Defence Course

Defence & Armed Forces — 36 Lessons

How the world is powered and built, explained simply. Oil, gas and petrol prices, electricity and nuclear power, batteries and solar, water and desalination, railways, bridges and giant megaprojects.

1 Short

Canada's Armed Forces — Strength and Structure

How a modern military is organised into army, navy and air force.

2 Short

Officers and Leadership Structure in an Army

Ranks, chains of command and why every order has a clear owner.

3 Short

How to Become an Officer in the Armed Forces — Part 1

Entry routes, basic requirements and the first steps of selection.

4 Short

How to Become a Commissioned Officer — Part 2

Selection boards, officer training and what instructors look for.

5 Short

How to Prepare for the Commissioning Interview

Practical preparation for the interview that decides many careers.

6 Short

A Big Boost to the Defence Sector — Part 1

Why governments suddenly raise defence budgets, and where the money goes.

7 Short

A Big Boost to the Defence Sector — Part 2

Building weapons at home instead of importing them.

8 Short

A Big Boost to the Defence Sector — Part 3

Alliances, joint purchases and the politics behind defence deals.

9 Short

When Old Defence Partnerships Come Under Strain

What happens when long-time allies begin to disagree.

10 Short

Reading the Headlines About Military Pacts

How to check whether a claimed military agreement is real.

11 Short

Choosing a Fighter Jet: The F-35 Question

Why buying an aircraft is a fifty-year political and economic decision.

12 Short

Building Fighter Aircraft at Home

Licensed production, technology transfer and local industry.

13 Short

Missiles Explained: Ranges, Types and Names

Short, medium and long-range missiles and what the differences mean.

14 Short

How Far Can a Missile Really Reach?

Why published ranges are estimates and why range shapes politics.

15 Short

Drones and How They Changed Modern Warfare

Cheap flying machines that reshaped the battlefield.

16 Short

Cheap Drones Against Expensive Interceptors

The maths problem that keeps air-defence planners awake.

17 Short

How an Anti-Missile Shield Works

Layered air defence, from short-range rockets to ballistic missiles.

18 Short

Running Out of Interceptors: The Stockpile Problem

Why the number of missiles in storage can decide a conflict.

19 Short

Attacks on Military Bases and Early Warning

Why warnings, shelters and dispersal save lives.

20 Short

Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles: Who Has Them

The small group of nations able to strike across the planet.

21 Short

Nuclear Weapons and the Fear of Spreading Them

Why the world tries hard to stop new nuclear states appearing.

22 Short

Secret Help Between Weapons Programmes

How designs, parts and know-how quietly cross borders.

23 Short

Who Controls the Launch Button?

Command authority, succession and the myth of automatic launch.

24 Short

Lawful and Unlawful Orders

Why soldiers must refuse an illegal order — and how that is judged.

25 Short

What Happens to Ordinary People in a Big War

Civilians, shortages and the human cost behind the headlines.

26 Short

Smart Warfare: How the Small Can Shake the Large

Asymmetric tactics that let weaker forces resist stronger ones.

27 Short

Cyber War: The New Battlefield Between Nations

Attacks on grids, banks and networks without a single shot.

28 Short

The War Trap: Easy to Start, Impossible to End

Escalation, exit strategies and why wars outlast their causes.

29 Short

Bravery or Cowardice? Judging Military Action

Ethics, proportionality and the rules of armed conflict.

30 Short

When a War Changes the World Order

Alliances, borders and rules that shift after a major conflict.

31 Short

What a Regional War Means for the Whole World

Why a conflict far away still reaches your street.

32 Short

Winning the Battle but Losing the War

How victory is measured long after the fighting stops.

33 Short

The Rise of the War Negotiator

How mediators, back channels and ceasefires actually work.

34 Short

The Hidden Billions: What Wars Really Cost

Munitions, deployments, veterans' care and long-term debt.

35 Short

Oil Prices and War: How Conflict Hits Your Pocket

The line between a distant conflict and the price at the pump.

36 Short

When War Becomes a Humanitarian Crisis

Aid corridors, refugees and the responsibility to protect people.

Defence & Armed Forces Certificate

Finish all 36 defence lessons and pass the defence exam with 70% or higher to earn your own Defence & Armed Forces certificate.

Take the Defence Exam