At the inaugural Simulation and Training Forum in Ottawa, the question on the table was whether Canada's training enterprise can keep pace with the force it is being asked to build.

Canada is spending money on defence at a pace not seen in a generation. New jet fighters, new surface combatants, new ground systems. The question is whether the training enterprise can keep pace. The Simulation and Training Forum put that question on the table on April 28 in Ottawa and drew more than 180 participants from across government, the Canadian Armed Forces, and industry. It spent a full day examining it with the people who do this work, the industry partners building the systems that support it, and the scientists who study how people actually learn complex skills under pressure.

Major-General Timothy Arsenault, Deputy Commander of Canadian Joint Operations Command, opened the day by putting training at the centre of the CAF's modernization agenda. In his view, the training enterprise must keep pace with the platforms Canada is acquiring, and getting there will require deliberate investment and integration. "If we fail to evolve, if we allow fragmentation to persist, if we lag behind the pace of technological change, then it will become a vulnerability, one that our adversaries will exploit, and one that will ultimately be paid for by our people on operations."

That framing was held for the rest of the day.

Two serving officers, Major Jake Balfe, Chief Training Officer at 436 Tactical Air Transport Squadron, and Lieutenant-Commander Nicholas Culhane, Operations Room Officer Course Officer, Naval Fleet School (Pacific), were given the stage with no moderator and no prepared remarks. The format was called the Coal Face. Both officers spoke plainly about what is working, what is not, and what they need.

Balfe described an Air Force in expansion, making forward-looking investments and asking the right questions of the right people. But he was clear about where the gaps are. "The expansion of radar-guided weapons around the world is something that keeps me up at night. One-way attack drones, things we can't simulate that you might encounter for the first time. The variability of the battlespace and the complexity of weapons now out there." Simulation of the electromagnetic spectrum, he said, remains fundamentally inadequate. "The EM spectrum is incredibly difficult to replicate currently."

Culhane was equally direct about what the Navy needs and does not yet have. His priority in five years: the ability to locate adversary submarines holding North American infrastructure at risk in a degraded environment, with limited communications, fighting at distance. "I can't do that with the simulator I have right now." He also named the River Class destroyer training gap plainly. Canada is sending its first operators south to Dahlgren, Virginia to train on the AEGIS combat system because no domestic training infrastructure yet exists. "If we don't do the work into developing the training program for that ahead of time, we're going to see the first River Class, and we're not going to know how to use it."

The luncheon keynote shifted the conversation. Shelly Blake-Plock, president of the Institute for Infrastructure and Interoperable Data in Learning and CEO of Yet Analytics, made the case from first principles. For most of the twentieth century, he argued, training was designed around a flawed theory of how the human mind works. Lectures and summative assessment assumed learning happened through transfer. The evidence says otherwise. Learning happens through adaptation, through prediction error, through retrieval and reconsolidation. "When reality differs from prediction, learning happens. We learn from mistakes. We learn from failure. Within simulations, it is often actually more impactful for learners to fail than to succeed."

The implication for Canada's training enterprise is significant. AI-enabled simulation is not a supplement to existing systems. Properly instrumented, it becomes the engine of learning, capable of identifying skills gaps before they become operational failures, personalizing training to the individual, and compressing timelines in ways that conventional approaches cannot match. Blake-Plock was careful to distinguish hype from substance. Large language models are one piece of a larger paradigm shift. The deeper opportunity lies in learning engineering: bringing together learning scientists, experience designers, and systems architects to build training systems grounded in evidence and capable of measuring what they claim to produce. "There is no learning system that should be created, let alone touched by a learner, if it does not have a learning science fundamental background underneath it."

Panels two and three returned repeatedly to the word partnership. Major-General John Errington, Commander of the Canadian Army Doctrine and Training Centre, was unequivocal about the stakes. "If we don't take advantage of this opportunity, it's now on us. When I say us, it's not those in uniform. It's on all of us." He described an Army in structural transformation, shifting to functionally organized divisions with units coast to coast.

