Major General (Ret'd) Sylvain Ménard

Former Chief Fighter and NORAD Capability Royal Canadian Air Force

Sylvain is the owner and founder of SYMbiostrat Consultants Inc., a boutique consulting firm specializing in strategic advice across the defense, aerospace, high-tech industries, leadership and law of armed conflict enterprises. He currently works with Prospectus, a specialized GR firm, to provide strategic advice to large US based aerospace companies. Sylvain retired from the Canadian Armed Forces in June 2024 at the rank of Major- General. His last tenure in uniform was as the Chief Fighter and NORAD Capability, Royal Canadian Air Force in the National Capital Region, where he was responsible for the management of all projects related to the current and future fighter aircraft and NORAD capability, a portfolio of over $60B CAD. Sylvain joined the Canadian Armed Forces in 1989 and attended the Royal Military College of Saint-Jean (RMC) Saint-Jean, and Royal Roads Military College (RMCC) Victoria, from which he graduated in 1994. He proceeded through pilot training and received his wings in 1995. In 1996, he was posted to 439 Squadron, Bagotville, Quebec, where he flew the CT-133 Silverstar in a combat-support role. In 1998, he completed the Fighter Pilot Lead in Training and the Fighter Pilot Course on the CF-188 Hornet at the 410 Operational Training Unit in Cold Lake, Alberta. He then flew the CF-188 operationally with 425 Tactical Fighter Squadron from 1999 to 2003, and completed the Fighter Weapons Instructor Course (FWIC) and the Tactical Leadership Program (TLP). In his distinguished flying career, Sylvain has accumulated over 2,600 flying hours on jet aircraft, with 1,600 of those hours in the CF-188 Hornet. Over the course of his career, he held various significant staff assignments. He was the 3 Wing Evaluations, Exercise and Plans Officer, held the positions of Flight Commander, Operations Officer, and Deputy Squadron Commander at 425 Squadron. He worked at the 1 Canadian Air Division Headquarter as A3 Fighters, principal adviser to the operational commander for all fighter matters. He deployed to Afghanistan in 2008 during Op ATHENA to work within the International Security and Assistance Force (ISAF) Combined Joint Operations Centre. As the Commanding Officer of 425 Squadron from 2010 to 2012, he led the expeditious deployment of the Canadian fighters and air-to-air refuellers detachment to Italy during the Arab Spring of 2011 in support of Op MOBILE, the country’s contribution to NATO Op UNIFIED PROTECTOR. Over the course of that mission Sylvain flew numerous combat missions over Libya in support of the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1973. In 2008, Sylvain completed the Joint Command and Staff College (JCSP) in Toronto, and in 2015 the USAF Air War College (AWC) in Montgomery, Alabama. He assumed command of 3 Wing/Canadian Forces Base Bagotville (2013- 2015) and filled the role of Director Defense Program Coordination in Ottawa (2015- 2017). Following, he assumed the duties of Deputy Commander Continental U.S. NORAD Region in July 2017, where he was responsible for the region’s continuous air defense readiness in addition to the defense of the US National Capital Region and POTUS Air security when travelling in the continental US. Sylvain holds a Master’s degree in Strategic Studies, with academic distinction, from the USAF Air University in Montgomery, Alabama, a Master’s degree in Defense Studies from the RMC Kingston (Magna Cum Laude), Ontario, a Bachelor degree in Space Sciences and Physics from RRMC Victoria, British Columbia and a certificate in Complex Projects and Procurement Leadership from the TELFER School of Management, University of Ottawa, Ontario