As Canada accelerates defence spending and advances a new era of military recapitalization, one critical question is coming into sharper focus: are training systems keeping pace with the platforms they are meant to support?
In this episode of Vanguard Radio, host J. Richard Jones sits down with Jeff Tasseron to explore why Canada must rethink its approach to military training.
Representing CAE Defense & Security—a global leader in military training and simulation that supports defence forces across naval, land, and air domains—Tasseron brings insight into how advanced, increasingly AI-enabled training systems are reshaping readiness. The company’s work in delivering integrated training and mission support solutions provides a real-world lens on how modern forces can better prepare for complex, multi-domain operations.
Drawing on decades of operational and strategic experience—from commanding maritime helicopter operations to shaping defence transformation at the highest levels—Tasseron unpacks the risks of continuing to procure platforms with stand-alone, OEM-controlled training systems. He makes the case for a fully integrated, national training ecosystem—one that connects people, platforms, and data to deliver real operational readiness.
The conversation also examines how Canada’s evolving procurement landscape, including the growing role of the Defence Investment Agency, is shifting attention toward maximizing domestic economic value. Training and simulation, Tasseron argues, represent a powerful—and often underleveraged—opportunity to build sovereign capability, create high-value jobs, and strengthen Canada’s defence industrial base.
From the challenges of today’s fragmented training models to the promise of integrated simulation environments, this episode explores what it will take for Canada to modernize training as a core pillar of defence capability—not an afterthought.
Key Discussion Points
- The operational risks of relying on stand-alone, platform-specific training systems
- The limitations of current training models in a joint, networked battlespace
- Why training modernization must sit at the centre of defence recapitalization
- How major Canadian defence programs are driving new approaches to training
- What an integrated national training ecosystem could look like
- The role of strategic partnerships in delivering training integration at scale
- Where Canada should begin—and what success looks like