Chris Pogue, President of Defence and Space at Calian, made the case for Canadian industrial capacity as a readiness issue, not a procurement one. He cited Ukraine's experience as the clearest proof of what is possible: a thousand new businesses formed after the 2022 invasion, building autonomous systems in garages and basements, flying over three million missions. "Had Ukraine not been able to react with a thousand new businesses, they probably wouldn't be there today." On what that means for Canada, he didn’t mince words. "If we don't build Canadian capacity and Canadian industrial capacity, then readiness will die. No matter what training we do, we will not have the capacity in Canada to support it, because when the battle starts, things are going to need to change fast."

Panel three surfaced the structural barriers with equal clarity. Scott Arbuthnot of CogSim Technologies pointed to a practical constraint: simulation capabilities need a designated institutional owner before they can be acquired, and for capabilities that don't fit neatly into existing program offices, finding that owner takes time. His suggestion was to contract simulation as a service rather than acquiring hardware. Hugo Hodgett of H2 Analytics argued the tools to move faster already exist. "There are things that we can do right now for relatively small dollar amounts that exist within policy and within the existing frameworks." The policy framework, he noted, is considerably more flexible in a training and experimentation environment than most people assume. The opportunity is there.

The closing fireside returned to the forum's central question. Vice-Admiral Ron Lloyd (Ret'd), 35th Commander of the Royal Canadian Navy, argued that the barriers discussed throughout the day trace back to a single underlying problem. Canada's high-level policy commitments, the Defence Industrial Strategy, the Defence Investment Agency, the spending commitments, are ambitious. But the operational rules that govern how industry actually engages with government, procurement processes, security clearance requirements, contracting thresholds, have not changed to match. For simulation and training companies trying to get capabilities into the hands of the CAF, that gap is not abstract. It is the difference between a capability that gets used and one that does not. The path forward, in his view, is clear. "Once we start changing that foundation upon which all these capital P policies are articulated, then I'll begin to have confidence that that's actually going to take place."

Jeff Tasseron, Director, Strategy and Innovation, CAE Defence & Security Canada, who moderated the session, put the responsibility back on industry. In his view, operators at the tactical level should not be expected to know what technology can deliver. That is industry's job. The obligation is on companies in this space to put the art of the possible in front of the people who need it. He was optimistic about what that could mean for Canada. "Training and simulation being identified as a Canadian core capability, if we can find a way to show these strong signals, to prove things out, and to roll these kinds of things out into other ecosystems and other sectors, there's a real potential to grow this sector broadly from Canada to the rest of the world."

The stakes of getting it right are clear. The DIS has named training and simulation as a sovereign capability area in which Canada already leads. That is not a minor designation. It signals that Canada has a competitive position in a global market, the expertise, the companies, and the institutional knowledge, that other nations are actively trying to build. The question is whether Canada chooses to build on it. Master of Ceremonies, Colonel Andre Dupuis (Ret'd), President, SSCL, closed the day by drawing out what that choice demands. "The word sovereign carries weight. It implies ownership of outcomes. We should act accordingly."

The inaugural forum brought together participants from across government, the Canadian Armed Forces, and industry for a day of substantive conversation that the sector has needed for some time. The ground has been laid. The relationships are in the room. The second annual forum will build on both.

At its core, the investment is about visibility—ensuring Canada can see, understand, and respond to activity in an increasingly contested orbital environment.

By 2028, MDA Space will establish three remotely operated telescope sites across Alberta, Manitoba, and New Brunswick. These installations will provide persistent, reliable surveillance of objects in orbit, forming a critical component of Canada’s evolving space surveillance architecture.

The ground-based optical systems will operate in tandem with existing space-based sensors, creating a more resilient and comprehensive capability for monitoring space activity. This layered approach enhances Canada’s ability to detect, track, and characterize objects in orbit—whether they are satellites, debris, or potential threats.

Lieutenant-General Jamie Speiser-Blanchet, Commander of the Royal Canadian Air Force, emphasized the operational significance of the capability:

“The delivery of the ground-based optical capability represents a significant advancement in Canada’s ability to monitor and safeguard the space domain. These advanced telescopes will provide persistent, reliable, ground-based surveillance and will operate in tandem with our space-based sensors under Surveillance of Space 2. Space-based systems are vital to the daily lives of Canadians and to the success of joint missions with our allies. Enhancing our space awareness directly strengthens our commitments to NORAD and to our partners as we continue to ensure the security of Canadians.”

