Satellites underpin modern defence, but Canada depends on foreign launch providers. Responsive launch will strengthen sovereignty, Arctic security, and operational resilience.

Satellites underpin modern defence and national resilience. They enable intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance, secure communications, navigation and timing, and support operations across vast geographies, particularly in the Arctic. 

But for Canada, there is a strategic vulnerability at the heart of this reality: every Canadian satellite used for defence, intelligence, or communications must be launched by a foreign provider. In practical terms, that means Canada does not fully control when, how, or under what conditions critical space capabilities can be deployed or replaced.

In a more stable geopolitical environment, this dependence may have seemed manageable. Today, in an era of strategic competition and rising instability, it represents a risk. If Canada cannot place or reconstitute satellites on its own timeline, it cannot fully control its ability to observe, communicate, or coordinate when timing matters most. That weakens deterrence and creates exposure to delays, disruption, or external constraints beyond Canada’s control.

Why the Arctic matters

The implications are particularly significant in the Arctic. Canada’s northern regions rely heavily on space-based systems for surveillance, communications, navigation, and environmental monitoring. As activity and geopolitical competition increase in the Arctic, resilient satellite infrastructure will become even more important for maintaining awareness across Canada’s vast northern territory. These challenges are increasingly reflected in defence initiatives aimed at strengthening northern awareness and continental defence, including ongoing efforts to modernize NORAD and reinforce NATO’s northern and Arctic security posture.

If Canada cannot place or reconstitute satellites on its own timeline, it cannot fully control its ability to observe, communicate, or coordinate when timing matters most.

Closing this gap is not simply about launching rockets. It requires treating access to space as essential defence infrastructure and prioritizing a capability that is operationally decisive: responsive launch.

Responsive launch means the ability to deploy on rapid timelines from dispersed locations with minimal ground infrastructure. It strengthens resilience by shortening recovery times after disruption, strengthens readiness by enabling rapid deployment during crises, and strengthens sovereignty by ensuring Canadian decisions are not constrained by foreign actors or policies.

A Canadian containerized responsive launch solution 

Reaction Dynamics is building a Canadian, ITAR-free responsive launch capability designed for this mission. The Montréal-based company is developing a mobile, tactically deployable launch system based on proprietary hybrid propulsion technology. This approach is designed to be safe and significantly more cost-effective than traditional systems while supporting stockpile-friendly and forward-deployable operations.

Importantly, the benefits extend beyond defence. The same responsive launch architecture can support wildfire monitoring, climate science, Arctic surveillance, and resilient telecommunications. Defence investment can therefore deliver dual-use value while strengthening Canada’s space industry and workforce.

Canada already has the talent, geography, and industrial capability to lead in this domain. The next step is aligning policy, procurement, and industrial ambition to enable sovereign, responsive access to space — on Canada’s timeline, from Canadian territory.

Visit reactiondynamics.space to learn more about Canada’s emerging responsive launch capability.

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Canada’s participation in the global F-35 program strengthens the economy, enhances national security, and advances defence leadership. 

Canada joined the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program in 2002. As one of eight original partner nations, Canada contributes to the design, manufacturing, and long-term sustainment of F-35s — 5th Generation fighter jets built by Lockheed Martin and more than 2,100 global suppliers. 

Over 110 Canadian companies have contributed to the F-35 supply chain, with each jet in the current global fleet of around 1,300 aircraft containing approximately $3.2 million in Canadian components.

Canada approved the purchase of 88 CF-35A fighter jets through the Future Fighter Capability Project in 2023. The first CF-35 will be delivered this year, contributing to North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) and NATO defence.

Behind every F-35 is a Canadian company, contributing to national security while supporting economic development.

Lockheed Martin Canada has been Canada’s trusted defence partner for over 85 years. “During a time of transformation, anchored by Canada’s new Defence Industrial Strategy, our 1,000-strong Lockheed Martin Canada employees, together with our valued supply chain and technology partners from coast to coast to coast, are energized by Canada’s call to strengthen security, create prosperity, and reinforce our strategic autonomy,” says Kristen Leroux, Regional Executive for Lockheed Martin Canada. “We’re invested in the values of sovereignty and to protecting and upholding our commitments to allies.”

Canadian engineering talent and technical expertise

Approximately 30 Canadian suppliers are actively embedded in the global F-35 supply chain today, contributing engineering and technical expertise to the international production program. Behind every F-35 is a Canadian company, contributing to national security while supporting economic development. 

For employees at Canadian aerospace firm Aversan, supporting the F-35 global program was a generational opportunity: “Participating in the F-35 program was a professionally enriching experience for the Aversan team, combining Canadian engineering talent with one of the most advanced defence platforms in history and pushing us to achieve new levels of technical excellence,” says Danny Dias, Director of Business Development at Aversan.

“Our work on the F-35 program carried a profound sense of national pride, knowing that Canadian engineering excellence was contributing to one of the world’s most advanced defence capabilities,” says Nathan Nandhakumaran, COO at Aversan. “This program not only strengthened Canada’s role on the global stage but also served as a catalyst for our company’s technical expansion, workforce development, and long-term strategic advancement.”

