Editor’s Note
Welcome to Issue 11 of the In Defence of Canada Briefing.
For decades, Canada’s seat at the continental defence table was largely guaranteed by geography and foundational treaties. As we explore in this week’s Feature Analysis, the abrupt U.S. suspension of the Permanent Joint Board on Defense (PJBD) suggests that era is coming to a close. Washington is increasingly adopting a transactional approach to security, where influence is dictated by tangible contributions rather than institutional legacy.
The Canadian Armed Forces are acknowledging this shift. As detailed in our Lead story, RCAF generals at the recent Space Canada Horizons conference delivered a blunt assessment: orbital dependence is a critical national vulnerability. The military’s new doctrine of “sovereign manoeuvre” dictates that Canada can no longer rely on allied benevolence for space access. To ensure interoperability, the RCAF is actively accelerating its space procurement portfolio. In the words of BGen Brendan Cook, Canada must stop bringing just “gas money” to the alliance and start bringing “the car.”
This operational urgency is fundamentally altering the industrial landscape. In our Tactical Briefs, we track how this demand for sovereign space capability is spilling into other domains, with European and Asian submarine bidders proactively pitching domestic Canadian rocket launch infrastructure to secure maritime contracts. Meanwhile, our Global Watch highlights a rapidly militarizing international domain, with the U.S. Space Force seeking to double its active-duty ranks and secure a third heavy-lift spaceport to handle the surging deployment of mega-constellations.
Marc Boucher
Editor-in-Chief
SpaceQ Media Inc.
Subscribe to the In Defence of Canada newsletter. (Free)
Get early access to the weekly newsletter.
The Lead
At the recent Space Canada Horizons conference, the Royal Canadian Air Force’s top space commanders delivered a blunt reality check: Canada can no longer treat space as a benign support function, and orbital dependence without assured access is a critical national vulnerability.
The Shift to Sovereign Manoeuvre
Pointing to the normalization of anti-satellite tests and persistent jamming, Brigadier-General Christopher Horner (Commander, 3 Canadian Space Division) argued that static orbital infrastructure is a relic of the past. The RCAF is now pursuing “Sovereign Manoeuvre”—the independent capability to deliberately move and act in space. Horner emphasized this is not a quest for dominance, but a necessity to remain a capable, contributing partner to NORAD and NATO.
Accelerating a $26 Billion Portfolio
To operationalize this doctrine, Brigadier-General Brendan Cook confirmed the military is aggressively accelerating its planned $26 billion, 20-year space procurement portfolio. Citing the urgent need to deter global conflicts anticipated to peak between 2028 and 2030, the RCAF is moving these investments forward. A flagship effort is the Enhanced Satellite Communications Project (ESCAPE) Polar, a procurement pivot where Ottawa is actively partnering with industry on advanced engineering before finalizing requirements.
A Call to the Classified Realm
While both generals highlighted sovereign launch as a transformative national priority, Cook issued a stark directive to the domestic space sector: prepare to operate in the classified realm. Warning that sovereign defence architectures will require strict security clearances and a commitment to operational capability over easy profit margins, Cook’s mandate was clear: “This is not a time for Canada to think small.”
Read the full report at SpaceQ
Partner with us
“In Defence of Canada” is more than a newsletter—it is the weekly briefing of record for the leaders shaping the future of Canadian space defence. Our readers aren’t just industry observers; they are the procurement officers, C-suite executives, and policy architects who decide how Canada’s space defence budget is spent.
The newsletter has room for a Primary Sponsor, Mid-Roll Banner and Classified/Product Spots/RFP. Request our media kit.
Feature Analysis: The End of an Era? Putting the PJBD on Hiatus
The RCAF’s push for “sovereign manoeuvre” aligns perfectly with a stark new political reality in Washington. In a major indicator of the evolving continental defence relationship, the U.S. has apparently suspended the Permanent Joint Board on Defense (PJBD). As detailed by defence analyst Philippe Lagassé, the decision was abruptly announced by Elbridge Colby, the U.S. Under Secretary of Defense for Policy.
