Defence Research and Development Canada (DRDC; french: Recherche et développement pour la défense Canada, ''RDDC'') is a

special operating agency A special operating agency is a designation given to a government organization within a department or agency of the Government of Canada that has some management flexibility, independence, and separate accountability. They function, without legisl ...

of the

Department of National Defence Department of Defence or Department of Defense may refer to: Current departments of defence * Department of Defence (Australia) * Department of National Defence (Canada) * Department of Defence (Ireland) * Department of National Defense (Philippin ...

(DND), whose purpose is to provide the

Canadian Armed Forces } The Canadian Armed Forces (CAF; french: Forces armées canadiennes, ''FAC'') are the unified military forces of Canada, including sea, land, and air elements referred to as the Royal Canadian Navy, Canadian Army, and Royal Canadian Air Force. ...

(CAF), other government departments, and public safety and national security communities with

knowledge Knowledge can be defined as awareness of facts or as practical skills, and may also refer to familiarity with objects or situations. Knowledge of facts, also called propositional knowledge, is often defined as true belief that is disti ...

and

technology Technology is the application of knowledge to reach practical goals in a specifiable and reproducible way. The word ''technology'' may also mean the product of such an endeavor. The use of technology is widely prevalent in medicine, scie ...

. DRDC has approximately 1,400 employees across eight research centres within Canada.

History

After the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fig ...

, national research and development in Canada was organized under the

National Research Council National Research Council may refer to: * National Research Council (Canada), sponsoring research and development * National Research Council (Italy), scientific and technological research, Rome * National Research Council (United States), part of ...

(NRC). The NRC was founded in 1925 based on a wartime British recommendation to establish military laboratories in Canada, but by that time the main priorities were developing domestic university and industrial research and civilian projects.Turner, p.15 Greater interest in military applied research arrived in 1935Turner, p.16 when Major-General

Andrew McNaughton Andrew is the English form of a given name common in many countries. In the 1990s, it was among the top ten most popular names given to boys in English-speaking countries. "Andrew" is frequently shortened to "Andy" or "Drew". The word is derive ...

became President of the NRC.;Turner, p.17 in the period before the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

the NRC undertook research in radar, aviation medicine, artillery, aircraft, gas masks, and metallic magnesium production.Turner, p.18 Chalmers Jack Mackenzie became acting President at the onset of the Second World War when McNaughton assumed an operational command within the

Canadian Army The Canadian Army (french: Armée canadienne) is the command (military formation), command responsible for the operational readiness of the conventional ground forces of the Canadian Armed Forces. It maintains regular forces units at bases acr ...

, formally succeeding McNaughton in 1944.Turner, p.30 Following the

fall of France The Battle of France (french: bataille de France) (10 May – 25 June 1940), also known as the Western Campaign ('), the French Campaign (german: Frankreichfeldzug, ) and the Fall of France, was the German invasion of France during the Second Wo ...

in June 1940, the NRC assumed control of all Canadian scientific research and became responsible for applying it toward military applications.Turner, p.20 Laboratories and facilities were established by the NRC and the

;Turner, p.26 biological and chemical warfare laboratories cooperated closely with Allied counterparts.Turner, p.29 SnowballSuffield500t

In 1944, Chalmers Mackenzie and the armed forces began considering the issue of post-war military research, and concluded that a separate military research organization was required.Turner, p.35 The result was the creation of the ''Defence Research Board'' (DRB) within the

(DND) in April 1947, which took over coordinating defence research from the NRCTurner, p.37 and advising DND on scientific matter.Turner, p.69 The overall organization of defence research continued to mimic the NRC.Turner, p.37 The DRB was – as envisioned by proposals in 1945 – an interim solution; creating an organization within DND required minimal political action compared to creating a new government department that would subsume both the NRC and defence research.Turner, p.36 Omond Solandt was the first Chairman of the DRB.Turner, p.41 The DRB received seven existing NRC facilities.Turner, p.41 The DRB was the last part of DND to adapt to the

unification of the Canadian Armed Forces The unification of the Canadian Armed Forces took place on 1 February 1968, when the Royal Canadian Navy, Canadian Army, and Royal Canadian Air Force were merged to form the Canadian Armed Forces. History A white paper was tabled in the Parlia ...

of 1968. DRB began transitioning to the new structure in 1974, and dissolved in 1977. Six of the seven DRB research establishments were transferred to the newly created ''Defence Research and Development Branch'' (DRDB) of the Canadian Armed Forces (CF).Turner, p.298 In the 1990s, budget cuts and the complexity of greater reliance on cheaper contracting drove a review of the organization of defence research. In 2000, the DRDB was replaced by ''Defence Research and Development Canada'' (DRDC) which was – like the DRB before – a DND agency.Turner, p.2317

Research centres

Atlantic Research Centre

Located in

Halifax, Nova Scotia Halifax is the capital and largest municipality of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Nova Scotia, and the largest municipality in Atlantic Canada. As of the 2021 Census, the municipal population was 439,819, with 348 ...

