ADSE 2026: Canada’s Aerospace and Defence Industry Focuses on Agility and National Resilience
By Joetey Attariwala
The Aerospace Defence and Security Expo (ADSE) returned to Abbotsford, British Columbia, on August 6–7, 2026, bringing together senior leaders from Canada’s aerospace, defence, security, government and industrial sectors at a time of significant change in the country’s strategic environment. Produced by the Aerospace Industries Association of Canada (AIAC), led by President and CEO Mike Mueller, ADSE has become an important meeting point for industry and government leaders, military commanders and key decision-makers from across the aerospace sector. This year’s theme, “Agility: Aligning Industry and Government,” reflected the increasingly urgent requirement for Canada to connect defence policy, procurement, industrial capacity, innovation and operational capability. With a changing global security environment, growing pressure on Canada to strengthen its defence contributions and a renewed focus on domestic industrial capacity, ADSE 2026 provided a forum for discussing how Canada can move more quickly from strategy to capability.
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The event featured senior military leaders, federal decision-makers and representatives from Canada’s aerospace and defence industry. Among the most prominent military speakers were Lieutenant-General Jamie Speiser-Blanchet, Commander of the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF), and Lieutenant-General Iain Huddleston, Deputy Commander of North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD). Senior federal representatives included the Honourable Stephen Fuhr, Secretary of State for Defence Procurement; Christiane Fox, Deputy Minister of National Defence; and Kendal Hembroff, Associate Assistant Deputy Minister, Industry Sector, at Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada. The participation of leaders from both the federal and provincial governments underscored the extent to which aerospace and defence is increasingly viewed as national economic and security priorities rather than issues confined to the traditional defence establishment.
Of particular significance was the attendance of the Honourable David Eby, Premier of British Columbia, who became the first B.C. Premier to attend ADSE. His participation was notable given the growing importance of the province’s aerospace sector and the increasing recognition that British Columbia has a significant role to play in Canada’s broader defence-industrial ecosystem. Eby used his remarks to place the province’s aerospace industry within the context of Canada’s changing strategic and economic environment.
“I don’t have to tell anyone in this room that the world is changing, and that Canadians and British Columbians understand that very intimately. We’ve been challenged by our closest partner, the United States, to step up to do more in terms of our defence, and that our Prime Minister has, without doubt, committed that Canada will answer that call and do our share globally. In addition, Canada has been building ties overseas in Europe and in Asia, and here in British Columbia, we’ve been doing all we can to ensure that we’re supporting that shared national mission. That has meant that my team, my ministers, and myself are traveling internationally on trade missions to countries around the world. And part of those conversations relate to defence aerospace because British Columbia’s aerospace industry is a crucial driver of our economy here at home,” said Eby.
Eby highlighted the scale of the provincial aerospace sector, which employs approximately 16,500 people and contributes $2.5 billion to British Columbia’s GDP. He also pointed to the province’s Look West plan, which prioritizes aerospace and economic growth and includes $250 million for skilled-trades training. His appearance at ADSE was therefore both symbolic and substantive, signalling a growing interest from the provincial government in connecting British Columbia’s industrial capabilities to Canada’s national defence requirements. That message was particularly relevant given repeated calls from industry throughout the expo for governments to take a more genuinely national approach to defence procurement and industrial development.
The connection between ADSE and the broader industrial ecosystem was reinforced outside the main conference through an important announcement involving the Royal Canadian Air Force’s remaining CC-130H Hercules fleet. On the fringe of ADSE, Secretary of State Stephen Fuhr visited Cascade Aerospace, which hosted an announcement concerning the disposition of 10 of the RCAF’s remaining CC-130H aircraft. The Government of Canada has reached an agreement to sell the aircraft to Coulson Aviation, which will convert them into aerial firefighting platforms. The acquisition is expected to double Coulson Aviation’s global C-130H fleet from 10 aircraft to 20, giving its Canadian division the scale to develop what the company describes as the world’s largest and most capable C-130 airtanker fleet. The project also illustrates how Canadian aerospace assets can transition between military and civil applications while generating industrial and employment opportunities.