Strengthening Canada’s aerospace industry

Participation in the global F-35 program has created significant economic value for Canada’s aerospace and defence sector. The program is projected to produce over $15.5 billion in industrial value, offering stability and growth opportunities for Canadian aerospace companies while supporting workforce development and supply chain resilience.

“In the last few years, the aerospace industry has been subjected to many different challenges, most notably volatility in both product demand and supply chains,” says Craig Levia, Director of Manufacturing at Gastops, a Canadian aerospace technology firm. “The F-35 program has been steady and stable throughout its duration, which has not only enabled Gastops to better navigate these recent challenges, but to grow and mature as an aerospace supplier.”

Participating in the F-35 program was a professionally enriching experience, combining Canadian engineering talent with one of the most advanced defence platforms in history and pushing us to achieve new levels of technical excellence.

“Long-term partnerships like the one we have with Lockheed Martin bring new opportunities and job security for employees,” says Kevin Russell, Vice-President and General Manager at ASCO Aerospace Canada, a specialized aerospace manufacturer. “The stability of the defence market helps offset the more volatile commercial market.”

Future innovation and defence leadership

Canada’s involvement in the F-35 program today positions the country for greater defence and aerospace innovation and leadership in the future. With Canadian companies already helping to shape future defence systems, both their capabilities and capacity are set to continue growing. 

“The F-35 program has provided our company with stability in production demand and the opportunity to develop new capabilities to support a truly cutting-edge platform,” says Michael Iacovelli, CEO at Ben Machine, a Canadian aerospace and defence welding provider. 

Ottawa-based Gastops has experienced similar benefits, “the success of the F-35 program globally, and our inclusion as a critical technology on the aircraft, has enabled Gastops to grow our leadership within the global community of intelligent condition monitoring,” says Shaun Horning, President and CEO at Gastops. “Being a supplier to the F-35 gives Gastops instant credibility in the aerospace industry, and it opens doors for us that otherwise might not be open.”

Learn more about Canada’s role in the global F-35 program and future opportunities at f35.com/canada.

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In an increasingly unpredictable world, Canada’s defence readiness will depend on how effectively it mobilizes talent across government, industry, and academia.

As the Government of Canada’s newly released Defence Industrial Strategy (DIS) recognizes, advances in critical technologies are becoming central to national security. While the country has world-class research institutions and highly skilled talent, the challenge is ensuring that organizations can access and mobilize this talent to translate scientific strength into deployable capability.

Defence capability depends on a strong innovation ecosystem

Canada’s DIS reflects a growing recognition that defence capability today depends on more than traditional procurement. Many of the technologies shaping national security are developed within the broader innovation ecosystem, including universities, research institutes, and technology firms. 

The Strategy emphasizes that countries with strong defence industries invest not only in procurement, but in the broader ecosystem that supports innovation and industrial capacity. This includes research and development, the creation and protection of intellectual property, support for small and mid-sized businesses, and the development of a highly skilled workforce. 

For Canada, this means strengthening the pathways that connect talent with the sectors where new technologies are developed and applied.  

The growing role of dual-use technologies

An important feature of today’s defence landscape is the growing role of dual-use technologies. Fields such as artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, aerospace, advanced manufacturing, and quantum technologies now underpin both commercial innovation and defence and security applications. 

Canada has strong research institutions and a growing base of innovative companies, but the persistent challenge is translating research excellence into deployable capability at scale.

Canada already has a substantial industrial base operating in these domains. According to the DIS, in 2022 the nearly 600 firms in the defence sector contributed to approximately 81,000 jobs, generating $14.3 billion in revenues and $9.6 billion to GDP. Small and mid-sized businesses account for 92 per cent of firms in the sector and 40 per cent of employment. Many operate in technology areas that serve both civilian and defence markets and rely on partnerships with research institutions and larger firms to refine and scale new capabilities.  

While these figures represent a significant and innovation-driven sector, they remain modest relative to the broader Canadian economy. As dual-use technologies become more central to defence capability, the ecosystem can expand as companies developing advanced technologies for commercial markets contribute to defence and security applications, enabled by stronger pathways connecting talent with industry. 

“Strengthening the pathways between talent and applied innovation environments will help reinforce Canada’s position as a leading research and technology hub while supporting long-term economic and security priorities,” says Dr. Derek Newton, Senior Vice-President, Strategic Partnerships and Business Development, Mitacs.

Canada’s defence advantage is talent  

One organization that has been strengthening these pathways for more than 25 years is Mitacs. A national not-for-profit, Mitacs connects researchers with industry and government partners to support collaborative research and applied innovation across Canada. Through this model, Mitacs helps companies access talent and academic expertise to accelerate research and development, commercialization, and the advancement of new technologies. Between 2018 and 2025, the organization supported more than 99,000 research internships across over 11,000 partner organizations, 86 per cent of which are small businesses, and helped launch more than 35,000 innovation projects.  

Many of these collaborations take place in technology domains that are increasingly relevant to defence and security. Mitacs partnerships have connected university researchers with organizations such as MDA, Magellan Aerospace, and Bombardier, supporting work in areas ranging from satellite systems and aerospace engineering to advanced sensing and manufacturing technologies. Additional collaborations with companies such as BlackBerry and Axonal Networks focus on cybersecurity and artificial intelligence, illustrating how talent-driven research partnerships can advance technologies that serve both commercial and national security applications. 

