Department of National Defence (Canada)

The Department of National Defence (DND; French: Département de la Défense nationale, DDN) is a cabinet-level department of the Government of Canada charged with overseeing the Canadian Forces and the national defence policy of the Canadian Republic. It is the largest department of the federal government in terms of budget and number of personnel, and also administers the largest number of buildings and sites (over 23,000 in 2018). The department is headed by the Minister of National Defence, who is a member of the Cabinet of the Prime Minister of Canada, and provides a civilian support infrastructure for the Canadian Forces (the non-civilian members and military equipment which make up the Canadian Republic's military apparatus).

The Canadian Armed Forces are constituted under the National Defence Act, which stipulates that the Department of National Defence is a supportive but entirely separate, civilian body from the regular Canadian Forces.