• Carney’s Turkish defence tango: A dance of dollars, drones and overcoming distrust

  Source: CBC Politics
  Date: 2026-10-25 20:01:24.0
  Tags: [National, Trade, Defence, Industry, Technology]

  Prime Minister Mark Carney announced a new strategic trade and defence partnership between Canada and Turkey during a visit to Istanbul and Ankara, aiming to reduce Canadian procurement reliance on the United States. The agreement follows the 2024 lifting of a de facto Canadian arms embargo—which had been imposed after Wescam camera equipment meant for NATO operations in Syria was illicitly diverted to Azerbaijan—and establishes that future military exports will undergo strict case-by-case permit reviews. Turkish officials and private companies, including drone manufacturer Baykar, have also expressed interest in making direct investments in Canada's aerospace and defence manufacturing sectors.

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• NATO's race against time: Senior commander warns alliance must adapt faster to deter Russia

  Source: CBC Politics
  Date: 2026-10-19 08:00:00.0
  Tags: [National, Defence, Industry, Technology]

  NATO Supreme Allied Commander Transformation French Admiral Pierre Vandier warned during a visit to Ottawa that the Western military alliance's greatest vulnerability in deterring Russia is the slow speed of its defence procurement and a lack of manufacturing depth, rather than a shortage of raw weapons. Commenting alongside Chief of the Defence Staff Gen. Jennie Carignan, Vandier noted that Russia has adapted its military tactics and drone technology under fire during the conflict in Ukraine, while Western procurement institutions still take years to acquire software and hardware. The warning arrives as Canada's federal government pursues an unprecedented expansion of defence spending and industrial base modernization to meet broader NATO responsibilities.

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• In Canada's drone-killing 'Sandbox,' companies compete for a $1M prize

  Source: CBC Politics
  Date: 2026-10-17 08:00:00.0
  Tags: [National, Alberta, Defence, Technology, Industry]

  The Department of National Defence hosted its fourth Counter-Uncrewed Aircraft Sandbox competition at the Suffield Research Centre in Alberta, offering a $1 million prize to spur domestic defence technology innovation. Two dozen companies from Canada, Australia, Finland, and the United States showcased detection and interception technologies, including laser-guided missiles developed by Calgary-based North Vector Dynamics and portable kinetic missiles by St. John's-based StrobelTEK. The initiative forms part of the federal government's Defence Drone Initiative to jump-start sovereign manufacturing capabilities in marine, underwater, ground, and aerial drone systems.

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• Newfoundland and Labrador Showcases Defence-Ready Capabilities at DEFSEC Atlantic

  Source: Newfoundland & Labrador - Government Releases
  Date: 2026-10-09 15:20:19.0
  Tags: [Newfoundland and Labrador, Defence, Economy, Industry, Technology, Energy]

  Premier Tony Wakeham and Minister Lin Paddock represented the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador at the 2026 DEFSEC Atlantic exhibition in Halifax to promote the province's defence, aerospace, and security capabilities. The province emphasized strategic assets including 5 Wing Goose Bay, deepwater ports, critical minerals, and clean energy access via the new Churchill Falls agreement. Additionally, local firms Avalon Holographics and SmartICE were recognized at the 2026 Atlantic Canada Aerospace and Defence Association Industry Excellence Awards for innovation and workforce culture.

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• Read a transcript of Carney’s speech to the European Parliament

  Source: Global News Politics
  Date: 2026-09-17 18:21:30.0
  Tags: [National, Trade, Economy, Industry, Technology, Defence]

  Prime Minister Mark Carney addressed the European Parliament to pitch a deeper strategic and economic partnership between Canada and the European Union, focusing on cooperation in artificial intelligence, critical minerals, and defence. Highlighting existing agreements like CETA and the Strategic Partnership Agreement, Carney responded favorably to an invitation from EU leadership for Canada to become the EU's first associate member. He proposed bolstering collective resilience through seamless digital trade, joint access to frontier research programs such as Horizon and Erasmus Plus, and secure supply chains spanning over 34 critical minerals and clean energy technologies.

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• Canada, Ukraine forge 100-year pact built on drones and defence

  Source: CBC Politics
  Date: 2026-09-10 18:15:05.0
  Tags: [National, Alberta, Defence, Technology, Industry, Energy]

  Prime Minister Mark Carney and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed a 100-year strategic and political partnership in Calgary, Alberta, focusing on defence production, trade, energy, and critical minerals. Ottawa plans to establish a drone marketplace to produce millions of drones within two years by pairing Canadian firms with Ukraine's battle-tested industry, while expanding cooperation on counter-drone technology, munitions, and artificial intelligence. Additionally, Canada pledged over $430 million in loan guarantees for gas purchases to support Ukraine Energy Security Fund infrastructure repairs, alongside a $350 million air defence package.

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• Canada ready to further distance itself from U.S. on military procurement

  Source: CBC Politics
  Date: 2026-08-29 08:00:00.0
  Tags: [National, Defence, Trade, Industry, Technology]

  Ottawa is shifting its military procurement strategy away from the United States amid ongoing tariff disputes, aiming to reduce reliance on American contractors and the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) framework. Stephen Fuhr, head of the Defence Investment Agency, stated that the public has no appetite for sole-source American military contracts, putting procurements like Lockheed Martin F-35 fighter jets and potential Black Hawk helicopters under review. Concurrently, Canada is pursuing European and domestic alternatives, including negotiations with Swedish firm Saab for Gripen fighter jets and GlobalEye radar aircraft, and awarding a $2.3-billion Arctic military satellite communications contract to Telesat to reduce reliance on Elon Musk's SpaceX Starlink network.

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• Provincial Government Invests $4 Million to Support Growth of Atlantic Spaceport Complex

  Source: Newfoundland & Labrador - Government Releases
  Date: 2026-08-27 13:30:22.0
  Tags: [Newfoundland and Labrador, National, Economy, Industry, Technology, Defence]

  The Government of Newfoundland and Labrador is investing $4 million consisting of a $1 million term loan and a $3 million forgivable loan into NordSpace Corporation to support the development of the Atlantic Spaceport Complex in St. Lawrence. The broader $10 million project also includes a $1 million contribution from the Government of Canada through the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency and a $5 million private investment from NordSpace Corporation. The provincial funding is tied to the creation of 100 new full-time permanent positions by 2033 to establish Canadian commercial space-launch capabilities.

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