The Collapse of Institutional Architecture
Created in 1940, the PJBD was the foundational advisory body on continental security, laying the bilateral groundwork for NORAD. Its abrupt hiatus signals that Washington is adopting a strictly transactional approach to North American defence. As Lagassé observes: “If the old Canada-US defence relationship is over, it should be no surprise that its institutions are crumbling.”
Implications for Space and Procurement
For the Canadian space sector, this represents a fundamental shift. Historically, Canada has relied on legacy bilateral frameworks to secure its role in shared defence initiatives. However, with the U.S. rapidly scaling its trillion-dollar Golden Dome architecture and overhauling intelligence networks, Ottawa can no longer assume a default seat at the table simply due to geographic proximity.
If foundational institutions like the PJBD can be paused indefinitely, integration into future U.S. space architectures will depend entirely on Canada’s ability to bring independent, high-value hardware to the mission. The political signals from Washington and the procurement mandates from the RCAF are now perfectly aligned: the era of relying on American infrastructure is over, and Canadian industrial relevance requires autonomous capability.
Read the full analysis by Philippe Lagassé at Debating Canadian Defence
Tactical Briefs
DND and ISED Launch $5.5M Challenge for Arctic Optical Comms: To secure next-generation communications infrastructure capable of operating in extreme environments, the Department of National Defence and ISED have launched two new Innovative Solutions Canada challenges. Aimed at Canadian SMEs, the procurements offer up to $5.55 million in funding for the development of transportable optical ground stations (OGS) and long-distance quantum repeaters. Crucially, the OGS prototype must fit within a standard shipping container and establish high-bandwidth optical links with LEO satellites to support continental defence in the Arctic. Read more at SpaceQ
DRDC Focuses on Continental Defence and NORAD Modernization at CANSEC 2026: Defence Research and Development Canada (DRDC) has announced its intention to heavily prioritize NORAD modernization and continental defence at this year’s CANSEC exhibition. Positioning itself as the R&D partner of choice for Canadian industry, DRDC will use the event to connect with potential partners on defence research contracts, the IDEaS program, and the new Bureau of Research, Engineering and Advanced Leadership in Innovation and Science (BOREALIS) to accelerate the adoption of high-potential sovereign technologies. Read more at DRDC
TKMS and Isar Aerospace Propose Canadian Space Launch Complex: In a unique cross-domain industrial pitch tied to the Canadian Patrol Submarine Project (CPSP), German shipbuilder ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems (TKMS) has partnered with launch provider Isar Aerospace. The companies have proposed establishing a sovereign space launch complex in Nova Scotia if TKMS wins the submarine contract. The initiative aims to address a critical bottleneck in space-based capabilities, offering Canada domestic satellite launch infrastructure while supporting NATO’s responsive launch readiness requirements by late 2028. Read more at Defence Industry Europe
Reaction Dynamics Signs MOU with Hanwha Ocean Amid Submarine Bid: Direct competition for the CPSP has officially spilled into the Canadian space sector. Just a day after TKMS’s launch proposal, South Korea’s Hanwha Ocean signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Quebec-based rocket developer Reaction Dynamics. Signed at Reaction Dynamics’ newly expanded Longueuil facility, the agreement explores strategic investment from Hanwha into the Canadian firm to support the growth of domestic light responsive and medium lift capabilities. This containerized launch architecture directly aligns with DND’s ongoing investments in responsive orbital deployment. Read more at SpaceQ
3 CSD Launches Executive Space Fundamentals Course: To build foundational orbital knowledge across the upper echelons of the military, 3 Canadian Space Division (3 CSD) has partnered with Space Strategies Consulting Ltd. to host a virtual Executive Space Fundamentals Course this June. Targeted at Colonels, General Officers, and civilian equivalents, the curriculum is designed to enhance “space mindedness” and equip leaders with the awareness needed to integrate space as a strategic asset within broader defence operations. Read more at The Maple Leaf
Global Watch
Space Force on Path to Double Active-Duty Force by 2030: As the U.S. military rapidly expands its orbital footprint, the Space Force is actively mapping out a trajectory to double its active-duty personnel by the end of the decade. As reported by SpaceNews, Chief of Space Operations Gen. Chance Saltzman noted that while the service’s growth rate is currently constrained by training capacity and integration pipelines, the demand signal is undeniable. Driven by massive procurements like the Golden Dome and proliferated intelligence architectures, the Pentagon is aggressively scaling its recruitment frameworks to ensure it has the operators, cyber specialists, and analysts required for a contested space domain. Read more at SpaceNews
