LONGUEUIL, QC – The message from the Royal Canadian Air Force’s top space leadership at this year’s Space Canada Horizons conference was unmistakable: space is a contested domain, and Canada’s approach to space defence can no longer afford to treat the orbital environment as a benign support function.
Brigadier-General Christopher Horner, Commander of 3 Canadian Space Division, and Brigadier-General Brendan Cook, Director General, Air and Space Force Development and the RCAF’s requirements team lead for space capabilities, delivered addresses outlining the ongoing shift in Canada’s defence posture. The core thesis shared by both commanders is that orbital dependence without assured access is a critical vulnerability, and true sovereignty requires the independent ability to sense, decide, and act in space.
It’s a message both Generals have been telegraphing for the last year.
Transitioning to manoeuvre warfare
BGen Horner set the strategic stage, asserting that space has fundamentally transformed into a domain of national power. He cautioned that modern global infrastructure—from precision agriculture to financial systems and Arctic operations—is critically dependent on space.
“The strategic question before us is no longer whether space matters,” Horner told the audience. “The strategic question is, will Canada possess the freedom of action required to protect its sovereignty, security, and economic prosperity of the future?”.
Horner stressed that orbital static infrastructure is a relic of a benign past. Pointing to the recent emergence of debris-generating anti-satellite testing, persistent jamming, and close proximity manoeuvres by adversaries like Russia and China, he noted that space is increasingly a manoeuvre domain.
“Canada’s objective is not and cannot become the quest for dominance,” Horner said. “It needs to be something more precise. Sovereign Manoeuvre, the ability to manoeuvre deliberately and independently in support of our Canadian national objectives”.
For Horner, sovereign capability doesn’t mean isolationism. Instead, he argued that “strong alliances are built not on dependency, they are built on capable partners”. Horner noted that Canada’s capacity to independently launch and manoeuvre will make it a far more valuable contributor to NORAD, NATO, and global partners.
Accelerating a $26 billion portfolio
Following Horner, BGen Cook—who SpaceQ previously reported warning that the West must urgently rearm to deter global conflicts peaking between 2028 and 2030—detailed the procurement reality required to support this strategic shift.
Cook outlined nine major projects encompassing approximately $26 billion of committed government investment originally slated over the next 20 years. However, reflecting the urgency he has previously voiced regarding near-term global threats, Cook confirmed that the military has been instructed to accelerate that timeline and “move it left,” shifting the majority of that investment into the next few years.
These investments are structured around four mission areas: SATCOM and navigation, space-based ISR, space domain awareness, and space control. A “flagship” effort is the Enhanced Satellite Communications Project (ESCAPE) Polar. This project represents a shift in procurement where the government is actively partnering with industry on advanced engineering and options analysis before requirements are entirely locked in.
Using a carpool analogy, Cook described Canada’s historical reliance on allied systems, noting that Canada has traditionally brought “gas money” to operations rather than a vehicle. With these new SATCOM investments, Cook said, Canada is finally looking to “bring the car” so it can operate side-by-side with allies. “Sovereignty in this case… is not about being different and separate,” Cook explained. “It’s actually about being completely integrated with our allies, but bring real capability to them and value”.
A call to industry
Both generals highlighted sovereign launch as a transformative priority for the nation, ensuring Canada can launch from its own soil for its own priorities. But Cook also issued a stark challenge to the Canadian space industry: prepare to enter the classified realm.
Cook noted that pathfinder programs to bring industry into classified discussions are expected to mature this summer. He warned companies that doing business for sovereign defence will require substantial commitments, including strict security clearances that restrict travel, and potentially prioritizing “doing it correctly” to build sovereign capabilities over maximizing profit margins.
Echoing a recent conversation with astronaut Jeremy Hansen, Cook closed his address with a clear directive for Canada’s space sector: “This is not a time for Canada to think small”. “This is a time for us to decide what big things we are willing to take on and then commit to getting them done”.