The Research Branch currently has one lieutenant-colonel, two majors and two sergeants on regular office duty. It focuses on four broad areas:

• Coordination of emerging Air Force research and development requirements with the Air Staff and Defence Research and Development Canada (DRDC). This primarily involves:
  • Convening the annual Aerospace Capabilities Initiatives Forum
  • Promulgating the annual Aerospace Capabilities Initiatives List
  • Monitoring the inclusion of specific initiatives into the follow-on Air Force-DRDC Mutual Partner Agreement
• Collation of aerospace intelligence and assessment of long-term, world-wide threats to Canadian aerospace operations. This primarily involves:
  • Developing databases
  • Producing documents and briefings to meet specific needs
  • Liaising with national and Allied intelligence institutions
• Liaising with Allied aerospace warfare centres and defence establishments: this primarily involves interaction with Canadian liaison officers stationed at Allied defence establishments
• Liaising with civil and military academic institutions which study aerospace warfare. This primarily involves:
  • Liaising with academic figures in the defence and security studies community
  • Publication of aerospace warfare journals, studies and research papers
  • Hosting conferences which focus on aerospace warfare subjects