Defence R&D Canada (DRDC)

DRDC is "an agency of the Canadian Department of National Defence responding to the scientific and technological needs of the Canadian Forces. Its mission is to ensure that the CF remains scientifically and operationally relevant. The agency is made up of seven research centres located across Canada with a corporate office in Ottawa. DRDC has an annual budget of $300 million and employs 1500 people. With a broad scientific program, DRDC actively collaborates with industry, international allies, academia, other government departments and the national security community."
http://www.drdc-rddc.gc.ca/about/us_e.asp

For a detailed description of DRDC's mandate and activities, see the above link.

Aiding and Abetting War Profiteers
One of the most important things to realise about DRDC is that it is a government agency, spending taxpayers money to assist military-related corporations in the already highly-profitable business of supplying products required for waging war. DRDC describes this as "Collaborations and Partnerships."
Here is how DRDC describes its role in assisting Canadian military corporations:

DRDC is:

"A leading member of Canada's S&T community, Defence R&D Canada is a member in over 60 national S&T councils, networks and forums, as well as initiating and supporting collaborative research ventures.

• Approximately 50 percent of our annual budget is invested in collaborative programs with Canada's private sector and academic community.
• We leverage our S&T base to serve clients outside of the Department of National Defence generating in excess of $3.5 million in new revenues annually.
• Our research efforts often result in technology transfers to the private sector.
• We are one of Canada's largest producers of patents within the federal government."

http://www.drdc-rddc.gc.ca/about/us_e.asp

Weapons Systems
One of the proposed "Proposed Science and Technology Challenges" that DRDC identifies for itself is "Weapons Systems." Here are the categories within that which DRDC is focused on:

Weapons Systems

• Non-lethal weapons
• Assessment of the effects of weapons and weapon systems
• Tailored precision weapons
• Enhanced weapons systems for complex environments, including urban operations

Source: Looking Forward Staying Ahead 2005 - From Lab Coats to Boots
Annex A—Proposed Science and Technology Challenges
http://www.drdc-rddc.gc.ca/publications/lfsa/annexa_e.asp

The Department of National Defence has published a Technology Investment Strategy (TIS) outlining the Research and Development it required. The TIS is based on 21 R&D Activities. Many of these activities tasked to DRDC relate to weapons. For instance, here is what DRDC says about some of the weapons technologies it is now working on::

"Precision Weapons
(A) Propulsion technologies for optimum energy management of low observable air vehicle systems
(B) Delivery control techniques and systems for improved weapon system performance (C) Target acquisition and discrimination for improved weapon effectiveness against time critical targets
(D) M&S to improve the effectiveness of weapons system platforms

"Weapons Performance and Countermeasures
(A) Novel materials and energy release processes to enhance the performance of weapons
(B) Concepts for developing and deploying increased lethality and non-lethal weapons systems
(C) Countermeasures for improved survivability
(D) Sustainable training and technologies to maintain availability of DND training facilities."

Source: Technology Investment Strategy
http://www.drdc-rddc.gc.ca/researchtech/tis/summary_e.asp

Another DRDC document gives a few more details on these two weapons-related aspects of its R&D work. Under the subheading "Combat Systems" DRDC note::

"Precision Weapons
Precision Weapons provide the capability of accurately and rapidly engaging (high-value) targets with reliability, from short and long stand-off distance for mission accomplishment, while at the same time minimizing collateral damage. The R&D concentrates on the technologies to asses and improve the effectiveness of precision weapons and to determine the Canadian Forces' vulnerabilities to such weapons.

"Weapons Performance and Countermeasures
Weapons Performance and Countermeasures focuses on the phenomena taking place when a weapon interacts with a target. These effects can be examined from a weapon perspective (lethality), from a target or platform perspective (vulnerability) and from the standpoint of weapon system detection."

Source: R&D Activities in the R&D Program
http://www.drdc-rddc.gc.ca/researchtech/activities_e.asp

In its detailed description of its efforts in relation to researching and developing "precision weapons" DRDC notes that:
"The R&D concentrates on the technologies to assess and improve the effectiveness of precision weapons"
http://www.drdc-rddc.gc.ca/researchtech/tis/activ4_e.asp

For more information
For further details on DRDC's forays into the exciting world of weapons R&D, check out the following google search of the DRDC website:
http://www.google.ca/search?hl=en&q=site%3Awww.drdc-rddc.gc.ca+weapon+&meta=