But beyond individual projects, these collaborations generate measurable economic benefits. According to a Statistics Canada study, companies that partner with Mitacs experience an 11 per cent boost in productivity, a 16 per cent rise in sales, and a 9 per cent increase in revenue over three years. As Canada works to strengthen its defence industrial base and sovereign technology capacity, initiatives that mobilize talent across industry, academia, and government can help ensure that emerging technologies move more efficiently from research environments into real-world capability. 

Canada has taken important steps to strengthen its defence industrial strategy and innovation capacity but realizing that ambition will depend on how effectively the country mobilizes its talent.

Organizations such as Mitacs demonstrate how collaboration across academia, industry, and government can connect skilled researchers with companies developing the technologies that underpin modern defence capability,” explains Dr. Newton. “The next step is to build on those models by expanding the mechanisms that allow talent to move quickly between research environments and applied innovation settings,” he concludes.

As dual-use technologies continue to reshape the defence landscape, Canada already possesses the research strength, institutional networks, and industrial partnerships needed to compete, including the capacity to develop defence and security capabilities domestically for Canadian needs. The challenge now is ensuring that talent development and deployment are treated as strategic priorities alongside the technologies themselves.  Organizations such as Mitacs can play an important convening role in this evolving landscape, helping connect talent, industry, and government to support Canadian industry and strengthen the partnerships needed for the next phase of sovereign defence.

Learn how Mitacs helps mobilize research talent and partnerships to support Canada’s economic and technological leadership at mitacs.ca.

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Canada’s airspace is vast, complex and as strategically consequential as any road, rail or port below it. Spanning nearly 18 million square kilometres, it is the second-largest airspace managed by a single provider anywhere in the world. It connects people and communities from coast to coast to coast, supports billions of dollars in trade annually, and enables the emergency response and northern sovereignty missions that are essential to Canada’s functioning as a continental nation. Thousands of flights cross Canadian airspace every day, from densely traveled southern corridors to Arctic routes where air transport is an essential link for remote communities.

That system is not background infrastructure. It is foundational to how Canada works. 

A Changing Global and Strategic Environment 

The global environment in which that system operates has changed considerably. Rising geopolitical tensions, renewed focus on Arctic sovereignty, supply chain disruptions, and growing domestic demand for resilient connectivity have all elevated its strategic importance.  

“Air navigation used to be understood primarily as an enabler of commercial aviation,” says Mark Cooper, President and Chief Executive Officer at NAV CANADA. “It is in fact something broader: dual-use national infrastructure that serves economic, security and sovereign purposes simultaneously. Every day, the same systems guiding a commercial flight also support search and rescue, Arctic resupply, and national defence.”

Planning for Growth and Long-Term Demand 

Traffic projections underscore the importance of sustained investment. Canadian airspace traffic is expected to increase by roughly 60 per cent by 2050. Meeting that demand safely, while maintaining the resilience and flexibility that security operations require, demands forward-looking investment in the underlying systems and infrastructure.

Canada’s ability to manage its own skies safely and independently benefits from increased partnership. It is a quiet but consequential national asset, serving both economic and national security purposes. More than ever, keeping it strong is a shared responsibility.

Since taking over management of Canada’s civil air navigation system in 1996, NAV CANADA has operated on a not-for-profit, user-pay model that has consistently delivered strong performance while investing over $3.5billion in system renewal and modernization. That model has worked well, delivering consistent value for the aviation system and the Canadians who depend on it.

As Canada invests in supply chain resilience, northern infrastructure and defence readiness, air navigation should be part of that broader policy conversation. Government funding for programs that strengthen national connectivity, Arctic capability, and dual-use infrastructure represents direct investment in Canada’s sovereign capacity.

A Shared Responsibility for Canada’s Skies 

For Mr. Cooper, the stakes are clear. “Canada’s ability to manage its own skies safely and independently benefits from increased partnership. It is a quiet but consequential national asset, serving both economic and national security purposes. More than ever, keeping it strong is a shared responsibility.”

NAV CANADA stands ready to deliver in partnership with the federal government. Expanded digital and remote tower capabilities, modernized surveillance and communications systems, strengthened cyber-resilience, and enhanced Arctic weather observation are active priorities, and the foundation for the next generation of Canada’s air navigation system.

Learn more about NAV CANADA’s modernization priorities and national infrastructure role: navcanada.ca

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Canada’s geography gives it a unique advantage in shaping the future of aviation. With vast land, remote communities, and one of the largest Arctic regions in the world, Canada operates in environments where mobility, logistics, and surveillance demand innovative solutions. These conditions position our country as a natural proving ground for the next generation of aviation technologies, including advanced air mobility. 

Advanced air mobility (AAM) is the next evolution of air transportation. Enabled by an ecosystem of new propulsion systems, aircraft architectures and operating missions, expanding how people, goods and services move within urban and regional areas efficiently and safely. 

For Canada, these capabilities create significant opportunities. Electric, hydrogen, and hybrid aircraft capable of short takeoff operations, vertical lift, or autonomous cargo delivery can strengthen connectivity between communities, support emergency response, and improve the reliability of supply chains in northern and remote regions. In areas where transportation networks are limited or seasonal, emerging aviation platforms can provide flexible and resilient mobility options. 