, the Atlantic Research Centre conducts research and development activities related to the maritime defence and security domains, but also to the air and land environments. The Centre traces its formation to 1944 when it was established as the Defence Research Establishment Atlantic (DREA) by the

Royal Canadian Navy The Royal Canadian Navy (RCN; french: Marine royale canadienne, ''MRC'') is the naval force of Canada. The RCN is one of three environmental commands within the Canadian Armed Forces. As of 2021, the RCN operates 12 frigates, four attack subma ...

. DREA was one of the originating organizations that came together in 1947 to form the Defense Research Board which later became DRDC. The Centre provides expertise in the following areas: * antisubmarine warfare * mine and torpedo defence * shipboard command and control * naval platform technology * emerging materials * signature management * maritime information and knowledge management * virtual platforms and virtual combat systems The Atlantic centre also operates two materials laboratories in the

CFB Halifax Canadian Forces Base (CFB) Halifax is Canada's east coast naval base and home port to the Royal Canadian Navy Atlantic fleet, known as Canadian Fleet Atlantic (CANFLTLANT), that forms part of the formation Maritime Forces Atlantic (MARLANT). It ...

and

Esquimalt The Township of Esquimalt is a municipality at the southern tip of Vancouver Island, in British Columbia, Canada. It is bordered to the east by the provincial capital, Victoria, to the south by the Strait of Juan de Fuca, to the west by Esq ...

Dockyards, which provide scientific consulting and troubleshooting services to the Canadian Armed Forces (primarily the Royal Canadian Navy) on chemical, metallurgical and engineering problems that affect the operational capability of military vehicles and equipment.

Valcartier Research Centre

Founded in 1945 as the Canadian Armament Research and Development Establishment (CARDE), it became Defence Research Establishment Valcartier (DREV) in the early 1970s, and finally

DRDC Valcartier DRDC Valcartier is a major Canadian military research station at Canadian Forces Base Valcartier, Quebec, one of nine centres making up Defence Research and Development Canada (DRDC). Originally formed at the end of World War II in 1945 as the Ca ...

(French: RDDC Valcartier) on 1 April 2000. VRC research and development activities to support the operational needs of the Canadian Armed Forces in defence and security. The Centre provides expertise in the following areas: * Vehicle and Personnel Protection Systems * Weapon Systems * Command, Control and Intelligence systems * Cyber Security * Spectral and Geospatial Exploitation * Tactical Surveillance and Reconnaissance * Electro-Optic Warfare Located just outside

CFB Valcartier Canadian Forces Base Valcartier (CFB Valcartier), now re-designated 2 Canadian Division Support Base Valcartier (2 CDSB Valcartier), is a Canadian Forces base located in the municipality of Saint-Gabriel-de-Valcartier, north northwest of Quebec ...

, it is the largest of the research centres.

Ottawa Research Centre

Originally known as the Defence Research Establishment Ottawa (DREO), DRDC Ottawa is located near

Shirleys Bay Shirleys Bay is a bay of the Ottawa River, about sixteen kilometres (10 miles) from downtown Ottawa in Ontario, Canada. Shirleys Bay also includes a significant wetland and nature preserve that is part of an Important Bird and Biodiversity Area t ...

in the west end of Ottawa. The Ottawa Research Centre develops technologies in support of the following domains: * Space Systems and Technology * Cyber Operations * Communication and Signals Warfare * ISR Applications * Radar Sensing Exploitation * Radar Electronic Warfare * Radiological Nuclear Defence * Navigation Warfare

DRDC, Toronto Research Centre

The Toronto Research Centre conducts research and development activities to enhance the effectiveness and ensure the health and safety of military personnel in operational environments. The Centre also houses the Canadian Forces Environmental Medicine Establishment, which supports the operational needs of the Canadian Armed Forces through research, tests and evaluations as well as training in undersea and aerospace environments. The Research Centre provides expertise in the following areas: * aerospace and undersea life support systems * human protection and performance in stressful environments * individual behaviour and performance * military medicine * research related to human factors and ergonomics, including simulation and modelling in complex military systems * social and cultural factors influencing behaviour * team performance and collaborative behaviour

Research examples

Decompression Tables There are several categories of decompression equipment used to help divers decompress, which is the process required to allow divers to return to the surface safely after spending time underwater at higher ambient pressures. Decompression o ...

