This Week in Defence (08/31/26): DDI Qualified Suppliers, Balckhawks, New LFE Closing Date, CHER Update, Unifor Contract, Arctic Ports, MCAV Update, Germans in Canada?, DPU Timeframe

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Hey Gang.

I hope you all had a great weekend. It's a very relaxed week this week. We don't got a bunch of news, but what we do have is a lot of drones again! We sre finally getting the Defence Drone Initiative Qualified Suppliers pool slowly leaked to us as the first RFP start to drop.

We also have some fun rumors this week! German comoanies are starting to come to Canada, we have a more refined timeline for the next Defence Policy, and we have some new preliminary requirements for MCAV that shift the project into a new class of capability.

All in all, it's a very juicy week this week! I won't keep you all waiting, but before, I promised a new Slido link this week to get back to schedule and I plan to deliver! It's a short one this week, just to Wednesday, so move quick!

Remember that you can always submit your media and press releases to us at media@truenorthstrategicreview.ca!

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• Read up on the latest edition of CanadaxEurope!

• Also CanadaxIndo-Pacific, which is a thing! How cool is that!

• The latest edition of Steffan Watkins RCN Media and Public Awareness Update is up!

• DDI Qualified Suppliers, Hawks, And Other Random Updates

• Unifor members ratify contracts with GM securing new products, investment

• ITPS Canada Achieves NATO Flight Training Europe Accreditation

• CellCore Technologies signs strategic memorandum of understanding with Verkan AB to strengthen allied resilience

• Rapid-fire response: close-in weapons system trials against modern drone threats

• Prime Minister Carney speaks with Prime Minister of Denmark Mette Frederiksen

• HPQ and Novacium Deliver Custom-Configured Battery Packs to Three European Drone Manufacturers for Final-Stage Evaluation

• Greenland and Nunavut Ports Sign Cooperation Agreement

• Federal government invests in Cold Lake’s energy and aviation sectors to build a stronger, more secure Canada

• $10M investment advances Canada’s sovereign space-launch capacity in Newfoundland and Labrador

• MDA SPACE ESTABLISHES MDA SPACE LAUNCHPAD VENTURES TO INVEST IN CANADIAN SPACE AND DEFENCE COMPANIES

• NEO Battery receives orders from Republic of Korea Army and additional drone manufacturers

• Minister Anand to travel to Ireland for meeting of European Union foreign affairs ministers (Gymnich)

• GSTS Rebrands as OCIANA®, Ahead of Expanded Maritime Intelligence Capabilities

• Canada hosts U.S., Chinese military leaders at Indo-Pacific defence forum

• Canada ready to further distance itself from U.S. on military procurement

• Hit by tariffs, Canadian tool-and-die makers eye opportunities in defence industry

• Democracy in Uniform — Canada’s Defence Shift and the Debate Over Militarization

• Canada is bolstering its defence industry as U.S. relations fray. A boom is on for local contractors

• Insight: The battle to build a global defence bank

• Climate Change as a Security Threat: Climate Risks into Defence Policy

• HMCS Robert Hampton Gray leads Op NANOOK departure

• MSE Tech awarded for dedication to shipmates and RCN

• LCol Jordan Beatty reminds 1 RCHA at Change of Command Ceremony they’re “heart of the nation’s guns, the kings of battle”

• Regulatory Affairs dashboard and QR&O information sessions now available

• Operating drones in the Arctic: Separating myth from reality

• Staying Aware, Staying Ready: Overdose awareness across the Defence Team

• 2 Wing key to Exercise MAPLE STRIKE success

• Courage, pride & being you: Emma Quinn, Agent of Change

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This Week in Defences Project and Lobbying Updates are supported by Dominion Dynamics Aurion platform. Aurion is an open data platform designed to increase transparency across Canada's defence procurement ecosystem.

• We have two new DDI RFPs! We have one for the Complex Terrain Uncrewed Ground Vehicle (CT-UGV) systems and another for Low-Cost Uncrewed Aircraft Systems (UAS) that have been released

• The MINERVA Initiative project for Uncrewed Ground System for Surveillance and Reconnaissance has been updated with new documentation

• The RFI for Light Forces Enhancement (LFE) has been updated with new documentation and a new closing date of October 16

• The RFP for the refit of CCGS Des Groseilliers has been updated with new documentation

• The RFI for the MARLANT Fuel Barge has been updated with new documentation

• The RFP for the drydocking and refit of CCGS Sir William Alexander has been updated with new documentation

• The RFP for the National Combat Rations Program Long Term Solutions has been updated with new documentation

• The RFP for the refit of CCGS JP Tully has been updated with new documentation

• The RFP for Uncrewed Aircraft System – Light has been updated with new documentation

• After a long while, we have some CHER stuff as Bundle 2, Bundle 3, Bundle 4, Bundle 7, and Bundle 8 have been updated with new documentation

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• Qikiqtaaluk Arctic Economic Development has filed a new record with Barrack Hill Public Affairs looking to engage the Federal Government on funding opportunities for the Qikiqtarjuaq Deep Sea Port in Nunavut

