United in Service of Defence and Security since 1920 |
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Dear Visitor, Welcome to the new Dispatches!RAUSI Dispatches is upgrading its format and focus – it now identifies select international events and analyses that may escape notice in Canada yet impact defence and security of Canada and its allies. To enrich fuller understanding of new global threat vectors, RAUSI Dispatches draws on foreign news briefs and analysis to complement platforms offering Canada-focused news in defence and security. This issue is a four-minute read.
- Repelling external assaults on Canada’s sovereignty; a National Security Strategy and a budget
- Geopolitics and Military Affairs: Three Stories Flying Under the Radar
- International Law in a Nuclear Age
- Honouring Heroes: Calgary's Living Memorial
- Join RAUSI
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Repelling external assaults on Canada’s sovereignty; a National Security Strategy and a budget |
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RAUSI began a series of RMCSD panel discussions on national security strategy in autumn 2025. The September panel concerned the U.S. strategy; the October panel, Canada’s strategy. The 27 November panel will examine the individual strategies of select European states – Netherlands and Romania – that are facing a very real and increasingly clear and present danger from Russia. The fourth panel, in January 2026, will address how these states’ individual strategies contribute to NATO strategy and other international organizations' policy. Offering these global perspectives will afford audiences comparative insights into the processes of strategy research, drafting, and accountability — helping to identify which approaches work better than others and why. This series on national security strategies is one of RAUSI’s responses to the assault on Canada’s sovereignty that has become evident during the tenure of the current U.S. administration. The assault manifests across various domains — military (foreign-sourced control systems on Canadian aircraft and ships), economic (tariffs), and political (“51st state”). Future panel series will explore the elements comprising Canada’s vital national interests that serve as centres of gravity for sovereignty and assess Canada’s Defence Industrial Base.
The assault has triggered heightened awareness globally of how Canada — and other similarly affected states — must respond. Canada’s budget, introduced on 4 November 2025, is a “sovereignty budget.” It aims to strengthen Canada’s geopolitical, economic, and military centres of gravity. This is further reinforced by Canada’s 2025 trade initiatives with the European Union and ASEAN Member States, and by the creation of a Defence Investment Agency. -- L J (Joe) Howard, PhD, LL.M., MA, President, RAUSI |
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RAUSI is a non-partisan think tank and first mover in advancing new issues in defence and security. Go to RAUSI's website and YouTube channel. |
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Geopolitics and Military Affairs: Three Stories Flying Under the Radar |
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Is Russia’s Longstanding Foreign Minister Lavrov Losing Influence? The 7 November online Moscow Times reports that Russia’s Foreign Minister, Sergei Lavrov, may be losing influence despite his 21-year working relationship with President Putin. The Moscow Times referred to a Financial Times report suggesting this waning influence stems from the Budapest Summit between Presidents Putin and Trump — announced on 16 October — not proceeding due to Lavrov’s “intransigence” in preparatory discussions with his U.S. counterpart, Secretary of State Marco Rubio. One might ask, would Rubio be any less intransigent than his counterpart in such discussions? Recall that certain loyal senior military personnel have retained their rank and office despite the performance of the Russian military establishment since the 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
An RCAF Option for Canada in Patrolling Its Three Oceans Laura Fleischmann reported in Euronews on 7 November 2025 that Germany has taken delivery of the first of eight P-8A Poseidon aircraft, at a total cost of CAD 5.1 billion. Arguably, such aircraft would be useful for Canada — though on a larger scale, given the need to patrol three oceans. The P-8A enhances maritime surveillance and combat capability by employing five MK-54 lightweight torpedoes and four AGM-84 Harpoon anti-ship missiles. The aircraft has a range of approximately 7,000 km, which can be extended through air-to-air refuelling.
Submarines for AUKUS: Control Issues? Fatima Bahtić reported in Naval Today on 7 November 2025 that BAE Systems, Raytheon Australia, General Dynamics Mission Systems, and Thales have agreed to collaborate on a tri-national combat system for SSN-AUKUS submarines, based on General Dynamics Mission Systems’ AN/BYG-1 combat control system, funded by the United States and Australia. The system is currently deployed on Australia’s Collins-class submarines and the U.S. Navy’s Virginia, Los Angeles, Ohio, Columbia, and Seawolf classes. Recall that the AUKUS arrangement underwent a feasibility review by the U.S. earlier this year. One might ask whether AUKUS’s use of foreign-sourced systems could raise issues concerning operational control over a given state’s military platforms — similar to concerns raised by Vice-Admiral Mark Norman in February 2025 regarding Canada’s River-class frigates. |
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International Law in a Nuclear Age |
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Russia’s continuing threat to use nuclear weapons is not new. However, Thomas Newdick reports in TMZ on 3 November that Russia launched its new nuclear torpedo-carrying submarine in Severodvinsk, 1,300 km north of Moscow on the Barents Sea, around 1–2 November. Another new development is that Russia conducted its first long-range test of a Poseidon “doomsday torpedo,” which the submarine was designed to carry. To put matters in perspective, in its Legality of the Threat or Use of Nuclear Weapons – Advisory Opinion of 8 July 1996, the International Court of Justice was unable to conclude on the legality of the use of nuclear weapons by a state in defence of its sovereignty. The request had been made to the ICJ by the UN General Assembly. Consistent with many of the pieces in this issue of Dispatches, sovereignty is a problematic paradigm. |
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Honouring Heroes: Calgary's Living Memorial |
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Each November since 2009, a green space along Memorial Drive transforms into a striking sea of white crosses. The memorial honours more than 3,700 Albertans who made the ultimate sacrifice defending Canada’s freedom. The crosses are a quiet testament not only to Canadian soldiers but also to the international partnerships that have shaped Canada’s military history. From the battlefields of Europe in the World Wars to modern missions in Afghanistan, Canadian soldiers have served alongside allies from the United Kingdom, France, the Netherlands, and beyond. Each cross represents not just a life lost but a shared commitment in a global story of courage and sacrifice. Whether you visit the Field of Crosses in person, take part in one of the ceremonies on November 11, or watch the televised service, these acts of remembrance invite us all to pause, reflect, and never forget the sacrifices made for the freedoms we hold today. | |
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RAUSI’s legacy dates back over a century, originating during WWI. Being a member means you are part of a historic tradition of national service—an inspiring link to generations of Canadians dedicated to shaping and protecting Canada’s place in the world. RAUSI remains a unique institution at the forefront of national defence dialogue and professional development. Visit our website to learn more about why membership is invaluable today. |
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All members are welcome to contribute newsworthy matters to future monthly issues of Dispatches by e-mailing us at admin@rausi.ca. Questions or submissions? Write to admin@rausi.ca. |
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RAUSI is a Canadian-based forum for global civilians, humanitarian, military and international police communities to present original thought on trending issues, in their formative stages, as they relate to global security and defence. Formed in 1920 as a think tank, RAUSI later evolved into a service organization for veterans in the decades following the World Wars. In this new era, RAUSI has evolved back into a think tank, publishing original content, curating extant articles, and sponsoring speakers' symposia which amplify cross-disciplinary models of 21st-century security and defence. |
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