| Ministère de la Défense nationale | |
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| Department overview | |
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| Formed | 1923 (1923) |
| Preceding agencies | |
| Jurisdiction | Government of Canada |
| Headquarters | Major-General George R. Pearkes Building,Ottawa, Ontario 45°25′24″N75°41′21″W / 45.423339°N 75.68924°W /45.423339; -75.68924 |
| Employees | 24,000[1] |
| Annual budget | CA$30.58 billion (2024–2025)[2] |
| Minister responsible | |
| Deputy Minister responsible |
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| Child agencies | |
| Key document | |
| Website | canada |
TheDepartment of National Defence (DND;French:Ministère de la Défense nationale) is thedepartment of theGovernment of Canada which supports theCanadian Armed Forces in its role of defending Canadian national interests domestically and internationally.[3] The department is a civilian organization, part of thepublic service, and supports the armed forces; however, as a civilian organization is separate and not part of the military itself.[4][5][6] National Defence is the largest department of the Government of Canada in terms of budget, and it is the department with the largest number of buildings, with 6,806 as of 2015[update].[7]
The department isresponsible toParliament through theminister of national defence. Thedeputy minister of National Defence, the senior most civil servant within the department, is responsible for the day-to-day leadership and operations of the department and reports directly to the minister.[8] The department exists to aid the minister in carrying out their responsibilities within the Defence Portfolio and provides a civilian support system for theCanadian Armed Forces.[9][10] Under theNational Defence Act, the Canadian Armed Forces is a completely separate and distinct organization from, and is not part of, the Department of National Defence.
The Department of National Defence was established by theNational Defence Act, which merged theDepartment of Militia and Defence (which was created in 1906 when the British Army withdrew its forces stationed in Canada), theDepartment of Naval Services (the department responsible for the administration of theRoyal Canadian Navy), and theAir Board (which oversaw aviation in Canada). TheNational Defence Act was passed by the Parliament of Canada on June 28, 1922.[11]
Both the Canadian Armed Forces (military) and the Department of National Defence (civilian public servants) are, although two separate organizations, known collectively as the 'Defence Team' as both institutions work closely together in the defence of Canada. The minister of national defence, as the Cabinet minister responsible to Parliament for National Defence, heads the Defence Team.
The Department of National Defence is led by theDeputy Minister of National Defence, currently, Christiane Fox.[12] The Deputy Minister is chosen by the cabinet through the recommendation of the Prime Minister at that time.[13] The Deputy Minister will stay in their position regardless of whether the cabinet or Prime Minister has changed.
The Deputy Minister has a varying amount of Assistant Deputy Ministers (referred to as ADMs), Chiefs, and Associates that oversee various tasks within the department ranging from Material Acquisition to Information Management to Public Affairs.[14] There are 3 other offices that operate under the Deputy Minister: the DND/CF Legal Advisors, the National Security and Intelligence Review and Oversight Coordination Secretariat, and the Chief of Defence intelligence.
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The associate Deputy Minister has no set role description. They are to take over the files and tasks the Deputy Minister gives them. The position is currently held byNatasha Kim, who reports directly to the Deputy Minister.[15]
The Assistant Deputy Minister (Public affairs), referred to as ADM(PA), oversee communications related tasks such as advice and guidance in relation to Canada's defences. The position is currently held byTaylor Paxton, who reports directly to the Deputy Minister.
The Assistant Deputy Minister (Defence Research and Development Canada), referred to as ADM(DRDC), oversees the department's scientific and technological advancements and provides sound technological advice on Canada's defence systems.[16] Dr. Jaspinder Komal is currently assigned to this position. The ADM(DRDC) reports directly to the Deputy Minister.
The Assistant Deputy Minister (Information Management) recently changed their name to Chief Information Officer, referred to as CIO. The CIO group oversees the management of key information and intelligence for Canada's defence and cyber operations for DND and CAF. The position is currently held byRaj Thuppal, who is also the department's Defence Champion for Persons with Disabilities.[17] The CIO reports directly to the Deputy Minister.
The Assistant Deputy Minister (Review Services), referred to as ADM(RS), oversees changes and reviews requested policies and promote improvements to Canadian operations at home and abroad. The position is currently held byGibby Armstrong, who reports directly to the Deputy Minister.[18]
The Assistant Deputy Minister (Data, Innovation, and Analytics), referred to as ADM(DIA), oversees data decision taken by the department as well as overseeing its integration into the department and analytics. The position is currently held by Stephen Burt, who reports directly to the Deputy Minister.[19]
The Assistant Deputy Minister (Policy), referred to as ADM(Pol), oversees defence policy proceedings, developments, and support for the department and the Canadian Armed Forces. The position has been held by Peter Hammerschmidt since 2017 and he reports directly to the Minister of National Defence.[20]
The Assistant Deputy Minister (Finance), referred to as ADM(Fin) or Chief Financial Officer, oversees all financial dealings within the department including but not limited to financial management, budget approvals, financial reallocation, and financial support. The position has been held by Cheri Crosby since 2019 and she reports directly to the Minister of National Defence.[21]
The Assistant Deputy Minister (Materiel), referred to as ADM(Mat), oversees all Materiel acquisitions and service that are needed by the department or Canadian Armed Forces. The position has been held by Nancy Tremblay since July 2024 and ADM(Mat) is accountable to the Deputy Minister of National Defence.[22]
The Assistant Deputy Minister (Infrastructure & Environment), referred to as ADM(IE), oversees real estates acquisitions and needs for the Canadian Armed Forces as well as property management, infrastructure and environmental needs related to the department. The position has been held by Rob Chambers since 2019 and reports directly to the Minister of National Defence.
The Assistant Deputy Minister (Human Resources - Civilian), referred to as ADM(HR-Civ), oversees all the human resources needs of the Defence Teams civilian members which includes but is not limited to recruitment, retention strategies, employment offers, and staffing policies. The position has been held by Isabelle Desmartis since 2016 and reports directly to the Minister of National Defence.[23]
The Canadian Armed Forces is a separate and distinct military organization which works closely with, but is not a part of, the civilian department. The military comprises a variety of commands including theRoyal Canadian Navy,Canadian Army andRoyal Canadian Air Force, and is led by thechief of the defence staff, who is under the direction of the minister of national defence. There are also a variety of offices and support organizations which report to both the chief of defence staff and the deputy minister.
The legal militarychain of command within the Canadian Forces originates from theking, represented by thegovernor general, who iscommander-in-chief. The appointment of the minister, deputy minister, chief of the defence staff and the granting of all commissions in the Canadian Forces are made on behalf of The King.[24]
One of the roles of the Department of National Defence is to support the minister of national defence in the administration of the 'Defence Portfolio', which comprises the Canadian Armed Forces, theCommunications Security Establishment,Defence Research and Development Canada, and the Department of National Defence. These organizations are responsible to the minister. The department is not responsible for all of these organizations itself but rather exists to support the minister in carrying out the minister's duties within the Defence Portfolio.[25]
The post ofassociate minister of national defence, who is also a member of the Cabinet, also exists and takes on files as assigned by the minister of national defence. Since forming government in 2015, Prime MinisterJustin Trudeau has assigned the post of associate minister as an additional role of theminister of veterans affairs, who headsVeterans Affairs Canada, another department outside the Defence Portfolio.
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