(DCIEM Sport Diving Tables) that are now used worldwide and have been adopted by foreign navies, commercial diving companies and civilian organizations to reduce the risk of decompression illness, once commonly called "the bends." * Canadian Underwater Mine-Countermeasures Apparatus ( CUMA) is a new diver mine-countermeasures (MCM) diving set with a depth capability of 80 metres, as well as being anti-acoustic and anti-magnetic. * The STInG (Sustained Tolerance to INcreased G) system, which provides G protection for pilots, superior to any current operational system. *

Virtual reality Virtual reality (VR) is a simulated experience that employs pose tracking and 3D near-eye displays to give the user an immersive feel of a virtual world. Applications of virtual reality include entertainment (particularly video games), e ...

simulator for

helicopter A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by horizontally spinning rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forward, backward and laterally. These attribut ...

deck landing to simulate the dangerous task of landing a helicopter on the moving deck of a ship. * Clothe the Soldier project provided human engineering support to the Army's acquisition of over 24 new items of state-of-the-art soldier protective clothing and personal equipment * Load Carriage Robot – an instrumented articulated manikin that mimics the movement of the human torso * A Cold Exposure Survival Model (CESM) used in

Search and Rescue Search and rescue (SAR) is the search for and provision of aid to people who are in distress or imminent danger. The general field of search and rescue includes many specialty sub-fields, typically determined by the type of terrain the search ...

(SAR) Operations * A Heat Stress Calculator for

Firefighters A firefighter is a first responder and rescuer extensively trained in firefighting, primarily to extinguish hazardous fires that threaten life, property, and the environment as well as to rescue people and in some cases or jurisdictions also ...

used throughout Ontario. * The New Wind Chill Equivalent Temperature Chart, used throughout North America.

Suffield Research Centre

Located in Alberta, the DRDC Suffield Research Centre was originally made up of various Defence Operational Research directorates (DLOR for Land, DMOR for Maritime, DAOR for Air, DStratA for Strategic, etc.). The Suffield Research Centre is a Canadian centre of excellence for chemical and biological defence and has research programs in blast, casualty management, and autonomous systems. The centre’ work feeds into the combined national effort to keep Canada and the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) safe from the devastating consequences chemical (C), biological (B), radiological (R), nuclear (N), and explosive (E) threats could have on human health, the environment, and major infrastructure. DRDC operations in Suffield include two unique national assets: Experimental Proving Ground (EPG) and the Counter Terrorism and Technology Centre (CTTC). The EPG is Canada’s only proving ground of its kind for military research and development. Its immense land space (470 km2), air space, and 105 realty assets (specialized laboratories, trial sites and facilities) make it a research and development resource to advance DRDC/DND’s program. It is also accessible to defence industry partners upon request. CTTC offers realistic training (over 2,200 CAF and First Responders per year) helping them respond safely and effectively to incidents involving

CBRNE Chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear defence (CBRN defence) are protective measures taken in situations in which chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear warfare (including terrorism) hazards may be present. CBRN defence consist ...

threats. The centre provides expertise in the following areas: * C/B detection & forensics; * C/B protection technologies and systems; * Blast threat mitigation and assessment; * Advanced energetics; * Medical countermeasures; * Modelling and analysis of threats; * Equipment evaluation and testing; * Casualty management/blast injury research; * Autonomous systems operations (ground and air); and, * CBRNE Defence Training

Centre for Operational Research and Analysis (CORA)

The Centre for Operational Research and Analysis (CORA) provides scientific rigour to decision support and option analysis to the

, the Canadian Armed Forces, and Canadian security partners. The centre delivers options, recommendations, and potential outcomes to key decision makers by providing timely quantitative and qualitative analysis reports and objective expert advice.

