Navigating the Indo-Pacific: Canada's Strategy and the RIMPAC 2026 Experience

Canada’s presence in the Indo‑Pacific is growing, and the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) are playing a pivotal role. This presentation will provide a concise look at Canada’s Indo‑Pacific strategy, why the region matters to Canadians, and how the CAF is strengthening regional partnerships. In addition, our speaker will discuss his participation in RIMPAC 2026, the world's largest US-led naval exercises held around the Hawaiian islands in July.

Speaker: Dr. Chris Kilford is a member of the national board of the Canadian International Council (CIC), the former editor of CIC’s online foreign policy magazine Open Canada, and president of the CIC Victoria branch. He holds a PhD in history from Queen’s University and enjoyed a 36-year career in the Canadian Armed Forces including postings to Germany, Afghanistan and Turkiye. He retired from the armed forces in September 2014. Since retiring, and besides sessional teaching at the Canadian Forces College, his book chapters, articles and opinion pieces on defence and foreign policy have appeared in numerous Canadian and international publications.