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Strategic Aerospace Research Assessment & Liaison (SARAL)

The SARAL 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