Shows / Conference of Defence Associations Institute
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
Conference of Defence Associations InstituteCan 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?…
Conference of Defence Associations InstituteCan 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…
Conference of Defence Associations InstituteHow 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…
Conference of Defence Associations InstituteTrue 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…
Conference of Defence Associations InstituteWill 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…
Conference of Defence Associations Institute2% 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…
Conference of Defence Associations InstituteUnpacking 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…
Conference of Defence Associations InstituteHow 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…
Conference of Defence Associations InstituteIs 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…
Conference of Defence Associations InstituteGhost 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…
Conference of Defence Associations Institute"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…
Conference of Defence Associations InstituteTrump’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…
Conference of Defence Associations InstituteThe 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…
Conference of Defence Associations InstituteThe 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…
Conference of Defence Associations InstituteSir 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…
Conference of Defence Associations InstituteCanada 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…
Conference of Defence Associations InstituteWhat 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…
Conference of Defence Associations InstituteWhat’s Stopping Canadians from Joining the Military?
What is driving Canada's ongoing military recruitment and retention crisis, and how can the CAF address the challenges that are preventing it from meeting its…
Conference of Defence Associations InstituteIs Canada Ready to Compete for Influence in Africa?
In today’s episode of the Expert Series, moderator Benjamin Ofosu-Atuahene talks with Dr. David Black, Dr. Marie-Joelle Zahar, Dr. Yolande Bouka, and Dr…
Conference of Defence Associations InstituteHow Can Canada-Lithuania Defence Cooperation Strengthen NATO's North?
In today’s episode of the Expert Series, we meet with Egidijus Meilūnas, Ambassador of Lithuania to Canada. Through conversations regarding Lithuania’s current…
Conference of Defence Associations Institute2025 Election: Comparing Conservative and Liberal Defence Platforms
What are Canada’s major political parties promising when it comes to defence, sovereignty, and foreign policy—and where do key questions and challenges remain?…
Conference of Defence Associations InstituteCanada Isn’t Ready—But Must Be, Fast
Will NATO and its allies—including Canada—be able to mobilize quickly enough to address the evolving threat of Russia and China’s alliance? In order to prevent…
Conference of Defence Associations InstituteFrontline Latvia: Building Resilience and Readiness on NATO’s Russian Border
In today’s Expert Series episode, Toms Rostoks, Director of the Centre for Security and Strategic Research at the National Defence Academy of Latvia, discusses…
Conference of Defence Associations InstituteUnpacking the Liberals’ Latest Defence Announcement
In this Expert Series episode, we unpack the Liberal Party’s April 14 defence pledge, announced by Mark Carney, which outlines significant reinvestment in…
Conference of Defence Associations InstituteDepoliticizing Defence and Rebuilding the CAF
In today's Expert Series episode, we speak with Peter MacKay, former Minister of National Defence, to discuss the defence and security challenges Canada faces…
Conference of Defence Associations InstituteCanada in Dangerous Times: Strategic Outlook 2025
In this Expert Series episode, we meet with Dr. Rob Huebert and Dr. Philippe Lagassé to discuss this year’s Strategic Outlook: a timely and essential survey of…
Conference of Defence Associations InstituteCan Canada Afford to Rethink the F-35 Acquisition?
In this Expert Series episode, we meet with Major General (Ret’d) Colin Keiver, Lieutenant General (Ret’d) Andre Deschamps, and General (Ret’d) Tom Lawson to…
Conference of Defence Associations InstituteNational Security in the Age of AI and Robotics
In today’s Expert Series episode, we meet Dr. Daniel Araya, Dr. Kurtis Simpson, Dan Ciuriak, Dr. Roberto Mazzolin, and Dr. Amos Fox to discuss how AI and…
Conference of Defence Associations InstituteNATO’s New Fault Lines: Where Does Canada Stand?
In today’s Expert Series episode, we meet with Robert Baines, President and CEO of the NATO Association of Canada, to discuss the impact of the U.S.'s shifting…
Conference of Defence Associations InstituteCan Canada Reduce its Dependence on the U.S?
