Directions in Canada's international security policy.

The article focuses on the role of the Canadian Armed Forces in the country' security and defence policy. Though Canada's post-1945 military force was never very large, concerns about North American vulnerability to an over-the-pole Russian attack, the need to protect the north Atlantic sealanes, North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) interoperability requirements and domestic economic interests combined to reinforce an already close relationship with the U.S. Armed Forces and with key European partners. For the country, in addition to the traditional duties of border defence and aid to the civil power, the military is an aspect of international identity and commitment to the politics of peace and security.