Canada's new focus on defence through the federal government's recently released Defence Industrial Strategy (DIS) marks an important turning point, signalling the priority that Prime Minister Mark Carney and his government have placed on defence while identifying key sectors and sovereign capabilities, including aerospace.

That recognition matters. But recognition alone does not build aircraft, sustain fleets or train the next generation of pilots and aerospace maintenance engineers that is so critical to continental defence. What matters now is delivering capability and moving forward with contracts.

Over the next decade, Canada plans to modernize NORAD capabilities, introduce new air and space systems, expand remotely piloted platforms and sustain a growing range of aerospace assets. As the government and Canadian Armed Forces assess capability requirements—including next-generation aircraft, remotely piloted and autonomous systems—the platforms may differ, but the requirement is the same: a strong industrial base capable of designing, building, sustaining and modernizing the technologies that support continental defence and national security. 

This is where Canada's aerospace industry becomes indispensable. Few periods in Canadian history have presented such an opportunity to leverage Canada's aerospace expertise and industrial capacity. 

Canada remains one of the few countries in the world capable of designing, building, certifying and sustaining complex aerospace systems from "nose-to-tail." That world-class capability spans civil aviation, defence and space. Those sectors are not separate ecosystems. They share the same workforce, supply chains, manufacturing infrastructure and research networks. Strength in one reinforces the other.

That interconnectedness is why the DIS alone will not unlock Canada's full aerospace potential. Aerospace is a unique and strategic sector with benefits extending well beyond defence. A complementary federal Aerospace Industrial Strategy that aligns civil aviation, defence and space priorities would help ensure investments in one part of the sector reinforce capability across the entire ecosystem while strengthening Canada's long-term competitiveness, sovereignty and security.

With more than 70 percent of aerospace manufacturing revenues tied to exports, the world wants what Canada has when it comes to aerospace. Canadian aerospace firms are ready to scale, innovate and invest—but they require long-term visibility and predictable demand signals to do so. Companies make major decisions about workforce development, facilities, technology adoption and research years in advance. Sustained partnership with government is what enables those investments and ensures Canada retains the industrial capacity required to meet future domestic and allied demand.

Former NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg put it plainly: ‘without industry there is no defence.’ The same principle applies to continental defence. Canada's aerospace sector is deeply integrated into North American supply chains through partnerships built over decades. These relationships are strategic assets that support economic growth, industrial resilience and defence capability on both sides of the border. 

Canada's aerospace industry is ready to deliver. The path forward is clear. Implement the DIS with discipline and speed. Leverage the Defence Investment Agency to accelerate procurement and drive Canadian solutions to domestic and international markets. Develop a complementary Aerospace Industrial Strategy that ties the full sector together and protects the integrated North American aerospace ecosystem on which Canadian industry—and Canadian security—depends. 

These conversations will be front and centre at the Aerospace, Defence & Security Expo (ADSE), taking place August 6–7 in Abbotsford, British Columbia. With confirmed speakers including RCAF Commander Lieutenant-General Jamie Speiser-Blanchet, NORAD Deputy Commander Lieutenant-General Iain Huddleston and Secretary of State for Defence Procurement, the Honourable Stephen Fuhr, ADSE 2026 will be a key meeting point for industry leaders, innovators and decision-makers shaping Canada's aerospace and defence.

Mike Mueller is president and CEO of the Aerospace Industries Association of Canada