Many AAM technologies are also inherently dual-use. The same capabilities that improve civilian connectivity can support defence and security operations. Electric and hybrid aircraft can enable cost-efficient logistics in austere environments. Autonomous cargo platforms can transport supplies without placing personnel at risk. Uncrewed systems can support surveillance, search and rescue operations, and environmental monitoring across vast geographic areas. 

This convergence between commercial aviation innovation and defence capability is increasingly shaping national strategies. Dual-use technologies are becoming a central focus for our government as it seeks to strengthen resilience while supporting domestic industry. Advanced aviation systems, autonomy software, sensor platforms, and digital air traffic integration all sit at the intersection of civilian mobility and defence readiness. 

Canada’s newly released Defence Industrial Strategy reflects this shift. The strategy designates aerospace platforms, avionics, and aircraft communications as one of ten “Sovereign Capability” areas where Canada intends to strengthen domestic industrial capacity. Uncrewed and autonomous systems are also identified as priority areas, reinforcing the role that advanced aerial technologies will play in future operations. 

The strategy introduces a series of measures that could accelerate the development of AAM technologies in Canada. Significant increases in defence research and development funding, new commercialization programs and the Drone Innovation Hub through the National Research Council of Canada, and access to Canadian Armed Forces testing environments are expected to help early-stage technologies mature more quickly.  

Industrial and Technological Benefits reforms will also strengthen domestic aerospace supply chains by encouraging greater participation from Canadian organizations and emphasizing Canadian intellectual property ownership. For the growing AAM ecosystem, this creates new opportunities for companies working in propulsion systems, autonomy software, advanced materials, simulation, and aircraft systems integration. 

Canada’s Arctic and northern regions may also become real-world proving grounds for advanced aviation technologies. Investments in northern operational hubs, logistics infrastructure, and surveillance systems open the door for testing and deploying aircraft capable of operating in low-infrastructure environments. AAM platforms can be well-suited for missions such as Arctic cargo delivery, remote medevac, and aerial monitoring. 

Together, these developments signal a broader shift in how Canada approaches aviation and aerospace innovation. Advanced air mobility sits at the intersection of several national priorities: sovereign aerospace capability, autonomous systems, Arctic security, and next-generation transportation. 

As this ecosystem evolves, collaboration between industry, government, and research institutions will be essential. Canada already has many of the building blocks required to lead in advancing aviation, but coordination and knowledge sharing will play a critical role in translating innovation into operational capability. 

As the federal national industry association for AAM, Canadian Advanced Air Mobility (CAAM) plays an important role in bringing that ecosystem together. CAAM connects the people, projects, and progress shaping the future of AAM in Canada. Those interested in learning more can stay informed through CAAM’s newsletter, attend the quarterly National Federal AAM Town Hall, follow provincial progress through CAAM’s Provincial AAM Roundtables, or join delegation trips that provide direct engagement with global AAM innovators. 

To learn more about Canadian Advanced Air Mobility, click here.

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Canada is entering a new phase in its defence policy. 

The federal government’s emerging Defence Industrial Strategy recognizes something long understood by our allies. A strong defence sector does more than equip the military. It drives innovation, creates skilled jobs, strengthens supply chains, and generates economic activity across the country. 

From advanced manufacturing and aerospace to cyber security, artificial intelligence, critical minerals, and shipbuilding, the defence economy touches nearly every sector of Canada’s industrial base. 

If implemented well, the new strategy has the potential to create the conditions for Canada’s defence sector to grow and compete globally. It can help position Canadian firms within allied supply chains, support regional economic development, and ensure that the Canadian Armed Forces have access to the technologies they need to complete their missions effectively and safety. 

But if the goal is to truly change how Canada builds, partners, and buys military equipment, one issue must be addressed with urgency. 

Procurement: The Barrier to Entry 

For years, discussions about Canada’s defence procurement system have focused on barriers. The language often used suggests that the system is just unnecessarily complicated. 

That is not quite right. 

In many cases, the problem is more fundamental. The system operates like a locked door. 

Consider security clearances. For many companies hoping to enter the defence sector, obtaining a clearance is the first step to participating in procurement processes. Yet businesses often discover they cannot obtain a clearance unless they already have work with the military.  

The Cost of Delay 

Delays represent another structural challenge. 

Defence procurements in Canada are notorious for moving to the right. Programs that are announced with clear timelines often slip by months or years as requirements evolve, reviews expand, or the government’s finances change.  

Every time a procurement shifts to the right, the pool of potential bidders shrinks. 

Participating in a defence competition requires significant investments of time, capital, engineering resources, and legal expertise. Companies must assemble teams, develop proposals, and dedicate staff for extended periods with no guarantee of success. 

Large multinational firms may be able to absorb those costs. Many small to medium-sized companies, especially the new Canadian companies the Defence Industrial Strategy is aiming to attract, cannot. 

When timelines stretch and uncertainty grows, smaller and mid-sized firms simply step away. With fewer bidders, the government faces higher prices and fewer options. Competition decreases. Innovation suffers. 

If Canada wants its Defence Industrial Strategy to succeed, procurement must become faster, clearer, and more accessible to Canadian industry. 

Industry Is Ready to Contribute 

The encouraging news is that interest from the business community is already strong. 

