CDS/DM Message: VCDS Change of Appointment

July 3, 2026 - Defence Stories

Defence Team,

Today, we are delighted to congratulate Vice-Admiral (VAdm) Angus Topshee on his new role as Vice Chief of the Defence Staff (VCDS).

VAdm Topshee is an experienced senior leader with over three decades of distinguished service in the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF). He brings a diverse background to the role, with proven experience leading at sea and ashore in key positions where he has advanced Canada's interests in close collaboration with our Allies and partners around the world. His appointment as VCDS comes at an exciting time as the Government of Canada continues to rebuild, rearm, and reinvest in the CAF amid an evolving and increasingly complex international defence and security environment. The VCDS plays a critical role in this effort, as the steward of our institutional, corporate, and strategic priorities, and we are certain that VAdm Topshee will provide the leadership and expertise needed to deliver on our mandate for Canadians.

Today, we also bid farewell to Lieutenant-General (LGen)Steve Kelsey after 42 years of service to Canada as a member of the CAF. LGen Kelsey's career included diverse assignments across Canada and around the world, including countless operational deployments within NATO and beyond. As VCDS for the past two years, he has been a calm and reasoned voice around the table as we have worked across government to advance Canada's defence objectives, from new investments to delivering the most significant transformation that our institution has seen in decades. We are deeply grateful for his partnership, steady leadership, and unwavering commitment to Canada.

Please join us in welcoming VAdm Topshee in his new role as the VCDS and thanking LGen Kelsey for his many years of dedicated service.