The partnership will develop satellite communications capabilities in the Arctic.
Canada wants to bolster its military satellite communications capabilities in the Arctic with its first purchases of new satellites. Defense Investment Agency.
The Arctic has been a key geographic focus for Canada's defense as melting ice opens up new trade routes that challenge continued control of the region.
The new federal agency announced Tuesday that it has partnered with Brampton-based space technology manufacturer MDA Space and Ottawa-based satellite firm Telesat to advance the Enhanced Satellite Communications Project – Polar (ESCP-P).
Canada has awarded the firms a nearly $3 million contract to conduct initial engineering work and options analysis for the project, which aims to provide reliable broadband and narrowband communications to support domestic and continental operations in the Arctic.
“By investing in cutting-edge satellite communications, we are providing the Canadian Armed Forces with secure, resilient and modern capabilities, allowing them to protect our airspace, quickly respond to emerging threats and support communities across the Arctic and the North,” Minister of National Defense David McGuinty said in a statement.
The Defense Investment Agency was launched in October to overhaul the traditionally slow defense procurement process by centralizing contract review and approval and eliminating unnecessary steps to speed up the process, the Prime Minister's Office said at its launch. The agency oversees purchases of US$100 million and above, while smaller contracts go through standard procedures.
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Despite the high cost of the agency's procurement, the government stated that Industrial and technological advantages (ITB) The policy will apply to the ESCP-P to “stimulate innovation and strengthen Canada's domestic space and defense sectors.” ITB's contracting policy requires companies awarded defense procurement contracts to conduct commercial activities in Canada equal to the value of the contracts they win, meaning the partnership will involve a large portion of the Canadian space ecosystem, including small and medium-sized businesses.
The Defense Investment Agency is part of Canada's efforts to strengthen its sovereign and military capabilities, including efforts to devote two percent of its gross domestic product (GDP) to defense, meeting a NATO target as part of a big leap forward after years of declining investment in the sector.
The Arctic was key geographic focus for Canadian Defense: As Melting Ice Shows new trade routes this place constant monitoring over the region is in question.
Prime Minister Mark Carney's first budget allocated almost $82 billion. over five years to help “rebuild, rearm and reinvest” the Canadian Armed Forces, including nearly $7 billion to build Canada's defense industrial base as part of the upcoming Defense Industrial Strategy. Last week the feds represented almost 358 million dollars strengthen the country's defense supply chain through its new Regional Defense Investment Initiative.
Image courtesy of Public Services and Procurement Canada via LinkedIn.