Director General Military Personnel Research and Analysis (DGMPRA)

Director General Military Personnel Research and Analysis (DGMPRA) responds to the research needs of both the Assistant Deputy Minister (Science and Technology) and the

Chief of Military Personnel The Chief of Military Personnel (CMP) is the senior Canadian Armed Forces officer responsible for the military's human resource programs. As a " Level One" organization, the CMP reports directly to the Chief of the Defence Staff. Responsibiliti ...

within the

. The Centre conducts strategic and operational research in the areas of: * personnel generation * personnel and family support * operational and organizational dynamics The Centre also has research capabilities in the following areas: * modeling and analysis * forecasting * surveys, focus groups, and interviews * strategic analysis * concept development * secondary data analysis * data mining * benchmarking * geographic information systems * selection test development * job analysis

Centre for Security Science

The DRDC Centre for Security Science operates in partnership with

Public Safety Canada Public Safety Canada (PSC; french: Sécurité publique Canada, SPC; PSP), legally incorporated as the Department of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness (PSEPC), is the department of the Government of Canada responsible for (most) matters of ...

. It conducts research and development activities in the field of public safety and security science and technology as well as related testing and assessment activities. The Centre identifies trends in security technology and related threats, and maintains a network of national and international science and technology experts and partners involved in public safety and security. The Centre also leads the Canadian Safety and Security Program and the Emergency Responder Testing and Evaluation Establishment.

Defence Research Establishment Pacific (DREP)

Defence Research Establishment Pacific (DREP) was closed in 1994. It was located in Naden,

, a suburb of

Victoria, BC Victoria is the capital city of the Canadian province of British Columbia, on the southern tip of Vancouver Island off Canada's Pacific coast. The city has a population of 91,867, and the Greater Victoria area has a population of 397,237. The ...

, and was originally called the Pacific Naval Laboratory (PNL). DREP was engaged in a variety of research areas. One group did materials research. Materials subgroups included one for Non Destructive Testing of materials including ultrasound, x-ray, and eddy current methods; a composite mechanics subgroup working on interlaminar fracture (delamination) of composite laminated structural materials and bolted joint mechanics research for composite; and a metals fracture subgroup. Other groups worked on submarine detection, adhesives chemistry, and engine health monitoring.

Civilian achievements

Over the years, researchers at DRDC, sometimes in partnership with the NRC and others, have been responsible for numerous innovations and inventions of practical application in the civilian world. These include the

G-suit A g-suit, or anti-''g'' suit, is a flight suit worn by aviators and astronauts who are subject to high levels of acceleration force ( g). It is designed to prevent a black-out and g-LOC (g-induced loss of consciousness) caused by the blood pool ...

motorized wheelchair A motorized wheelchair, powerchair, electric wheelchair or electric-powered wheelchair (EPW) is a wheelchair that is propelled by means of an electric motor (usually using differential steering) rather than manual power. Motorized wheelchairs a ...

, the

Alouette 1 ''Alouette 1'' is a deactivated Canadian satellite that studied the ionosphere. Launched in 1962, it was Canada's first satellite, and the first satellite constructed by a country other than the Soviet Union or the United States. Canada was t ...

satellite,

Black Brant rocket The Black Brant is a family of Canadian-designed sounding rockets originally built by Bristol Aerospace, since absorbed by Magellan Aerospace in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Over 800 Black Brants of various versions have been launched since they were firs ...

, improvements to the

carbon dioxide laser The carbon-dioxide laser (CO2 laser) was one of the earliest gas lasers to be developed. It was invented by Kumar Patel of Bell Labs in 1964 and is still one of the most useful types of laser. Carbon-dioxide lasers are the highest-power contin ...

flight data recorder A flight recorder is an electronic recording device placed in an aircraft for the purpose of facilitating the investigation of aviation accidents and incidents. The device may often be referred to as a "black box", an outdated name which has b ...

, the Ballard fuel cell membrane, and the Bombsniffer (using gas chromatomography and ion mobility spectrometry).

References

;Bibliography *

External links

Archival papers of Omond Solandt
first Chairman of the DRB, are held at th
University of Toronto Archives and Records Management Services

www.drdc-rddc.gc.ca
{{authority control Department of National Defence (Canada) Government agencies established in 1947 Military research installations of Canada Scientific organizations based in Canada Organizations based in Ottawa 1947 establishments in Ontario Special operating agencies of Canada