The F35

Brigadier General T.N. Balfe, MSM, CD

Fighter Capability Special Advisor, RCAF

Brigadier General Todd Balfe enrolled in the Canadian Forces Reserves in 1982 as an infantry soldier with the Canadian Scottish Regiment. He transferred to the Regular Force in 1983, graduated from the Royal Military College in 1987, and was awarded his pilot’s wings in 1988. He began his flying career as an instructor and standards officer on Tutor jets at Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan. Transitioning to fighters in 1992 he flew CF-18’s for many years, completed the fighter weapons instructors’ course and concluded his flying career as the 4 Wing Cold Lake Operations Officer followed by Commanding Officer 409 Tactical Fighter Squadron. He amassed 4500 flight hours during his career, including more than 2500 hours in the CF-18. Operationally, he completed three NATO flying deployments to the Balkans culminating with the Operation Allied Force air campaign in Kosovo in 1999. 

His non-flying assignments include NORAD Headquarters, Colorado Springs, Colorado, and Deputy Commander of the Alaskan NORAD Region, Anchorage, Alaska. In Ottawa, he was Director of Western Hemisphere Policy prior to promotion to his current rank in 2013. He subsequently completed a ten-month deployment with NATO’s International Security Assistance Force Headquarters, Kabul, Afghanistan, to include closing the Canadian military mission in 2014. Upon return to Canada he was Director General Plans in the Strategic Joint Staff conducting strategic and operational force planning. His final assignment prior to retiring from the Regular Force in 2016 was as RCAF Director General Readiness. He returned to the RCAF (Reserve) in 2017 with the Fighter Capability Office directing fighter force fleet upgrades, fighter transition planning and weapons procurements.

Brigadier General Balfe is a graduate of the Canadian Forces Command and Staff Course, the USAF Air War College and the Harvard Kennedy School Senior Executives in National and International Security Program. He holds a BA (Hons) in English and a Master of Defence Studies degree from RMC, a Master of Arts in International Relations and a Master of Science in Management from Salve Regina University, Newport, Rhode Island, USA. He is a recipient of the Meritorious Service Medal and the US Legion of Merit (degree of Officer).