In today’s Expert Series episode, we sit down with Xavier Delgado to examine the evolving Canada-US relationship amid rising tariffs, trade disputes, and…
Conference of Defence Associations InstituteIs This the End of NATO as We Know It?
In today’s Expert Series episode, we meet with Mrs. Laura Thornton, Senior Director of the McCain Institute; Dr. Balkan Devlen, Director of the Transatlantic…
Conference of Defence Associations InstituteSolving the RCAF’s Personnel Crisis
In today’s Expert Series episode, we meet with Col (Ret’d) Terry Chester, LGen (Ret’d) Andre Deschamps, MGen (Ret’d) Colin Keiver, and Richard Shimooka to…
Conference of Defence Associations InstituteBilateral Defence Cooperation in the Arctic
In today’s Expert Series episode, Dr. James Fergusson discusses the continued importance of U.S.-Canada defence cooperation in Arctic, despite political and…
Conference of Defence Associations InstituteArt of the Tariff: What Trump Wants from Canada and Implications of a Global Trade War
In today’s Expert Series episode, we meet with Dr. Aaron Ettinger, Dan Ciuriak, Douglas Porter, and Dr. Erick Duchesne to discuss U.S. tariffs on Canadian…
Conference of Defence Associations InstituteWe Don’t Declare Sovereignty, We Build It: Investing in Canada’s Arctic Defence
In this Expert Series episode, we meet with Vice-Admiral (Ret'd) Robert (Bob) Davidson to discuss the growing importance of defence investments in the Arctic…
Conference of Defence Associations InstituteThe Hogue Report: Strengthening Canada’s Response to Foreign Interference
In this Expert Series episode, we meet with Wesley Wark and Richard Fadden to discuss the findings of Justice Marie-Josée Hogue's report on foreign…
Conference of Defence Associations InstituteHas Canada Fallen Behind in a Decade of Global Security Shifts?
In this Expert Series episode, Vincent Rigby and Eugene Lang assess Canada's defence and foreign policy under Trudeau's leadership over the past decade, noting…
Conference of Defence Associations InstituteNavigating a New U.S. Foreign Policy: Trump, Tariffs, USMCA, and CANUS Relations
In this Expert Series episode, Xavier Delgado joins us to discuss evolving US-Canada relations following Donald Trump's inauguration. Delgado highlights the…
Conference of Defence Associations InstituteDefence and Foreign Policy in the Trudeau Era
In this Expert Series episode, Gordon Venner, Kerry Buck, Xavier Delgado, and Dr. Kim Richard Nossal discuss Canada's shifting defence and foreign policy…
Conference of Defence Associations InstituteThreats and Vulnerabilities in Canada’s Arctic
In this Expert Series episode, Dr. Andrea Charron discusses Canada's Arctic threats and vulnerabilities, focusing on the recently released Arctic Foreign…
Conference of Defence Associations InstituteIs Border Security the Solution to Trump's Tariffs?
