Rear-Admiral (Retd) Ian Mack

Rear-Admiral (Retd) Ian Mack served for a decade (2007-2017) in the Department of National Defence, with responsibilities related to the National Shipbuilding Strategy, three shipbuilding projects and four vehicle projects. Ian is a Fellow of the International Centre for Complex Project Management, the World Commercial and Contracting Association and the Canadian Global Affairs Institute.

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Australian and Canadian military procurement share a similar risky path

Aug 27, 2026

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4 min read

Australian and Canadian military procurement share a similar risky path

The parallels between the innovations in Canada and Australia regarding military acquisition are somewhat surprising.

DIA or not, complex military project outcomes will remain uncertain

Aug 18, 2026

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4 min read

DIA or not, complex military project outcomes will remain uncertain

Certainty is desirable because it establishes our expectations, guides us through much of every day and eliminates a significant amount of stress from our lives by avoiding risks.

Jul 9, 2026

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6 min read

Context is everything

I have always thought that everyone understood the importance of context to all of their conclusions, decisions and subsequent actions.

The Royal Flush in Complex Military Platform Acquisitions

Jul 3, 2026

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6 min read

The Royal Flush in Complex Military Platform Acquisitions

Anyone who has ever played poker knows that a royal flush is always the winning hand, with the five highest cards in one of the four suits: the Ace, King, Queen, Jack and Ten. What does that have to do with complex weapon systems platform acquisitions?

The DIA Has a Strategy. Industry Has Questions.

Jun 14, 2026

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6 min read

The DIA Has a Strategy. Industry Has Questions.

Ian Mack on the questions industry needs answered before the Strategy can deliver.

The Importance of Guardrails As the DIA Evolves

Jun 7, 2026

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5 min read

The Importance of Guardrails As the DIA Evolves

A quick search confirms the term "guardrail" has now been hijacked by AI. But in articles I have written regarding weapon systems platform acquisition projects, I have largely referred to them from a "harm prevention to desired outcomes" perspective. So it is with this piece.

The Challenges of a Sovereign Supply Chain

May 3, 2026

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6 min read

The Challenges of a Sovereign Supply Chain

To overstate the obvious, the supply chains for warships, combat vehicles and military aircraft are made up of thousands of components.

Mar 19, 2026

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6 min read

DIA and the SCOND Committee 2024 Report

Now that the Defence Industrial Strategy (DIS) has been released, the reform agenda becomes of even greater urgency and importance to enable the DIS to be successful.

Lessons from Launching the National Shipbuilding Procurement Strategy

Mar 1, 2026

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6 min read

Lessons from Launching the National Shipbuilding Procurement Strategy

As we face significant geopolitical turmoil and leadership challenges in the West, there is talk in many quarters of moving to a wartime footing.

Rear-Admiral (Retd) Ian Mack

Australian and Canadian military procurement share a similar risky path

DIA or not, complex military project outcomes will remain uncertain

Context is everything

The Royal Flush in Complex Military Platform Acquisitions

The DIA Has a Strategy. Industry Has Questions.

The Importance of Guardrails As the DIA Evolves

The Challenges of a Sovereign Supply Chain

DIA and the SCOND Committee 2024 Report

Lessons from Launching the National Shipbuilding Procurement Strategy

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