The importance of space-based systems extends far beyond military operations. Everyday activities—from banking and communications to navigation, agriculture, and weather forecasting—depend on secure and reliable satellite infrastructure. Recognizing this, the Government of Canada is positioning space as a cornerstone of both national security and economic resilience.

The Honourable David J. McGuinty, Minister of National Defence, highlighted the broader implications of the project:

“Canada’s security and prosperity depend on our ability to understand and protect the space domain. The Surveillance of Space 2 project represents a major step forward in strengthening our sovereignty, modernizing our space capabilities, and safeguarding critical satellite infrastructure that Canadians rely on every day.”

Beyond its strategic value, the contract is expected to deliver tangible economic benefits. The project will create or support close to 80 jobs annually and contribute approximately $9 million to Canada’s GDP each year over the next six years. It also reinforces Canada’s position within a rapidly expanding global space economy, projected to reach approximately $2 trillion by 2040. With Canada’s space sector already contributing an estimated $3.4 billion to GDP, investments like SofS 2 are designed to ensure Canadian companies remain competitive on the world stage.

The Honourable Jill McKnight, Minister of Veterans Affairs and Associate Minister of National Defence, pointed to the regional and industrial impact:

“Projects like Surveillance of Space 2 demonstrate how Canadian expertise, right here in British Columbia, pushes the boundaries of what we will achieve in space and defence. Supported by the Defence Investment Agency and guided by Canada’s Defence Industrial Strategy, this investment will both create highly skilled jobs in the region and will modernize Canada’s space capabilities for the challenges of tomorrow.”

The Surveillance of Space 2 contract also reflects a shift in how Canada delivers defence capabilities. By leveraging streamlined processes and existing approval authorities, the DIA was able to move the procurement forward more quickly than under traditional models. This approach is central to the government’s broader effort to modernize defence procurement—reducing delays, centralizing expertise, and accelerating the delivery of mission-critical equipment to the Canadian Armed Forces.

The Honourable Stephen Fuhr underscored the dual focus on capability and industrial growth:

“Canada’s security depends on the space-based systems that enable everything from communications and navigation to weather forecasting and emergency response. Today’s contract award to MDA Space will deliver the capabilities the Canadian Armed Forces need while growing Canada’s world-class space sector and creating good-paying jobs. With the Defence Investment Agency and our Defence Industrial Strategy, we are streamlining procurements and building the sovereign capabilities that will ensure Canada remains a leader in this crucial domain.”

Canada’s investment in space surveillance is not occurring in isolation. The capabilities delivered through SofS 2 will contribute directly to key international partnerships, including the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) and Multinational Force – Operation Olympic Defender. These alliances rely on shared data and coordinated awareness of the space domain to ensure collective security. By enhancing its own capabilities, Canada strengthens its role as a trusted partner in these networks.

Mike Greenley, Chief Executive Officer of MDA Space, reflected on the broader operational context:

“As space becomes more contested, congested and competitive, persistent surveillance and space domain awareness provide the Canadian Armed Forces and trusted allies with a better understanding of what is happening in a complex environment they can’t otherwise see. With decades of proven expertise providing defence and security, MDA Space is honoured to once again be selected as a trusted mission partner to Canada and to the Department of National Defence .”

The Surveillance of Space 2 project sits within a larger transformation of Canada’s defence ecosystem. Through the Defence Industrial Strategy and the establishment of the Defence Investment Agency, the government is aligning long-term defence spending with domestic industrial capability.

The goal is clear: build sovereign capabilities, strengthen supply chains, create high-value jobs, and ensure the Canadian Armed Forces are equipped to meet emerging threats.

As space becomes an increasingly contested and indispensable domain, Canada’s latest investment signals a long-term commitment—not only to protecting what lies above, but to securing the prosperity and safety that depend on it.