SETTING THE CONTEXT

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY FOR UNDERWATER WARFARE

The Remote Mine Hunting System (RMS), used by the Navy, was sponsored by Defence Research & Development Canada and developed by an integrated project team of government and industry. The semi-submersible, compact, portable and remotely-controlled system can detect and classify sea-bottom mines in water depths of 200m at survey speeds of up to five metres/second (10 knots).

The Defence and Security Environment

The world is changing at an accelerating pace. The globalization of world markets, transportation, communications and financial systems is having a major influence on both developed and developing nations from an economic, cultural and political perspective. These trends represent important opportunities for Canada as a G8 nation and leading partner in the global community. To capitalize on these opportunities, Canada must address emerging and enduring trends. Significant among these trends are growing global energy demand, cross-cultural interactions, changing migration patterns, rapid worldwide disease propagation, environmental degradation and natural disasters, new political alliances and political instability.

The defence and security context facing Canada today - and against which this S&T; strategy is positioned - is influenced by four interrelated factors:

1 - Emergence of the Asymmetric Threat

The threats to Canada's national security are changing with the emergence of international terrorism and the radicalization of elements within the societies of developed nations.

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY FOR IMPROVED INTEROPERABILITY

A CF-18 Hornet and a USAF F-16 train together during The Tiger Meet of the Americas. The aim is to promote solidarity and operational understanding between NATO members including operation of electronic warfare, radar and datalink systems.

Unlike the Cold War threat, where inter-state stand-offs defined a static threat, the terrorist threat is asymmetric and more volatile. While the adversary does not possess comparable military means, it possesses incredible agility, readily available technology and the ability to rapidly identify and exploit societal, military and technological vulnerabilities. This threat also demonstrates a great will, often rooted in dedicated but irrational behaviour by western standards, thereby challenging traditional military solutions.

2 - Globalization of Science and Technology

The accelerating pace of S&T; advances presents a significant opportunity for rapid and cost-effective improvements in the Canadian Forces' capabilities. However, S&T; proliferation enables our adversaries to use asymmetric means to challenge our military capabilities and to target Canada's vital interests.

Driven largely by advances in information technology, our military has benefited from the introduction of precision targeting, stealth, information operations and autonomous systems. However, the timeframe in which a leading-edge military technology provides operational advantage continues to decrease.

Unlike the previous century, military institutions no longer drive most scientific and technological advancements. Advancements with the greatest potential to disrupt military capabilities are increasingly expected to be the consequence of civil sector investments. In the past ten years alone, the world has witnessed the birth and widespread accessibility of the World Wide Web, personal communications, novel materials and genomics - each with defence consequences. On-going civil sector advances in machine intelligence, miniaturization, biotechnology and the convergence of these technologies are expected to shape our future defence capabilities as well as those of our adversaries. Moreover, the origin of many of these innovations is now in Asia and emerging economies, which further erodes the West's military advantage.

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY FOR IMPROVED SOLDIER SYSTEMS

The "Clothe the Soldier Program", an initiative of ADM (Materiel) partnered with Canadian Industry, addressed the deficiencies in CF member's uniforms and equipment. After careful analysis of the Canadian environment, a digital camouflage pattern, CADPAT (Canadian Disruptive Pattern), was developed to offer better protection from detection. The Clothe the Soldier Program went beyond addressing visual spectrum concerns to include countermeasures against enhanced vision technologies, such as infrared scanners, by developing a coating that could be applied to the soldiers' equipment and uniforms.

The future will likely see further volatility and technological surprise such as demonstrated over the past decade by the emergence of network-spread computer viruses and the proliferation of nuclear, biological and chemical (NBC) capabilities.

3 - Growing Complexity of the Conflict Spectrum

The Canadian Forces are expected to operate in an increasingly complex conflict spectrum. The priority of peacekeeping has largely been replaced by a much more complex peacemaking role. The achievement of mission success is evaluated against a tightly coordinated set of effects from a defence, development, diplomatic and trade perspective. Today, the Canadian Forces must fight and win the "three-block war" - the simultaneous conduct, in close proximity, of high-intensity warfare, stability operations and humanitarian operations, typically in a complex environment such as a large urban area.

No longer are Canadian Forces operations focused predominantly on those outside North America. Rather, the national security environment is changing radically. Emerging risks to Canada and Canadians include new health concerns, climate change, bio- and cyber-terrorism and the vulnerability of the nation's critical infrastructure. Indeed, the Canadian Forces contribution to the security of the nation and North America has become the first priority.

4 - The Canadian Defence and Security Agenda

During the Cold War, national security challenges were largely separate from public security issues. Today, they represent more of a single agenda. The Government of Canada, the Department of National Defence and the Canadian Forces are taking actions to shape defence and public security capabilities together. Among these actions is the priority being assigned to the transformation of the Canadian Forces to assure operational success in the new defence and security context, including the most radical transformation of the Canadian military command and control structure in several decades. In parallel, the department is aligning institutional processes for maximum benefit. Key initiatives in the context of this strategy include the adoption of capability-based planning, reform of the materiel procurement process to improve the timeliness and cost-effectiveness of equipment acquisitions, and the rationalization of the department's Information Technology/Information Management assets and capabilities.

Finally, the departmental S&T; investment must be managed in conformance with an increasingly complex set of legislative and policy constraints, including the government's fiscal framework and in compliance with the law. In particular, Canada has an obligation in the study, development, acquisition or adoption of a new weapon, or means or method of warfare to conform with the requirements of national and international law.

This new context calls for a repositioning of the expectations and management of S&T; in defence. The remainder of this strategy describes how this will be achieved.

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