Over the years, millions of men and women have placed their lives on the line to protect their country and fellow citizens from the act of war, military combat and armed conflicts. Of these brave men and women, many did not make it back, and those that did suffer from the atrocities of war.
In Canada, there are about 650,000 veterans, of which about 600,000 are Canadian Armed Forces Veterans and the rest from War Service, according to Veterans Affairs Canada. Some of these veterans are suffering from illnesses directly related to their military service, such as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which greatly impacts their mental health. These heroes are directly affected by warfare and other threats they have encountered during their time serving their country. Some have disturbing thoughts, feelings, or dreams related to the events, which are often suicidal in nature. But the sad thing is that this is not just limited to military veterans. There are others who are serving in different capacities that are affected in like manner – RCMP members, first responders, and their families.
These courageous men and women need our support. This is what the Vanguard team has been contemplating for a little while, and we are excited to announce the launch of a new initiative with Wounded Warriors Canada – a leading mental health service provider benefiting ill and injured veterans, first responders, and their families. The new alliance will provide education, awareness, and funds to ensure those who serve our country at home and abroad receive the mental health support they deserve in their time of need. Through this partnership, Vanguard will be donating a portion of all subscription proceeds from its magazine subscriptions to Wounded Warriors Canada. Please consider subscribing to Vanguard magazine in order to support Canada’s ill and injured Armed Forces members, veterans, first responders, and their families. You can do so by going to VanguardCanada.com and clicking on the “Subscribe” tab.
Canada is in the process of acquiring equipment and services to support the Canadian Armed Forces. In this issue, we take a look at the Remotely Piloted Aircraft System (RPAS) project and the Future Aircrew Training (FAcT) program. Read about the RPAS capability that Canada is considering so that it can be equipped to perform precision strikes to support the CAF in both domestic and international operations in an interview that we conducted with Major Jason Furlong, Project Director for the RPAS Project. In another interview with Colonel Pete Saunders, Director of Air Simulation and Training, Royal Canadian Air Force, we delve into the FAcT program, which is designed to incorporate the latest and best concepts of aircrew training available from industry and in use by other militaries around the world.
In July, the Department of National Defence (DND) issued a call to industry to help develop a viable and cost-effective way to track and de-orbit space debris. There are currently hundreds of thousands of debris objects in space that could potentially pose a problem for current and future satellites. Does it make sense for Canada to address this global problem? Be sure to read Kiernan McClelland’s article starting on page 20 about this space debris problem.
As I conclude this Editor’s Note, I would like to highlight our Game Changers for this issue. Meet Darcy Byrtus, President, Defence and Security, Canada; James Kempston, Chief Executive Officer, NP Aerospace; and Ben Whitney, President, Armo and Abuma. Please take the time to read these profiles for these industry leaders’ insights and beneficial takeaways.
I hope you enjoy reading this issue, and don’t forget to support Canadian heroes by subscribing to Vanguard today.
Click on the image below to read this issue.
