Message from the Minister of National Defence

It is my privilege to present this new defence policy on behalf of the Government of Canada. Strong, Secure, Engaged is a long-term, fully funded plan built around people. The women and men of the Canadian Armed Forces and the families that support them are at the heart of everything we do. Providing them the training, equipment and care they deserve is the most important objective of this policy.

Strong, Secure, Engaged was informed by the most open and transparent review Defence has ever undertaken. I would like to thank everyone who contributed: thousands of Canadians who engaged online and in townhall meetings organized by Members of Parliament, experts who participated in roundtables across the country, members of the House of Commons and Senate committees who produced detailed reports, senior officials representing our key allies, the many dedicated members of the Defence team who worked tirelessly, and our partner departments and agencies in the federal government. I would also like to thank the four members of the Minister’s Advisory Panel, whose analysis and advice was instrumental.

The pages that follow detail a new vision for the Defence team for the coming decades. It is about our contribution to a Canada that is strong at home, secure in North America, and engaged in the world. In a rapidly changing and less predictable world, we recognize that the distinction between domestic and international threats is becoming less relevant. Therefore, we cannot be strong at home unless we are also engaged in the world.

The policy also includes a new framework for how we will implement that vision. “Anticipate, Adapt and Act,” sets out a way of operating that addresses the challenges we face today, and the ones that will emerge tomorrow.

Canadians take pride in their Armed Forces, and its members serve their country admirably every day. Whether it is responding to natural disasters, providing expert search and rescue, defending our sovereignty, or contributing to greater peace and security in the world, our military answers the call wherever and whenever it occurs.

Strong, Secure, Engaged is all about serving our women and men in uniform better than in the past. Looking to the future, Canadians can be confident that the policies and investments set out here will deliver what they need to get the job done.

Yours sincerely,

The Honourable Harjit S. Sajjan, PC, OMM, MSM, CD, MP