The Canadian military could have modern satellite coverage in the Arctic a decade earlier than envisioned if the federal government is willing to follow the example of other countries and embrace commercial options in space, a House of Commons committee heard Monday.
Mike Greenley, chief executive officer of MDA Canada, told committee members Canada has fallen behind the rest of the globe from “a military space capability perspective” and is not effectively working with companies in the aerospace sector.
“As a result, our relevance in a rapidly changing geopolitical world is declining, and along with it, our ability to protect and defend Canadians,” said Greenley, whose company is the largest in the country in the space sector, with over $1 billion in sales annually.
This is the best summary I could come up with:
The Canadian military could have modern satellite coverage in the Arctic a decade earlier than envisioned if the federal government is willing to follow the example of other countries and embrace commercial options in space, a House of Commons committee heard Monday.
“As a result, our relevance in a rapidly changing geopolitical world is declining, and along with it, our ability to protect and defend Canadians,” said Greenley, whose company is the largest in the country in the space sector, with over $1 billion in sales annually.
The federal auditor general warned in late 2022 that those satellites could outrun their useful lifespan by 2026 and their replacement — known as the Defence Enhanced Surveillance from Space Project (DESSP) — is years away from getting off the ground.
The Commons defence committee is conducting a study of how the changing geopolitical and military dynamics on earth are being reflected in outer space.
“The United States is extremely concerned that Russia may be considering the incorporation of nuclear weapons into its counter-space programs, based on information deemed credible,” said Mallory Stewart, who is the assistant secretary of arms control, deterrence and stability.
“The United States has been aware of Russia’s pursuit of this sort of capability dating back years, but only recently have we been able to make a more precise assessment of their progress,” said Stewart.
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