Fuhr emphasized the potential economic benefits of the conversion program for British Columbia’s aerospace sector. “The conversion work will be led from Coulson’s aviation facilities in Port Alberni, British Columbia. Each aircraft will require approximately 20,000 hours of labour… Coulson expects to draw from the strength of British Columbia’s aerospace sector, including long-standing industry partners such as Cascade here in Abbotsford, the West Coast home of the C-130, and Kelowna Flightcraft [KF Aerospace] up in the Okanagan. This project has the potential to supply highly skilled aerospace jobs across BC while helping deliver aircraft that are urgently needed for aerial firefighting.” The announcement provided a tangible example of the dual-use capabilities repeatedly discussed at ADSE, demonstrating how aircraft, industrial expertise and skilled labour can contribute to both national security and broader public-safety requirements.
For the RCAF, the expo provided an opportunity for its senior leadership to articulate the scale of the modernization challenge facing Canada. Lieutenant-General Jamie Speiser-Blanchet discussed the evolving security environment and the importance of closer collaboration among the Canadian Armed Forces, government and industry. She highlighted progress in modernizing the RCAF, including a reported $143 billion investment over 20 years, with approximately 60 per cent remaining in Canada. Among the initiatives discussed were Arctic Over-the-Horizon radar, the F-35 program, the P-8 maritime patrol aircraft, and Canada’s observer participation in the Global Combat Air Programme, alongside numerous other modernization efforts.
Speiser-Blanchet emphasized that modernization cannot be viewed simply as a collection of individual military acquisition programs. “When we speak about modernization, about readiness and sovereignty and future capability, we’re not speaking only about military programs. We’re really talking about a national enterprise, and about how Canada can secure its aerospace approaches, how we defend our sovereignty, how we contribute meaningfully to NORAD, to NATO, and to our collective security,” said Blanchet. Her comments reinforced one of the central messages of ADSE 2026: the aerospace and defence ecosystem increasingly requires government, military and industry to operate as an integrated national enterprise.
The General also connected national security with economic security, arguing that Canada’s ability to maintain sovereign decision-making during a crisis depends upon the resilience of its industrial and technological base. “Another shift over the past year has been the growing recognition that economic security and national security are increasingly inseparable. In an era of strategic competition, nations are reassessing supply chains and critical technologies and industrial capacity as they strengthen their military capabilities and assess what they do need to be able to create a stronger country, both economically and from a defence perspective. So, for Canada, this has reinforced the importance of strengthening our economic sovereignty in areas that are critical to national defence, and this is about maintaining sufficient industrial capacity, technological expertise, intellectual property skills, and resilient supply chains to ensure that Canada can make sovereign decisions and sustain critical capabilities during periods of crisis or geopolitical disruption.”
The North American perspective was reinforced by Lieutenant-General Iain Huddleston, Deputy Commander of NORAD, who focused on the requirement for a layered and integrated air and missile defence architecture for North America. His remarks emphasized domain awareness, artificial-intelligence-enabled command and control, a resilient digital backbone and appropriately matched effectors. “The question is no longer whether a threat can reach North America. The question is whether we can see it early enough, understand it quickly enough, and provide our national leaders with credible options and time to defend against it. NORAD’s contribution to the solution must be to field a capable and integrated air and missile defensive system. Such a system must be able to detect, track, identify, and defeat threats from all avenues of approach,” said Huddleston.
Industry discussions at ADSE also centred on implementation of Canada’s recently announced Defence Industrial Strategy (DIS). A recurring theme was the need for stronger collaboration between government and industry and for capability development to be approached as an integrated process rather than as a series of disconnected procurements. Voyageur Aerospace and Defence, a sponsor of the event, introduced Deputy Minister of National Defence Christiane Fox and participated in the panel discussion, “Canadian Multi-Role Emergency Response Capabilities.” Voyageur emphasized that operational readiness depends on more than acquiring aircraft. Engineering, certification, operations, sustainment and mission integration must work together to create an effective capability.
