This article was prepared with the assistance of summer student Chan-Min Roh.
Canada’s defence sector is undergoing a generational transformation. Over the past year, the Federal Government has made a series of significant announcements that together signal an unprecedented commitment to rebuilding domestic defence capacity with the help of Canadian businesses. For small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), technology firms, manufacturers and Indigenous-partnered enterprises across Canada, these developments create real, actionable opportunities.
Key announcements
The following Federal Government announcements are reshaping the defence landscape:
- Canada’s Defence Industrial Strategy (February 2026) – The Federal Government released “Security, Sovereignty and Prosperity,” a comprehensive strategy backed by $81.8 billion over five years. The strategy introduces a “Build-Partner-Buy” framework that prioritizes Canadian suppliers as a matter of policy, identifies 10 sovereign