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What is Mark Carney’s ‘variable geometry’ strategy, and does it differ significantly from previous concepts of Canadian foreign policy? In this piece, Joel Sawyer (Indo-Pacific and NATO Junior Research Fellow) analyzes continuity and change in Canada’s Indo-Pacific engagement across the current decade, what variable geometry offers, and the challenge posed by worsening global economic conditions.
In his latest piece, Narayan Srivistava argues that Carney’s Indo-Pacific tour was a deliberate push to diversify Canada’s partnerships, improve ties with both developing and developed countries in Asia, and integrate Canada more securely inside the economic and geopolitical networks shaping the region’s future.
How should NATO respond to growing strategic links between the Taiwan Strait and the Euro-Atlantic theatre? In this article, Nguyen Bao Han Tran examines China’s calibrated military pressure on Taiwan and argues that NATO must prepare for the indirect consequences of a Taiwan contingency, from defence-industrial strain to cross-regional deterrence challenges.
Dans les conflits armés contemporains, la violence ne se limite plus aux affrontements militairesdirects, mais s’étend à des leviers indirects visant à affaiblir la résilience des sociétés civiles. Elles’étend désormais aux infrastructures civiles essentielles, et en particulier aux systèmes de santé,qui sont de plus en plus pris pour cibles de manière délibérée. Pourquoi la destruction Read More…
Canada’s decision to replace its aging CF-18 fleet has taken on new geopolitical weight. Initially committed to procuring 88 F-35s, Ottawa began reconsidering further orders in 2025 amid deteriorating US-Canada relations, turning its attention to Sweden’s Gripen as an alternative. This article evaluates the two programs across four dimensions: homeland defence, alliance interoperability, industrial sovereignty, and combat performance. It finds that while the F-35 offers superior stealth and NATO integration, the Gripen presents compelling advantages in Arctic operability, cost efficiency, and supply chain independence. Ultimately, the right choice depends on whether Canada prioritizes allied commitments or long-term defence autonomy.
Rachel Potter examines Canada’s bid to host the proposed Defence, Security and Resilience Bank and its implications for allied defence investment. She explores how the institution would mobilise capital markets to finance defence procurement and industrial expansion for NATO members and partner states, and how hosting the bank could position Canada at the centre of an emerging system of allied defence finance while strengthening its strategic role within the NATO security ecosystem.
As the European Union moves to a more structured defence-industrial strategy, its new programmes are beginning to shape who gets financed to produce what, and on what terms. Canada has secured rare, privileged access to this emerging system through SAFE, but access alone does not guarantee durable industrial relevance. Are Canada, and allies, able to be meaningfully included?
March 16, 2026 marks one year since Mark Carney took office as Prime Minister of Canada, following his victory in the 2025 Liberal Party leadership race. Subsequently, in a rare federal election where foreign policy was the most salient issue, Carney promised to revitalize the Canadian Armed Forces and meet NATO defence spending guidelines while reinforcing Canada’s relationships with its non-US allies and partners. The zenith of Carney’s first year was Read More…
As Arctic security becomes increasingly central to Canada’s defence strategy and the broader priorities of NATO, women and notably Indigenous women, retain imperative roles in deploying Canada’s northern security strategy. Integrating women’s leadership into Arctic defence planning is critical to ensuring that Canada’s northern security strategy is both operationally effective and socially sound. This article aims to highlight key women currently contributing to Canada’s Arctic strategy, as well as illuminate the broader gendered implications of resilience in the North.
With rapid technological innovation, it can be tempting to make technology the central focus of the defence industry by assuming that superior advancements alone could secure victory on a potential battlefield. A dangerous assumption in this current political climate is to assume that war is unlikely and that defence funds would be better allocated elsewhere. Read More…