Voyageur draws on decades of experience operating in remote environments and challenging conditions to highlight the importance of sovereign Canadian capabilities in aircraft modification, certification, special-mission integration, flight operations, maintenance, training, sustainment and contracted flight operations. As governments increasingly seek flexible, multi-role fleets rather than separate purpose-built aircraft for every conceivable mission, these capabilities become important enablers of national resilience and force generation. The company argued that dual-use aircraft can transition between wildfire surveillance, disaster response, Arctic domain awareness, sovereignty operations and broader security missions. Sovereign capability, in this context, extends beyond ownership of equipment to include the ability to modify, operate, maintain, upgrade and rapidly deploy platforms within Canada.
Voyageur also called for earlier collaboration among manufacturers, aircraft modifiers, operators, sustainment providers, mission-systems companies, remotely piloted aircraft systems providers and artificial-intelligence technology firms. The Canadian industrial base already possesses many of these capabilities, but their value can be increased by integrating them more effectively. “Resilience and defence increasingly rely on the same fundamental capabilities. The aircraft that monitor wildfires, support disaster relief or patrol Canada’s coastline today may be called upon tomorrow to support sovereignty, Arctic security or military operations. The challenge isn’t building separate systems for each mission, it’s building adaptable, mission-ready capability that can evolve as Canada’s needs evolve,” said Carl Kumpic, VP Defence and Government Programs at Voyageur.
KF Aerospace, the Platinum sponsor of ADSE 2026, provided another strong voice from Western Canada’s aerospace industry. CEO Tracy Medve discussed the company’s contribution to Canadian aerospace and defence and highlighted KF Aerospace’s role in the SkyAlyne Joint Venture. Medve was particularly direct about what she considers a persistent imbalance in national recognition of Western Canadian capabilities. “We’ve got capabilities in this part of the country, but quite frankly, it feels like we get forgotten a little bit. Some will say you’re not in Ottawa enough, but we shouldn’t have to be in Ottawa to get recognized that we have capabilities. I call on the British Columbia government. The Premier’s comments were interesting, but we don’t really see it as much. You know, Quebec and Ontario have been really good at supporting not just their defence, but the whole aerospace sector. They’re really good at it, and we need to get better here in BC and recognize the talent that we have here so we’re not talking about East or West.”
Boeing highlighted its century-long relationship with Canada and its Canadian industrial footprint where the company employs more than 2,000 people at 15 sites across Canada. The company continues to support Canadian defence capabilities through programs including the CH-147F Chinook and CP-8A Poseidon, while also operating an advanced composite manufacturing facility in Winnipeg. The CP-8A program is particularly significant as Canada moves to modernize its maritime patrol capability. Boeing has definitized Lot 13 with the U.S. Navy, the first Canada-designated fuselage is progressing through production, and deliveries of aircraft to the RCAF are expected to begin in 2027.
“We are excited for Canada to join Team Poseidon alongside other countries including Germany, Australia, Norway, the UK and the U.S.,” said Al Meinzinger, President of Boeing Canada. “This program will bring significant capability to the RCAF and meaningful industrial opportunities for Canadian suppliers.” More than 80 Canadian suppliers already support P-8 production, with each aircraft in service containing approximately $11 million CAD in Canadian content. Boeing’s P-8-related contracts with Canadian companies have exceeded $2 billion CAD, while Industrial and Technological Benefits investments are providing additional opportunities for Canadian industry. Boeing’s Winnipeg operation, Canada’s largest aerospace composite manufacturing facility and a site celebrating its 55th anniversary in 2026, recently announced a $36 million CAD CP-8A ITB commitment to advance composite fabrication research and development, including automation and collaborative robotics in partnership with the National Research Council. Over the previous two years, Boeing had announced more than $440 million CAD in CP-8A ITB investments involving Canadian companies in eight provinces.