At the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, we are hearing from companies across the country asking how they can contribute to Canada’s defence economy. Manufacturers want to know which components to build. Technology firms want to understand how their software or cyber capabilities can support military needs. Resource companies are exploring how critical minerals can strengthen defence supply chains. 

In other words, the Canadian industry is ready. 

The question is whether the system will allow them to participate. 

Opening the Door to Canadian Innovation 

A modern defence procurement system should function as a gateway. One that connects Canadian talent, innovation, and industrial capacity with the mission of equipping the Canadian Armed Forces. 

Canada has the companies. Canada has the expertise. And Canada has the opportunity to build a stronger defence economy that benefits both our security and our prosperity. 

The key now is simple. 

Unlock the door. 

Learn how the Canadian Chamber of Commerce is supporting Canadian businesses in strengthening the country’s defence economy at https://chamber.ca/.

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Canada’s defence future is being shaped today by homegrown talent, sovereign innovation, and industry partnerships delivering capability at speed and scale.

The Government is embracing the heightened importance of defence and defence capabilities through its new Defence Industrial Strategy (DIS). Its emphasis on sovereignty, rapid innovation and long-term economic growth aligns with the goals that Canada’s defence industrial base has been delivering against for decades.

To move forward at pace, public and private sectors must stay aligned on objectives. When goals drift out of sync, misalignment slows procurement progress and makes achieving shared outcomes more challenging. Procurement processes exist for good reasons — fairness and accountability — but the pace of technology means we must find ways to get new innovation into the hands of the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) faster.  Industry can innovate and produce capability faster than it can currently be procured. And in cases such as C5ISR, “off-the-shelf” rarely means “ready-to-use” — integration is an essential ingredient to delivering C5ISR capability. 

Canada’s systems integrator and C5ISR strategic partner

Canada already has the capability to move faster and integrate defence technology in real time. General Dynamics Mission Systems–Canada (GDMS-Canada) are experts in systems integration and have been a C5ISR strategic partner for over 30 years. They provide engineering credibility, operational expertise, and sovereign control while allowing CAF users to test solutions and deliver immediate feedback that drives rapid product improvement, substantially reducing procurement risks.

Through initiatives like the GDMS-Canada Battle Lab, SMEs across the supply chain can rapidly develop and insert new technologies into CAF operations at home and abroad. Partnership between government, industry, and soldiers offers the ability to experiment early, contract quickly, and deliver capability in months — not years.

Whilst the DIS supports this model by enabling close collaboration, critical to our collective success will be the implementation of rapid procurement, by leveraging strategic partnerships, allowing innovation led by experienced defence firms, integrating their broad Canadian supply chains.

Industrial capacity: A Canadian success story

Central to the DIS: strengthening sovereign innovation & protecting Canadian intellectual property. Canada has the talent, technology and industrial capacity to deliver. GDMS-Canada has been investing and operating in Canada for close to 80 years. Recently — incentivized by Canada’s Offset policies — more than $5.5 billion in value for Canada’s defence industrial base has been generated while sustaining mission-critical sovereign capabilities for the CAF. Today that capability is embedded across Canada’s military platforms.

Virtually every operational RCAF maritime surveillance aircraft and every operational RCN ship rely on anti-submarine warfare (ASW) technologies they design and build in Halifax, Nova Scotia.  GDMS-Canada engineers in Calgary, Alberta and Ottawa, Ontario develop and evolve advanced C5ISR for the Canadian Army. In Sherbrooke, Quebec, engineers build Uncrewed Vehicles (UXVs) and mission systems for defence operations. 

Growing Canada’s SME ecosystem

A resilient defence industrial base depends on a strong national supply chain. Between 2018 and 2025, GDMS-Canada contributed more than $3.84 billion in value to Canada’s defence industrial base through programs supporting Land C5ISR capability alone, including over 70 SMEs.  

Canadian defence innovation is increasingly contributing to global security through exports and allied partnerships.

They partner with over 250 companies, academia, think tanks and research institutions like DRDC ensuring innovation moves quickly from concept to operational capability.

Increasing export potential

Canadian defence innovation is increasingly contributing to global security through exports and allied partnerships. Canadian-developed and world-renowned ASW systems are now in service with over 15 allies from the Netherlands to Colombia. In Latvia, GDMS-Canada employees — Missions Specialists — work alongside the Canadian Army on Operation REASSURANCE, deploying advanced C5ISR capabilities with the multinational brigade. The company supplies tactical communications and information systems on the ASCOD vehicles, helping NATO forces on the alliance’s eastern flank to operate securely.

This is how Canadian capability developed for the CAF can scale globally.

Enhancing skills training & keeping high-value jobs in Canada

None of this capability exists without highly skilled people. Under fully Canadian leadership, there are over 1,200 GDMS-Canada employees in Ottawa, Calgary, Halifax and Sherbrooke — including over 700 high-value engineering roles — who design, test and produce mission systems used by the CAF and allied militaries worldwide. 400,000 square feet of office, laboratory and manufacturing space enables IP and deep technical expertise to remain in Canada.

Partnerships with universities, co-op programs, and graduate recruitment initiatives help the next generation of Canadian engineers and technicians remain in Canada building careers in defence technology.

