters and an intelligence centre in Iraq.

Bad news for the Navy, two Victoria-class submarines are grounded once more due to faulty welding.

May 16, 2016

Vanguard visits the new IMPACT Centre of Lockheed Martin Canada in Kanata. This facility will spearhead the company’s latest research work on projects such as the Canadian Surface Combatant programme.

Terri Pavelic, editor of Vanguard, speaks with Rosemary Chapdelaine, vice-president of Lockheed Martin Canada’s MST business area, to find out more about the new facility.

May 9, 2016

The Canadian Armed Forces sends aircraft, equipment and personnel to help first responders and residents devastated by the wildfires that have engulfed a large swath of Fort McMurray, Alberta.

The Auditor General’s Office has released two scathing reports that detail serious problems involving the Veterans Affairs of Canada’s handling of drug benefits for former soldiers and gross mismanagement of training and equipping Canada’s Army Reserve force.

Apr 18, 2016

In this episode of the Vanguard Podcast we take a closer look at C4ISR.

The C4ISR market is estimated to grow to more than $133 billion dollars by the year 2020. This represents a huge opportunity for many Canadian companies in the defence industry primarily those that conduct research and development of advance technologies.

However, a top executive of an American consultancy firm that deals with U.S. defence and military departments, has identified serious gaps in the military’s C4ISR program.
What are these gaps? How is this relevant to the Canadian defence and military establishment? How can these gaps be addressed?

To find out, listen to this episode of the Vanguard Podcast.

Mar 28, 2016

In this week's show we discuss the horrible tragedy of the ISIS terrorist attacks in the city of Brussels Belgium. We also talk about the reactions from people like our Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, and talk about the upcoming C4ISR event happening in Ottawa on April 20th.

Mar 16, 2016

C4ISR event, Game Changers and armed drones – Episode 16

In this week’s episode of the Vanguard Podcast, John Jones, publisher of Vanguard, tells us why the upcoming C4ISR event on April 20th is the place to be!

Nestor Arellano, also talks about Vanguard’s latest series the Game Changers.

We also cover the opening of the ADGA simulation lab in Kingston, Ontario and discuss the implications of chief of defence staff Gen. Jonathan Vance’s call for armed drones.

For more information on the C4ISR event:
www.C4ISRandbeyond.com

Feb 17, 2016

In this week’s episode of the Vanguard Podcast, we talk about successful airstrikes against ISIS positions, NATO’s war against refugee smugglers in the Aegean Sea, and our video interview series beginning with an exclusive one-on-one with Pat Finn, assistant deputy minister, materiel at DND.

Find out about the latest Conference of Defence Association (CDA) Institute conference in Ottawa and the ConvergX conference recently held in Calgary.

Here are the links from today’s show:
CF-18s Hit ISIS Weapons Cache: www.vanguardcanada.com/2016/02/11/cf…eapons-cache/
Canadian Vessel Part of NATO Warships Sent to Combat Migrant Smuggling:www.vanguardcanada.com/2016/02/11/ca…nt-smuggling/
NSP Program Criticized Analysts Industry Insiders: www.vanguardcanada.com/2016/02/12/na…try-insiders/
National Security Strategies Tackled at CDA Event: www.vanguardcanada.com/2016/02/16/na…at-cda-event/
Defence Aerospace Energy Industry Lines Disappear at Convergx Event:www.vanguardcanada.com/2016/02/12/de…nvergx-event/

Feb 10, 2016

I this issue of the Vanguard Podcast, we talk about the government’s sudden shift in strategy in its battle against ISIS.
Prime Minister Trudeau is putting an end to airstrikes against the terrorist group and pulling the Air Force’s CF-18s out of Iraq and Syria.

Meanwhile, the Canadian aerospace industry is very glad over the lifting of sanctions in Iran. This could mean more import opportunities for Canadian businesses in the industry.

Checkout our podcast to find out about these articles and other issues now.

Canada to pull out CF-18 fighter jets in Syria, Iraq
www.vanguardcanada.com/2016/02/08/ca…n-syria-iraq/

Feb 8, 2016

In this episode of the Vanguard Podcast, Editor-in-Chief Terri Pavelic, and Editor Nestor Arellano interview Alain Tremblay, Vice-President of Business Development at Rheinmetall Canada Inc.

They discus the "Connected Soldier", and the future of technology that will help connect command and control with the soldier and vise versa.

1