In this Expert Series episode, Xavier Delgado discusses the evolving dynamics of Canada-US relations in the context of a potential second Trump presidency…
Conference of Defence Associations Institute25 Years of WPS: Progress, Challenges, and the Path Forward with Ambassador Jacqueline O'Neill
Dr. Stéfanie von Hlatky convenes with Ambassador Jacqueline O'Neill, Canada's Ambassador for Women, Peace and Security, to reflect on the upcoming 25th…
Conference of Defence Associations InstituteDefending Canada: Strengthening National Security in an Era of Global Uncertainty
In this Expert Series episode, Vincent Rigby discusses the deteriorating state of Canada-India relations following allegations of Indian agents' involvement in…
Conference of Defence Associations Institute1000 Days of War in Ukraine
In today’s episode of the Expert Series, Yulia Kovaliv (Ukrainian Ambassador to Canada) discusses the 1000th day of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, highlighting…
Conference of Defence Associations InstituteFixing Recruitment and Retention in the CAF: Leadership & Risk Tolerance
In this episode of the Expert Series, Dan Doran discusses retention challenges in the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF), emphasizing the need for leadership to…
Conference of Defence Associations InstituteWhat the ICE Pact Means for Canadian Industry and Arctic Security
In this episode of the Expert Series, panelists Dr. Adam Lajeunesse, Colonel (Ret'd) Pierre LeBlanc, and Dr. Rebecca Pincus discuss the ICE Pact, a…
Conference of Defence Associations InstituteCanada’s Next Submarine Fleet, Part 3: Procurement, AUKUS, UUVs, & Nuclear vs. Conventional
In the third instalment of our series on Canada’s Victoria-Class replacement, Bob Davidson, Mark Norman, and Luc Cassivi discuss the challenges of the current…
Conference of Defence Associations InstituteHow Has Gendered Disinformation Impacted Women in Politics?
In today’s episode of the Expert Series, we are joined by Nina Jankowicz, a Disinformation Fellow at the Wilson Center and co-founder and CEO of the American…
Conference of Defence Associations InstituteConflict-related Sexual Violence in the Ukraine War
In this episode of the Expert Series, we are joined by Dr. Jessica Trisko Darden (Assistant Professor of Political Science at Virginia Commonwealth University…
Conference of Defence Associations InstituteArctic Critical Minerals: Canada’s Strategic Interests
In this Expert Series episode, we meet with Heather Exner-Pirot, Suzanne Lalonde, and Elana Wilson Rowe to discuss critical mineral development and Arctic…
Conference of Defence Associations InstituteRegional and International Implications of War in Myanmar
In this episode of the Expert Series, we meet with Ambassador Bob Rae, the President of the United Nations’ Economic and Social Council and the Canadian…
Conference of Defence Associations InstituteUkraine's Gamble in Kursk: What Comes Next?
In today’s episode of the Expert Series, we convene three of Canada’s foremost experts on Russian disinformation. We are joined by Dr. Paul Goode, McMillian…
Conference of Defence Associations InstituteCanada’s Next Submarine Fleet (Part 2)
In today’s episode of the Expert Series, we return with three experts for the second part of a two-part series on Canada’s submarine fleet replacement of the…
Conference of Defence Associations InstituteCanada’s Next Submarine Fleet (Part 1)
In today’s episode of the Expert Series, we convene three experts for the first part of a two-part series on Canada’s submarine fleet replacement of the…
Conference of Defence Associations InstituteLeveraging AI for the Canadian Armed Forces
In this episode, Daniel Araya explores the Canadian Armed Forces' integration of artificial intelligence, highlighting its role in enhancing military…
Conference of Defence Associations InstituteWill Iran's Next Move Heighten Middle East Tensions?
In today’s episode of the Expert Series, we convene three experts to discuss the escalation of tensions in the Middle East. Behnam Ben Taleblu, Senior Fellow…
Conference of Defence Associations InstituteHow Will Canada's Defence Spending Impact the 2026 CUSMA Review?
In today’s episode of the Expert Series, Xavier Delgado, Research Director of the Washington Forum on the Canadian Economy at the Wilson Center’s Canada…
Conference of Defence Associations InstituteSecuring the North: NORAD, China, and the Future of Arctic Policy
In today’s episode of the Expert Series, Dr. P. Whitney Lackenbauer discusses several key aspects of Arctic security. The discussion highlights the challenges…
Conference of Defence Associations InstituteChina and the PLA's Military Modernization: Implications for Taiwan
In this Expert Series episode, we meet with Dr. Oriana Mastro to discuss Chinese military modernization and what it means for Chinese hegemony in Asia and the…
Conference of Defence Associations InstituteIs Canada’s Navy Prepared For the New Global Security Environment?
In this episode of the Expert Series podcast, we meet with Tim Addison, Norman Jolin, and Adam Lajeunesse to discuss the current state of Canada's security…