Delivering on the Defence Industrial Strategy

The DIS sets an ambitious course for Canada’s security and economic future. What matters now is execution — finding innovative procurement approaches that enable experienced Canadian defence firms to deliver and iterate technologies faster for rapid implementation and deployment.  GDMS-Canada is ready to help, having invested billions of dollars in Canada to establish the skills, technologies and infrastructure Canada needs to deliver tomorrow’s technologies today.

To learn more, visit www.gdmissionsystems.ca.

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Canada expands its defence strategy to include sovereign launch capability and Spaceport Nova Scotia is getting ready to launch. 

The race for space is no longer about exploration but about defence, security, and technological autonomy. 

As countries increasingly rely on satellite systems to support secure communications, intelligence gathering, surveillance, and missile detection, Canada is positioning itself to strengthen its sovereign access to space as part of the evolving defence landscape. 

The Government of Canada has recently selected Spaceport Nova Scotia as a dedicated sovereign launch site for national defence missions. 

In Budget 2025–2026, the federal government reaffirmed its commitment to NATO defence spending targets, pledging to increase defence spending to five per cent of GDP by 2035. Among the measures included in the federal budget is $182.6 million allocated over the next three years to establish domestic orbital launch capability. 

Even before the announcement, however, a Canadian company had already begun building the infrastructure needed to support that goal. In 2022, Maritime Launch Services (MLS) broke ground on Spaceport Nova Scotia, now officially positioned as a cornerstone of Canada’s national defence space strategy on the country’s eastern coast. 

From satellites to sovereignty 

For Stephen Matier, President and CEO of MLS, sovereign access to space is becoming an increasingly important component of national self-sufficiency. “Sovereignty in space simply means Canada is able to access space independently rather than relying on foreign launch providers and sites,” he says.  

Spaceport Nova Scotia is designed to change that by providing Canada with a domestic launch option while also serving international customers. “This capability allows Canada to deploy satellites more rapidly and securely,” says Matier. “It also contributes to NATO’s space capabilities and access to launch infrastructure in the North Atlantic region.”  

Globally, orbital launch sites remain relatively rare, and many were built decades ago. “Spaceport Nova Scotia represents a new generation of launch infrastructure designed to support modern commercial and defence missions,” says Matier. “By adding launch capacity in a strategically advantageous location, MLS aims to help relieve a growing bottleneck in the global space economy while enabling Canada and its allies to participate more fully in the expanding space sector.” 

Canada’s space economy prepares for liftoff 

Space innovation is increasingly tied to economic growth and technological competitiveness. “Satellites support services that Canadians rely on every day, from communications and GPS navigation to internet connectivity, climate monitoring, and disaster response,” notes Matier. “Countries that invest in space infrastructure today will help shape the industries of tomorrow.” 

Canada, he believes, is well-positioned to become a competitive player in the global launch market while strengthening its broader satellite, defence, and advanced technology sectors. “The space economy represents a significant opportunity for Canada,” says Matier. “It drives innovation, attracts investment, and creates high-value jobs.” 

Preparing for launch

Spaceport Nova Scotia is now transitioning to operational status. “The site is licensed for orbital launches for small- and medium-class launch vehicles delivering up to five tonnes to low Earth orbit,” says Matier. 

The company has conducted two suborbital missions, with two more planned in 2026. Canada’s first orbital mission from the site is expected in late 2027 or early 2028. 

“Early mission activity is already beginning to generate revenue while the orbital launch infrastructure continues to be completed,” says Matier. 

Spaceport Nova Scotia marks a historic milestone — giving Canada something it has never had before: a commercial spaceport of its own. 

MLS is publicly traded on Cboe Canada as MAXQ.

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Cornell Pich

Vice-President of Business Development, TerraSense Analytics

Artificial intelligence is transforming the defence space, enabling new operational capabilities to protect and defend Canada and Canadians more efficiently and safely.

There’s an important concept called technological sovereignty, which refers to a nation’s ability to independently develop and control critical technologies such as AI and data infrastructure for economic prosperity and security. To achieve this, Canada is strengthening domestic innovation and establishing robust supply chains that rely on Canadian expertise. Several small Canadian tech companies and startups are already taking technologies proven in the civilian marketplace and adapting them for the defence space. 

TerraSense Analytics is a small British Columbia-based tech company. We sat down with its founder and CEO, Jozsef Hamari, and Cornell Pich, Vice-President of Business Development, to talk about how it’s playing a critical role in the military’s adoption of AI. 

How is AI reshaping the defence industry?

This technology has the opportunity to change the nature of warfare. AI is already helping the military do its job better, with greater precision, which helps bring our men and women in uniform home safely. The technology is evolving quickly, and those who aren’t using these digital tools will fall behind competitors and potential adversaries.

AI is now in a position to help the military enhance their job effectiveness, with greater precision and accelerated decision-making which will help bring our men and women in uniform home safely.

What challenge does the military face that your solution can help solve? 

It’s about the data. Every time they buy a drone or aircraft with new cameras and sensors, they’re adding more and more raw data to the network, but there aren’t enough human resources to process it all and turn it into usable information. That’s where we can leverage the power of AI. We’re now working with the Australian military to develop a ground-to-ground system for autonomous vehicles, which is a complex challenge.