Lockheed Martin Canada likewise emphasized the importance of building a national defence ecosystem. Kristen Leroux, Vice President and Regional Executive for Canada and Latin America at Lockheed Martin, described the company’s approach to engagement across the country. “In my time this year, I’ve definitely taken a national approach that’s showing up coast to coast to coast in that we’re a national company and really focused on the defence ecosystem here. We did a local presence on the ADSE panel to understand different companies at different levels of maturity and their journey — the investment, the dedication, how they got deeper in a certain area within the business to be successful, not just with the U.S. market, Canadian market, and then globally. I think it is really important as Canada is on this journey to align with build-partner-buy, but also to build up our defence industrial base.”
Bell Textron Canada also used ADSE to highlight the scale of its Canadian operations. Michael Nault, Vice President and General Manager of Bell Textron Canada, emphasized the company’s four-decade contribution to Canada’s aerospace and defence sectors and the strategic importance of its Mirabel, Quebec, manufacturing operation. Nault said Bell has delivered more than 6,000 helicopters, supports more than 6,200 jobs across Canada, works with more than 550 Canadian suppliers, contributes more than $848 million annually to Canada’s GDP and generates more than $1.1 billion in exports annually, while contributing more than $220 million each year to Canada’s defence and security capabilities. Bell’s ability to design, manufacture and certify rotorcraft directly with Transport Canada was also highlighted. Its Bell 505, 407, 429 and 412 aircraft support public safety, emergency medical services, firefighting, search and rescue and defence missions. The CH-146 Griffon, together with the Coast Guard’s 412EPI and 429, represents more than 70 per cent of DND’s rotary-wing assets currently in service.
Looking to the future, Nault positioned Bell’s MV-75 Cheyenne advanced tiltrotor as a potential next-generation vertical-lift capability for Canada, with possible applications in the next Tactical Aviation Capability Set (nTACS). He said the aircraft could reach any point in Canada within four hours from three strategic locations and could create significant opportunities for Canadian industry if Canada ultimately pursued the capability, particularly given the potential global fleet of more than 1,000 aircraft. Canadian companies are already contributing technologies to the MV-75 program, including landing-gear assemblies, composite fuselage components, software and advanced electronics. Nault underscored Bell’s position as the only company currently exporting rotorcraft from Canada.
Rolls-Royce brought another important dimension to the industrial discussion. The company’s presence in Canada dates to 1947, and today it employs approximately 700 people at its Montréal facility, which serves as Rolls-Royce’s global Centre of Excellence for the maintenance, repair and overhaul of business aviation engines. Rolls-Royce technology currently powers several Canadian Armed Forces platforms, including the CC-130J Hercules, CP-140 Aurora and Leopard 2 main battle tanks. The company is also involved with a range of current and future Canadian platforms and programs, including the CC-330 Husky, the Global 6500-based Airlift Capability Project, the GlobalEye airborne early warning and control aircraft, the River-class destroyers and the Canadian Patrol Submarine Project.
Future opportunities include Rolls-Royce’s participation in the MV-75 team for Canada’s nTACS program. Canada’s decision to participate as an observer in the Global Combat Air Programme also creates opportunities for engagement with a multinational initiative in which Rolls-Royce is a core industry partner. “Canada has been a valued partner to Rolls-Royce for many decades, and that partnership is only growing stronger,” said Louis-Charles Roy, Vice-President, Government Relations and Business Development. “We will continue to strengthen our presence here, investing in the Canadian supply chain and playing our part in modernizing the Canadian Armed Forces today and into the future.”
At the conclusion of ADSE, Mike Mueller characterized the 2026 edition as particularly successful, with approximately 300 participants and strong representation from both provincial and federal governments. His assessment reflected the changing tone surrounding defence in Canada and the opportunities emerging from that shift. “We are finally starting to see that talking about defence is not considered a bad thing. The military is engaged, companies are engaged, and governments are engaged. We just had the State of the Industry report come out, and it’s showing that it is growing, which is very good. The bright spots are a focus on defence through the Defence Industrial Strategy. Between defence and the dual-use side of defence, and also the civil side, there is a lot of opportunity. Everyone is talking about engaging with Canada which is great to see.”