• Les dirigeables flying whales Québec has filed a new record looking to engage the Federal Government on funding opportunities to develop a 60-tonne capacity airship

• Bombardier has filed a new record looking to engage the Federal Government on multiple topics including defence procurement opportunities, funding opportunities for aerospace research and development, aircraft certification and civil aviation regulation, export permits and controlled goods, and taxation

• Cambli has filed a new record with NATIONAL Public Relations looking to engage the Federal Government on the companies capabilities and offerings as they relate to national security

• Conair Group has filed a new record with Bluesky Strategy Group looking to engage the Federal Government on contract opportunities for aerial wildfire fighting capacity

• Global Relay Communications has filed a new record with GT & Company looking to engage the Federal Government on contract opportunities for AI infrastructure, data security, and workflow automation

• Kepler Communications has filed a new record with Wellington Advocacy looking to engage the Federal Government on multiple topics including Arctic sovereignty, innovation procurement opportunities, and optical inter-satellite communications

• Draganfly has filed a new record with Integrated Strategic Partners looking to engage the Federal Government on contract opportunities for the companies technology

• Honeywell International has filed a new record with Earnscliffe Strategies looking to engage the Federal Government on multiple topics including export permits and controlled goods, the CUSMA review, procurement policy, and taxation

• PureLogic IT Solutions has filed a new record with Barrack Hill Public Affairs looking to engage the Federal Government on contract opportunities for IT solutions and services

• Stelumar Advanced Manufacturing has filed a new record with Vantage Canada looking to engage the Federal Government on multiple topics including housing affordability, the National Building Code, and funding opportunities for advanced manufacturing

• Serco Canada has filed a new record with Global Public Affairs looking to engage the Federal Government on multiple topics including the Defence Industrial Strategy and Strategic Partnership Framework, NORAD modernization and infrastructure at 5 Wing Goose Bay, and contract opportunities including the RAGNAR procurement

• Cubic Defence has filed a new record with Rubicon Strategy looking to engage the Federal Government on procurement opportunities and the companies capabilities and offerings

• Avalon Advanced Materials has filed a new record with Rubicon Strategy looking to engage the Federal Government on funding opportunities for its Nechalacho rare earth elements project

• Railo Technology Canada has filed a new record with Sandstone Group looking to engage the Federal Government on contract opportunities for vessel design, port infrastructure, and terminal ice management

• Ocean’s North has filed a new record with Edelman looking to engage the Federal Government on multiple topics including marine conservation, Arctic and northern governance, and ocean management

• Stelumar Advanced Manufacturing has filed a new communication detailing a meeting with Paola Zurro, Chief Executive Officer of the Canadian Forces Housing Agency at National Defence

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Defence Drone Initative Update Bulletin

As expected, we have seen a massive expansion of the Qualified Pool of DDI since our weekend update. We now have over a hundred companies officially added to the lost as of today!

My boys AVSS and Zighra are here, along with a lot of the missing majors like North Vector, Cellula, Qinetiq, L3, ITPS (who yes do make UAS), Volatus, GBatteries, Lockheed, Remote Robotics, Rheinmetall Canada, BAE Systems, Calian, Magellan Aerospace, Leonardo Canada, Teledyne Geospatial, and Kontron.

Lots of the rest of the expected are here: International Submarine Engineering, Landing Zones, Laflamme Aero, 49North, InDro Robotics, ARA Robotique, Beonyx Robotics, Open Ocean, Tessellation Robotique, ING Robotic Aviation, UVAD, another Northern Indigenous company in Arctic UAV, and another Finnish (our second) in Kelluu. All finally join the list!

There are over a hundred names that have had their confirmations sent out. Very likely, we could be seeing several hundred names over the next few months. So don't feel down if someone isn't here yet! DND is being weird at releasing names.

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• Several German companies have started to make the move into the Canadian Market, while not all tied to CPSP, we expect to see quite a few of the companies rallied around it's flag to show up. To give two specific, both Helsing and Hypersonica have filed Canadian entities in the last two weeks, with bith reportedly hunting for partners and Industrial space ahead of potential Canadian competitions. Helsing, as we know, has already made it to the DDI list.

• It seems that MCAV requirements have shifted significantly from the RFI. New requirements circling around not only expand the scope of MCAV with new variants, including Direct Fire, New Recovery, and Mortar variants, but also have shifted from a STANAG IV protection requirement up to a STANAG VI.

I am still working on getting more information on shifts and changes, but those are two we could immediately confirm for now. Both represent an upward shift in the platforms we have been asking for. The specific ask for Direct Fire capability is not meant to replace or call HDFM into question I am told.

However... given the common RFI, the desire for a common supply chain between HDFM and MCAV, and this scope shift? It is harder to argue where each starts and the other ends. This certainly, at the least, opens up the concept of a common Medium platform for MCAV/HDFM more than before.

• To update on the future Defence Policy Update, the word around is 'Hopefully before Spring'

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