What is the TerraSense advantage?

Building on the success of our work leveraging AI in forestry and natural resources, we transitioned into a fully defence tech company. Our software is designed to support the Canadian military, NATO, and our Five Eyes allies. We’re partners with the military, building the features and functions they need. Our solution is multi-domain, which means we can fuse together electro-optical (EO), infrared, and radar capabilities to provide increased certainty in identifying a target. No other system utilizes all three.  

How important is the Industrial and Technological Benefits Policy?  

It allows us to partner and co-develop with some of the large prime defence contractors. This is important for small- and medium-sized Canadian tech companies and startups, because on their own they wouldn’t be able to secure billion-dollar military contracts. By showing the defence primes we can innovate and move with them, we’ve been able to grow our business, not only in Canada, but internationally.

Why do we need to continue investing in AI? 

It’s critical, because AI will touch every piece of military infrastructure. If we don’t invest, we lose the opportunity as a nation to be at the forefront. We have the know-how in Canada, and the expertise in our universities. I hope we can be an inspiration for other small Canadian tech companies, because continuing to build this ecosystem is important. It has positive spillover effects for defence tech AI startups in Canada.

Learn more about TerraSense’s mission-critical work and its ambitious future at terrasense.ca. 

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John De Boer

Vice-President of Government Relations, BlackBerry

Maaz Yasin

Global Head of Government Solutions, BlackBerry

The Government of Canada’s Defence Industrial Strategy prioritizes trusted communications as a sovereign capability because they protect coordination, decision-making, and operational resilience.

Canada is modernizing its defence capabilities. The federal government’s first-ever Defence Industrial Strategy (DIS), launched in February 2026, sets out a clear vision for a more robust defence industry in Canada. It aims to provide technological and operational advantage to the Canadian Armed Forces and its security partners, and part of this means prioritizing secure, reliable communications. 

Encryption is no longer the primary target. Today’s adversaries bypass it – and that changes the rules for securing national security communications. They’re now exploiting metadata and communication patterns, engaging in identity spoofing via AI-driven impersonation, and disrupting networks, which can push teams onto unsecured communication channels. These threats can disrupt timely decision-making, cause coordination breakdowns, and manipulate command chains. 

Trusted, sovereign, secure communications matter now more than ever. When coordinated across the Department of National Defence (DND), industry, and essential services, secure communications protect leadership decision-making during complex, high-tempo operations. Secure communications have effectively become a sovereign capability — an essential component of Canada’s ability to independently protect our national interests without relying on foreign support.  

With over 40 years of secure communications expertise and extensive experience working with governments, including the Government of Canada, Canadian technology company, BlackBerry, has secured government communications across G7 nations and NATO allies for over four decades and works directly with the Government of Canada on sovereign communications infrastructure. To explore what this all means in practice, key experts at BlackBerry — Christine Gadsby, Chief Security Advisor; John de Boer, Vice-President of Government Relations; and Maaz Yasin, Global Head of Government Solutions — share their perspectives on how the communications threat landscape has evolved, the role of sovereign communications infrastructure, and the practical steps Canada can take to strengthen trusted coordination across its defence ecosystem.

Mediaplanet: Why should Canada treat secure communications as a modernization capability, not just an IT tool? 

John de Boer: For too long, communications security has been treated as a procurement line item — a technical specification managed by IT departments rather than a strategic capability debated in policy circles. The DIS changes that framing, and rightly so. 

When secure communications are sovereign, high-assurance, and interoperable by design, Canada protects the integrity of its conversations, accelerates decision-making, and coordinates responses with allies without hesitation. The moment communications infrastructure sits in a foreign jurisdiction, Canada’s ability to act in a crisis is no longer fully its own. A legal hold can freeze access. A geopolitical dispute can create hesitation. An intelligence-sharing window can close. None of those are hypothetical, they are the predictable consequences of dependency, and they surface at the worst possible moment. 

Maaz Yasin: In grey-zone conflict, where adversaries probe, deceive, and disrupt without crossing the threshold of open warfare, the speed and integrity of decision-making is itself a strategic asset. Trusted communications are not just about keeping messages private. They’re about ensuring that leaders receive accurate information, that they can verify who they’re speaking with, and that their coordination patterns aren’t being mapped by an adversary. 

MP: How have threats evolved beyond “breaking encryption”?

Christine Gadsby: The assumption that encryption is the primary line of defence has become a strategic vulnerability. Today’s most sophisticated adversaries aren’t only trying to break encryption – they’re operating around it entirely, targeting the metadata, human, and behavioural layers of communications. 

AI-driven impersonation is one of the global threats that demands immediate attention. Adversaries can now clone a senior official’s voice from minutes of audio, replicate a commander’s writing style from open-source material, and inject synthetic communications into decision chains that are indistinguishable from the real thing. In an environment where manufactured doubt is a deliberate instrument of statecraft, a single convincing impersonation at a critical moment can trigger the wrong decision, delay a critical response, or fracture allied trust.  

Sovereignty is not achieved by declaration – it is achieved by design.

The DIS sets out an ambitious vision for a sovereign, integrated defence ecosystem. Realizing it requires confronting an uncomfortable truth: it is no longer sufficient to secure the message alone. We must secure the identity behind it, the pattern around it, and the integrity of the entire communications environment.

