Ottawa, ON – July 24, 2026 – The Government of Canada has launched the Defence Drone Initiative (DDI), a new program that will create a faster pathway for Canadian uncrewed and autonomous systems companies to move from concept to operational use with the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) and the Canadian Coast Guard (CCG).

Led jointly by the Department of National Defence and the Defence Investment Agency (DIA), the DDI will establish a standing supplier marketplace open to startups, small and medium-sized enterprises, established defence manufacturers and Indigenous businesses. A Request for Supply Arrangement (RFSA) is open on CanadaBuys until August 14, 2026, with a virtual information session on July 30. Successful applicants may be notified as early as September.

The initiative responds to a fundamental shift in modern conflict. Drone technologies are now central to intelligence and surveillance, logistics, personnel protection and counter-drone operations. Initial areas of need include low-cost tactical ISR drones, uncrewed ground vehicles, maritime and underwater systems, counter-drone interceptors and deep precision strike systems.

Read the full announcement: Government of Canada Launches Defence Drone Initiative to Strengthen Canada’s Sovereign Defence Capabilities

Quotes

“The future of defence will belong to those who can innovate and adapt the fastest. Uncrewed and autonomous systems are already transforming modern military operations, and Canada must be ready to develop, test and field these capabilities at speed. The Defence Drone Initiative will connect the operational needs of the Canadian Armed Forces and the Canadian Coast Guard with the ingenuity, talent and industrial capacity that exist across Canada—strengthening our security while creating new opportunities for Canadian innovators.”

The Honourable David J. McGuinty, Minister of National Defence, in the government’s July 23 announcement

 

“Building Canada’s uncrewed systems ecosystem goes beyond acquiring new equipment. It strengthens national security, improves operational readiness, supports innovation, grows the defence industry, and creates jobs. The initiative demonstrates Canada’s commitment to building security through Canadian expertise, with the Defence Investment Agency helping accelerate procurement through the Build-Partner-Buy approach.”

Doug Guzman, Chief Executive Officer, Defence Investment Agency, in the government’s July 23 announcement

Ottawa–Gatineau: Ready to Deliver

Canada’s Capital Region arrives at this moment with its ecosystem already in motion. Area X.O, Invest Ottawa’s all-weather R&D complex, opened Canada’s first Drone and Advanced Robotics Testing and Training Zone (DARTT) in June 2026, precisely the kind of infrastructure DDI suppliers will need to validate technologies before a contract is awarded. More than 330 defence, aerospace and security companies and upwards of 10,000 professionals are active in the region, spanning the full technology stack the DDI requires: AI, sensors, advanced manufacturing, secure communications and autonomous systems.

The DDI arrives as Canada commits to raising defence spending to five per cent of GDP by 2035, with the Defence Industrial Strategy identifying uncrewed and autonomous systems as a key sovereign capability priority. For the more than 330 defence, aerospace and security companies in Ottawa–Gatineau, the open RFSA is a direct opportunity to become an early DDI supplier before the August 14 deadline. Canada was also selected earlier this year to host the new Defence, Security and Resilience Bank (DSRB), and Ottawa–Gatineau is putting forward its case as the Bank’s home city, the only place in Canada where the full federal financial, diplomatic and defence enterprise operate side by side.

• To learn more about Invest Ottawa’s Defence Innovation Hub, visit dihub.ca
• Learn more about the Defence Investment Agency