From rare earth mineral extraction to immense water usage, to an unlimited supply of electricity, to the soaring demands of data centers and AI infrastructure, humanity’s technological progress is entangled with environmental strain and resource insecurity. In the United States alone, over 5,000 ‘power-hungry’ data centers have used 4% of the country’s total electricity in Read More…
4. Programs
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Rearming the Depths: How Canada Is Reclaiming Undersea Sovereignty
Canada’s $60B+ Canadian Patrol Submarine Project marks a turning point in Arctic defence and strategic autonomy. This piece coauthored by Emma Zhang and Sanam Singh examines whether the procurement can restore under-ice capability and deliver long-term industrial and geopolitical returns.
Money Talks: Assessing the Impact of the New CAF Compensation Bundle on Retention
NOAC JRF Nicholas Thein analyzes the Canadian Armed Forces’ recent pay increases, their effect on retention, and the implications for the CAF’s long-term stability amid ongoing structural challenges.
A SAFEr Bet for Canada? How the €150-Billion SAFE Program Is Pulling Ottawa Closer to Europe
By joining the EU’s €150-billion SAFE program, Canada is positioning itself closer to Europe’s defence-industrial strategy and recalibrating its long-standing reliance on the United States. In this piece, Sanam Singh examines what this shift means for Canada’s alliances, procurement choices, and long-term strategic autonomy.
Russian Drones in Europe: New Tools of Hybrid Warfare
In recent months, there has been a growing number of incursions of NATO airspace by Russian drones. These drone incursions constitute an escalation in Russia’s hybrid warfare against Europe, which has for years sought to erode the NATO alliance, disrupt Eastern European states, and most recently interfere with the continent’s support for Ukraine. For Canada, this drastic uptick in grey-zone aggression should not be taken lightly, as it displays Moscow’s willingness to upset European security.
Canada’s $200 million aid package to Ukraine: Geopolitical and Domestic Implications
Canada’s $200 million contribution to NATO’s Ukraine arms program highlights a growing commitment to deterrence amid shifting alliance dynamics. This analysis by Emma Zhang examines the geopolitical calculations behind the aid and the trade-offs it entails
NATO at Sea and Canada’s Trade Lifelines
As Canada explores ways to diversify its trade partners and deepen ties with Europe, more of daily life runs across the big blue Atlantic. Being a trading nation bordered by three oceans and entwined in long supply chains, the reliability of sea lines is essential to Canadian trade vitality. Roughly 80% of world trade by volume moves by sea, which means reliability of marine trade Read More…
Coalitions of the Willing: Minilateralism and Maritime Security in the Indo-Pacific
Why is minilateralism viewed as the normative security model by states in the Indo-Pacific? What challenges can multilateralism face within the region, and how can minilateralism circumvent them? In this article, Karissa Cruz highlights why the postcolonial context from which much of the region emerged can create limits for NATO-style security cooperation, and why minilateralism has emerged as the primary framework.
What Canada Can Learn About the Whole-of-Society Approach to Civil Defence
In November 2025, the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) unveiled a plan for expanding the Supplementary Reserve force from 4,384 personnel to 300,000. In doing so, the CAF aims to create a civil defence corps out of the Supplementary Reserve. The Supplementary Reserve is distinct from the larger Primary Reserve, which is made up of part-time Read More…
The New Japan: Navigating Nationalist Politics and its Global Implications
Narayan Srivastava examines Japan’s sharp rightward turn and what it means for NATO and Indo-Pacific stability. As Japan’s long-standing political restraint gives way to nationalism and strategic assertiveness, Tokyo is reshaping regional deterrence, alliance politics, and debates over democracy and security. This article explores how a more polarized Japan strengthens collective defence while also introducing new risks of escalation in international security raising questions for NATO partners and Canada as they navigate an increasingly volatile Indo-Pacific order.










