The Torch
Illuminating Security and Defence Issues
Welcome to The Torch, RKUSI’s curated roundup of timely and thought-provoking content from across the defence, security, and military affairs landscape.
Each edition brings together insightful articles, expert commentary, and notable developments—from Canada and around the world—that matter to our community of informed citizens, veterans, and professionals.
Explore the latest links and stay sharp on the issues shaping today’s strategic environment.
Great Power Competition
Russia
CANSOFCOM Education & Research Centre
Understanding Hybrid Warfare: Great Power Competition and Conflict in the New Era
4 January 2026
... Of greater concern for Western powers is the fact that the warfighting doctrines of these actors are moving away from direct military confrontation. In fact, they have begun integrating strategic, operational and tactical operations into a holistic construct....
USA
Texas National Security Review
How a US “Suez Moment” Could Hollow the US Alliance System
4 January 2026
This article contends that while the United States still fields potent military capabilities, the narrowing military balance with China means that a future Indo-Pacific clash in which Beijing gains a regional edge is no longer implausible. Using the 1956 Suez Crisis as an analogue, the study asks how a public exposure of US capability shortfalls—an American “Suez moment”—would reverberate through Washington’s global alliance network. The article employs a five-factor theory of defense cooperation—covering three structural and two situational factors—to evaluate two post-setback scenarios. ...
China
US and Chinese tech research is decoupling—ASPI’s Critical Tech Tracker
4 January 2026
Decoupling is well underway in critical technology research. A divide is emerging between China’s critical technology research ecosystem and that of the United States and its allies. The implication is clear: to varying degrees, policies adopted since late last decade to guard against China’s exploitation of research in democratic countries are having an effect.
Emerging Technologies
More AI tools coming in days or weeks, Pentagon R&D chief says
4 January 2026
The Pentagon will widely deploy new AI tools for logistics, intelligence analysis, and combat planning in days or weeks, its research-and-engineering chief said Monday, adding that wide deployment of artificial intelligence now tops his list of “critical technologies.”...
DoD’s AI Balancing Act
4 January 2026
Exaggerations and unsubstantiated claims pervade debates about the adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) across the government, economy, and society. The hype cuts both ways, with both proponents and opponents of AI adoption making claims that require more evidence and analysis to adjudicate. This battle is particularly salient in the realm of national security, in which the stakes of technological adoption can be life-and-death....
China, Russia pulling ahead of NATO in Arctic drone capabilities: report
4 January 2026
A new study by the Center for European Policy Analysis suggests Russia and China are pulling ahead of NATO nations, including Canada, in the race to develop and field drones capable of operating in harsh Arctic conditions....
Canada
Transport Canada’s aviation wing moving to DND with little explanation
4 January 2026
Transport Canada will be surrendering most — if not all — of its aviation wing to the Department of Defence in a plan that’s shrouded in secrecy. The move of the federal department’s “core aviation services” was flagged in the recent federal budget. It has the potential to affect the long-standing National Aerial Surveillance Program (NASP), which monitors the country’s three coastlines for pollution and marine wildlife....
Canada’s new Defence Investment Agency
4 January 2026
The Canadian government’s creation of a new defence-procurement body represents an acknowledgement that its existing defence-procurement system cannot keep pace with current international challenges and the rate of defence-relevant technological change. It also represents a gamble: that a new institutional design can succeed where decades of incremental reform have failed....
The F-35 Isn’t Just a Fighter Jet. It’s a Pledge of Allegiance
4 January 2026
THE STAKES ARE high in what will be one of the most expensive and consequential defence purchases in Canadian history, as the Canadian government reviews its decision to purchase the United States F-35 fighter jet and has a second look at its competitor, the Swedish JAS Gripen....
5 Eyes Partners
The decline and fall of the British Army
4 January 2026
Over the past half century, the British Army has been shaped by shifting strategic demands and repeated operational tests. Its combat capability expanded during the Cold War as planners prepared for conflict with the Soviet Union, before being proven — and strained — in Northern Ireland, the Falklands, the Gulf War, the Balkans, Sierra Leone, Afghanistan and Iraq. These campaigns reveal how Britain’s land forces adapted, and what was lost along the way....
Debating defence spending is prudence, not warmongering
4 January 2026
It is not warmongering to discuss how a changing world may affect Australia’s way of life, just as it did during World War II. It is prudent and responsible to have a national conversation about how we prepare for the changes outlined in Australia’s National Defence Strategy. And that preparation must include a clear-eyed discussion about defence spending....
Success of Naval Laser Weapon Leads to $400M Contract
4 January 2026
More than $400 million is being invested in the Royal Navy’s first ever laser weapon after it downed high-velocity drones in the latest trials....
Podcast
War Room (U.S. Army War College)
TAIWAN’S PORCUPINE DEFENSE: THE RACE TO READINESS
4 January 2026
Taiwan’s defense strategy against a potential cross-strait invasion from China is widely known as the “porcupine defense,” which aims to deny or significantly degrade a rapid ground assault. In a discussion hosted by Tom Galvin, Ying-Chie Hsieh and Pete Roongsang examine Taiwan’s “whole-of-society” resilience program. Their research focuses on three major defense policies enacted since 2022: strengthening the Reserve Component Initiative, reforming the military force structure and people’s defense and establishing the Whole of Society Defense Committee. ...
Associate Event
What is China’s vision for a new world order?
22 January 2026 -
As America retreats from its dominant role on the global stage changes, experts debate Beijing’s international ambitions and how it aims to remake the world order....
Video
Canada Considers PERMANENT Base In The Baltics
4 January 2026
Some potentially huge news for Canadian Forces AND the Baltics as Canada’s military operations command is evaluating the feasibility of a permanent base in Latvia. Canadian Forces have already been conducting 6-month-long rotations in the Baltic nation since 2017.