NEW VISION FOR DEFENCE: STRONG at home, SECURE in North America, ENGAGED in the world. Informed by the challenges and opportunities we see in the world around us, this policy defines how the Government of Canada will support and employ the Canadian Armed Forces to defend Canadian interests and contribute to a more secure and peaceful world. This policy is grounded in a thorough assessment of the global security environment – one that is marked by the shifting balance of power, the changing nature of conflict, and the rapid evolution of technology. Increasingly, threats, such as global terrorism and those in the cyber domain, transcend national borders. These trends undermine the traditional security once provided by Canada’s geography. Defending Canada and Canadian interests thus not only demands robust domestic defence but also requires active engagement abroad. In recognition of this dynamic, Canada’s defence policy presents a new strategic vision for defence: Strong, Secure, Engaged. This is a vision in which Canada is: • Strong at home, its sovereignty well-defended by a Canadian Armed Forces also ready to assist in times of natural disaster, other emergencies, and search and rescue; • Secure in North America, active in a renewed defence partnership in NORAD and with the United States; • Engaged in the world, with the Canadian Armed Forces doing its part in Canada’s contributions to a more stable, peaceful world, including through peace support operations and peacekeeping. 14 TO SUCCEED IN AN UNPREDICTABLE AND COMPLEX SECURITY ENVIRONMENT, DEFENCE WILL: • Actively address threats abroad for stability at home; • Field an agile, well-educated, flexible, diverse, combat-ready military; • Develop sophisticated awareness of its operating environment to better predict and respond to crises; • Act as a responsible, value-added partner with NORAD, NATO and Five-Eyes partners; • Work with the United States to ensure that NORAD is modernized to meet existing and future challenges; • Balance traditional relationships with the need to engage emerging powers; • Field advanced capabilities to keep pace with allies and maintain an advantage over potential adversaries; • Address the threat stemming from terrorism and the actions of violent extremist organizations, including in ungoverned spaces; • Bolster its ability to respond to increasingly severe natural disasters at home and abroad; and • Increase presence in the Arctic over the longterm and work cooperatively with Arctic partners. In order to meet these objectives, Canada needs an agile, multi-purpose, combat-ready military, operated by highly trained, well-equipped women and men, secure in the knowledge that they have the full support of their government and their fellow Canadians.