Christyn Cianfarani, President and CEO of the Canadian Association of Defence and Security Industries (CADSI), issued the following statement June 23rd in response to Canada and the European Union signing a Security and Defence Partnership:
(Edited for grammar)
“Today’s announcement is a needed first step toward Canada’s defense industry participating in the ReArm Europe/Readiness 2030 initiative. Coupled with the increase in defense spending announced by the Prime Minister on June 9th, the federal government is serious about defense industrial renewal.
From space to cyber, from naval warship systems to land combat vehicles, Canada’s defense sector offers world-leading products and expertise that can contribute to EU security and boost domestic economic growth. Meaningful engagement with the defense industry and long-term strategic planning remain crucial if Canada is to reap those benefits.
CADSI continues to call for a permanent, institutionalized defense forum that allows government and industry to work through implementation challenges and get the details right. These details include key capabilities within a Defence Industrial Strategy (DIS) to inform which collaborative ReArm Europe/Readiness 2030 projects Canada will pursue. In tandem, the government must start unabashedly promoting Canada’s rising and established defense firms abroad.
Defence is a highly managed market, where Canadian industry takes its cues from government and the Canadian Armed Forces in terms of what capabilities will be produced domestically and championed globally. We await those details through the defence policy update, the accompanying DIS, and the next federal budget.”
