The Royal Canadian Navy’s HMCS Protecteur docked at Seaspan’s Vancouver shipyard in North Vancouver on Feb. 9, 2026. The Canadian Press/Ethan Cairns
Commentary
The federal government’s indicated defence strategy to grow into its commitment of 5 percent of GDP annually seems in all respects to be a commendable initiative. The objectives include doubling Canada’s defence exports in the next 10 years and creating 125,000 new jobs in that sector, while increasing the share of defence spending for acquisitions of relevant weaponry, technology, and ordnance from Canadian companies to 70 percent. At present, American suppliers enjoy that percentage of these expenses, albeit on a much smaller budget. Ottawa projects increases in defence revenue for small- to medium-sized Canadian defence contractors of more than $5 billion.