MY: Metadata is the intelligence adversaries do not need a decryption key to collect. Encryption protects content, but communication patterns can still expose command hierarchies, track leadership movements, and map covert networks.

MP: Where does communications dependency become a readiness risk?

JB: We tend to think about dependency in physical term – a bridge, a power grid, a supply chain node. Communications dependency is less visible, but no less consequential. Relying on a single platform, vendor, or foreign-hosted infrastructure hands a potential adversary a lever that requires no cyberattack to pull. 

Discovering that primary communications infrastructure is constrained mid-crisis is not an IT problem. It’s a readiness failure that sovereign diversification can prevent. 

MY: When operational tempo increases, communications fragment fast. Teams reach for what works: consumer apps, personal devices, unapproved channels. We have seen at the highest levels of government what that looks like in practice. Sensitive military decisions coordinated over consumer messaging tools is not a technology failure. It is a governance failure. It happens because secure channels that are hard to use get bypassed by people under pressure. The real risk is not just the exposed content. It is the metadata trail, the unmanaged devices, and the fact that no one has visibility or control over what was said, to whom, or from where. Communications sprawl is not an operational inconvenience. It is an intelligence gift.

MP: What does “sovereignty” mean in practical terms when it comes to secure communications?

JB: Sovereignty in communications is ultimately a governance question: who is accountable, who has the authority to act, and who can prevent others from acting without Canada’s consent. In practical terms, that means four things must remain under Canadian control: the systems, the encryption keys, the access and enforcement policies, and the data environment. 

CG: Sovereignty is not an abstract principle. In communications security, it has a precise technical meaning. Canada’s DIS is explicit that sovereignty means control of the operating environment. From a security standpoint, that must extend beyond hardware and geography to encompass where systems run, who administers them, and, critically, who holds the keys. These are not procurement details. They’re the foundational conditions of operational trust. 

Today’s most sophisticated adversaries aren’t only trying to break encryption — they’re operating around it entirely.

When communications systems are hosted in foreign jurisdictions, Canadian government communications become subject to legal frameworks and geopolitical pressures beyond Ottawa’s control. Encryption itself is only as strong as the governance around the keys that protect it. 

JB: Sovereignty is not achieved by declaration – it is achieved by design. Governments can claim digital sovereignty, but it only becomes real when communications systems are designed so that infrastructure, data and security controls remain under national authority.

MP: How does “total defence” change the secure communications requirement across the DND, industry, and essential services?

JB: When sensitive programs span DND, primes, and subcontractors, a trusted communications layer becomes the connective tissue that keeps design, procurement, and delivery aligned without compromise. 

MY: “Total defence” fundamentally raises the bar for secure communications. Securing military channels in isolation is no longer sufficient. Civilian agencies, critical infrastructure operators, and industry partners are now part of the same operational fabric. Systems must therefore be accessible from any location, under time pressure, while withstanding cyberattacks, network degradation, and contested environments. Decentralised architectures and failover mechanisms aren’t optional features. They’re the baseline. 

Allied coordination raises the stakes further. When Canada operates alongside Five Eyes partners or NATO allies, the security of the communications layer becomes a condition of operational trust. A weak link in one nation’s architecture can compromise an entire joint operation.

MP: How should Canada think about certified trust in defence communications?

CG: In defence environments, trust is not declared. It’s demonstrated and earned – independently, and under conditions that leave no room for ambiguity. 

Any organization can assert that its encryption is robust and its systems resilient. Independent validation is what converts assertion into evidence. 

Certification establishes a shared language of trust that makes genuine interoperability possible without compromising sovereignty. 

Procurement decisions in defence are not reversible on short notice. Systems acquired today will underpin operations for decades – across administrations, threat cycles, and technological shifts that no one can fully anticipate. That reality alone should reframe how leaders think about certification. 

Certified, independently validated security is how procurement decisions demonstrate – not merely assert – that they meet that standard.

MP: What are the first practical steps Canada can take right now?

JB: The DIS gives Canada a clear strategic direction. The harder question is always: where do you start. The answer is to stop treating communications readiness as a downstream consideration and start treating it as the foundation everything else is built on. 

First, establish a sovereign communications baseline. That means Canadian-controlled systems, Canadian-held encryption keys, and access policies governed by Canadian institutions. Not aspirationally. By design and by contract. 

Second, make certification a procurement gatekeeping condition, not a checkbox. FIPS 140, Common Criteria, FedRAMP High, and NATO Restricted are not self-attestations. They are independent, adversarial validation processes. If a system has not passed them, it has not been tested against the threat environment Canada is operating in. 

Third, plan for infrastructure failure before it happens. The ability to operate in a dark site or air-gapped environment when networks are compromised or unavailable is not an edge case. It is the baseline requirement. Any system that cannot function without external infrastructure has a dependency Canada cannot afford in a contested environment. 

Canada has a generational opportunity with the DIS to get this right. 

CG: Identity assurance is non-negotiable. Metadata protection must be treated with the same seriousness as content encryption. Communication patterns reveal as much as the messages themselves.  

Strategy documents do not defend networks. The systems Canada chooses to trust do.

To learn more about how trusted communications can support secure coordination and operational resilience, visit blackberry.com. 

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