Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan announced earlier today at CANSEC 2018, Canada’s first and new Defence Investment Plan.
The Defence Investment Plan 2018 provides an overview of how the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) will be funded in the coming years to ensure it is well equipped to execute missions appointed by the Government. The Plan also outlines the policy for funding decisions made by the Defence Team, which is made up of CAF personnel and Department of National Defence (DND) civilian employees.
Included in the Plan is an online, searchable tool called the Defence Capabilities Blueprint (DCB). It provides information to help support planning for R&D, strategic partnerships and over 200 projects and contracts that anyone can search for by keyword or in one of Canada’s 16 Key Industrial Capabilities. These 16 capabilities resulted from consultations with over 300 industry and academic stakeholders to align with Canada’s defence policy, Strong Secure, Engaged and the Innovation and Skills Plan:
The 16 Key Industrial Capabilities include:
Emerging Technologies
1. Advanced Materials
2. Artificial Intelligence
3. Cyber Resilience
4. Remotely-piloted Systems and Autonomous Technologies
5. Space Systems
Leading Competencies and Critical Industrial Services
6. Aerospace Systems and Components
7. Armour
8. Defence Systems Integration
9. Electro-Optical / Infrared (EO/IR) Systems
10. Ground Vehicle Solutions
11. In-Service Support
12. Marine Ship-Borne Mission and Platform Systems
13. Munitions
14. Shipbuilding, Design and Engineering Services
15. Sonar and Acoustic Systems
16. Training and Simulation
The DCB, like the previous Defence Acquisition Guide (DAG), provides industry access to planning information such as funding ranges and project timelines and include the following:
A. Projects: Capital equipment or infrastructure projects with a value of over $5 million that are planned and funded under SSE
B. Support Contracts: In-service support contracts and professional services contracts with an expected value of greater than $20 million that will be awarded in the coming years to support the capabilities being delivered under SSE
C. SSE projects: Which are noted and identified
“The Defence Investment Plan delivers on our commitment in Strong, Secure, Engaged to provide Canadians with greater transparency on defence spending,” said Minister Sajjan. “It will provide industry with more information on our government’s defence investments in order to provide the equipment and infrastructure our women and men in uniform need to do their jobs.”
The Plan will be updated every year and approved by the Treasury Board every three years.