Command, Communications, Control, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (C4ISR) is a crucial facet of the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) operations and a growing area that is getting more attention in recent years.

Lieutenant Colonel Ian R. Graham

In this episode of Vanguard Radio, J. Richard Jones speaks with Lieutenant Colonel Ian R. Graham, Director of Land Requirements 4, at the Department of National Defence.

Lieutenant Colonel Ian Graham is currently the Directorate Land Requirements section head responsible for projects focusing on Command and Control (C2), Electronic Warfare and Simulation in support of training systems. 

He joined the Canadian Armed forces in 1990, graduating from the Royal Military College in Kingston, Ontario in 1995 with a degree in Computer Engineering.  Since that time has served in Petawawa, Bosnia, Afghanistan, Kingston, Iraq and Ottawa.  He has held a wide variety of staff positions including managing C2 system security accreditation, multiple postings as a project manager and project director focusing on delivering tactical land C2 systems to the Canadian Army and various operational communications planning positions. 

His operational deployments include a 6-month tour in Bosnia in 2003 as the Task Force G6 Operations, deployment to Afghanistan in 2006 as the Canadian Battle Group Signals officer and finally to Kuwait as the Operation IMPACT J6 in 2013.  As a Major, he commanded 1 Squadron, Canadian Forces Joint Signal Regiment and has attended the United States Marine Corps Staff Program in Quantico, Virginia.

Within DLR, Lieutenant Colonel Graham is currently focused on advancing the Canadian Army Land C4ISR capital projects and specifically looking to enable more agile approaches for high tech capability development.

Hear about how they are changing the way the Canadian Army is acquiring capabilities; short, cyclical procurement cycles; Initiative 42 of SSE; budget restraints; agile approach of procurement; emerging technologies, and operational capabilities.