U.S. Space Force Study Recommends Third Heavy-Lift Launch Site: Driven by surging demand from both government and commercial mega-constellations, a new Space Force study has concluded the U.S. military requires a third heavy-lift spaceport. Air Force Secretary Troy Meink highlighted the findings before the House Armed Services Committee this week, noting that Cape Canaveral and Vandenberg—which together supported 175 launches last year—are projecting upwards of 700 missions annually by 2036. The search for a new launch site is critical not just for capacity, but for geographic resiliency, ensuring the U.S. has dispersed infrastructure capable of sustaining a high-cadence orbital deployment rate during a potential conflict. Read more at Air & Space Forces Magazine
Germany Proposes Pan-European Space Component Command: In a major push for continental strategic autonomy, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius used a defense summit in Berlin this week to formally pitch a unified European Space Component Command. Backed by Germany’s €35 billion military space investment plan, the proposed command would integrate allied space assets across participating nations into a shared command-and-control architecture. The initiative, which includes a proposed multilateral military space training academy, underscores Berlin’s ambition to become the institutional center of gravity for European orbital defence and actively reduce reliance on U.S. space infrastructure. Read more at The Defense Watch
UK Activates ‘Borealis’ Orbital Defence Network Ahead of Schedule: Citing the urgent reality of space as a contested domain, the UK Ministry of Defence has brought its new “Borealis” space surveillance platform online six months early. The £65 million system, developed by CGI, fuses data from multiple sensors—including the newly operational Noctis-1 military telescope—to provide the National Space Operations Centre with a rapid, highly accurate operational picture of orbital debris and hostile activity. The accelerated rollout reflects growing anxiety across Europe regarding the vulnerability of satellite infrastructure to state-sponsored cyberattacks, jamming, and co-orbital threats. Read more at Resilience Media
South Korea Launches Space Environment Training for Air Force: Highlighting the growing operational convergence between space and traditional air domains, South Korea’s newly established Korea Aerospace Administration (KASA) has begun specialized space environment training for Republic of Korea Air Force forecasters. Conducted at the Space Environment Center, the program equips military forecasters with advanced space weather analysis techniques, enabling the military to better predict and mitigate the impact of solar storms and atmospheric anomalies on critical satellite communications and surveillance equipment. Read more at The Asia Business Daily
Guest Opinion: Procurement Reform and Alberta’s Dual-Use Ecosystem
While Ottawa’s new Defence Industrial Strategy (DIS) promises a massive influx of capital, a new commentary warns that actual procurement reform requires looking beyond the “Ottawa bubble” to leverage Canada’s regional innovation hubs—most notably, Alberta.
Published in The Hill Times and featured by the Macdonald-Laurier Institute, an op-ed by Martin Green highlights the structural disconnect between federal policy ambitions and the on-the-ground reality of Canada’s defence ecosystem. Green points out that provinces like Alberta are already operating as world-class centres for dual-use innovation—particularly in critical domains like space intelligence, aerospace, and uncrewed systems.
“Stakeholders underlined that real procurement reform will involve a range of major policy, program, and regulatory shifts if the DIS is to meet expectations… Without a holistic strategic approach, the DIS may easily become a fragmented laundry list for military kit.”
For the Canadian space sector, Green’s assessment underscores the massive task facing the newly formed Defence Investment Agency (DIA). He argues that if the government truly wants to achieve its ambitious new GDP spending targets and build sovereign capability, it must restructure how it buys technology. Specifically, Green notes that the DIA must actively lower its project limits and remove regulatory barriers to directly engage SMEs and dual-use space innovators in Alberta and across the West, rather than funnelling all capital through traditional, slow-moving prime contractors.
Read the full commentary at the Macdonald-Laurier Institute
Help us Grow the In Defence of Canada Briefing
If you found this inaugural issue of In Defence of Canada valuable, please consider forwarding it to a colleague in the aerospace, defence, or policy sectors. We are dedicated to providing the most accurate news in the industry, and your referrals help us remain a sovereign voice for the Canadian space community.