Canada’s military is publicly prioritizing counter-drone capabilities, with officials describing the threat as critical as warfare evolves. The Government of Canada has reopened its Defence Drone Initiative Marketplace (DDIM) Request for Supply Arrangement (RFSA), allowing more Canadian companies to pre-qualify to supply autonomous systems capabilities and related services, according to a DND news release from October 7, 2026.
The announcement came during a visit by Minister of National Defence David J. McGuinty and Premier of Alberta Danielle Smith to Canadian Forces Base (CFB) Edmonton on October 7, 2026, to highlight defence investments across Alberta. The ongoing investments are worth approximately $8 billion, the department said.
That total includes nearly $4 billion to support future fighter capabilities at CFB Cold Lake; $750 million for a new Chemical and Biological Laboratory and Blast Assessment Centre at CFB Suffield; $550 million to establish the western operating base for the Royal Canadian Air Force’s (RCAF) CC-330 Husky fleet; and over $580 million over the next three years for maintenance and repair work across CAF bases in Alberta. The investments are estimated to support approximately 29,000 to 38,000 jobs in Alberta over the next five to 10 years, DND said.
Minister McGuinty also announced over $8 million for seven projects to be administered through Prairies Economic Development Canada (PrairiesCan) under the Regional Defence Investment Initiative (RDII), the Regional Tariff Response Initiative, and the Regional Innovation Ecosystems program. The RDII is a $379.2 million, three-year national initiative, DND said. To date, 30 Alberta-based companies have qualified as trusted suppliers under the DDIM, according to the department.
Separately, the Canadian Army has been expanding its use of Cloud TAK, a software suite for situational awareness, personnel and platform tracking, geospatial mapping, and command and control. Beginning in May, first responders across federal and provincial governments will have access to a cloud-based version known as GUARD, or Government Unified Architecture for Response and Defence, according to Canadian Army Today. Shared Services Canada will maintain and deliver GUARD as a service, enabling shared development and broader availability for domestic response partners.
Cloud TAK was launched by the Army as a trial edge network for the opposition force in a brigade exercise in 2023 and has since become a deployed capability on domestic operations, including providing a common operating picture to CAF members and provincial firefighters on Operation Lentus, Canadian Army Today reported. It is also poised to become an additional tool for the Canadian-led multinational brigade in Latvia.
In a related development, AtkinsRéalis and DRAKKAR signed a non-binding Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on October 7, 2026, during DEFSEC Atlantic in Halifax, to explore strategic collaboration in support of Canadian defence programs. The companies, both Montreal-headquartered, said they aim to explore made-in-Canada defence solutions across air, land and maritime domains, including acquisition, modernization, mobilization, in-service support, and long-term sustainment of complex defence platforms.
The military’s focus on counter-drone capabilities reflects a broader shift toward addressing evolving threats, with Canada’s military stating that countering drones is critical as warfare evolves.
Sources: Canada DND Newsroom · Canadian Army Today