Feds set aside $1.6 billion for outside help with military challenges

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The government has identified a total of 16 specific defence and security challenges that it hopes to address with the initial funds, which also includes working with artificial intelligence and improving soldier performance.

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“Innovation, technology and research are critical to Canada’s security and safety,” Sajjan said. “They help us mitigate threats, stay ahead of our enemies and meet evolving security challenges around the world.”

The previous Conservative government made a concerted push to grow the defence industry by setting aside millions of dollars to develop new products for global markets, particularly in areas where Canada already had an advantage.

But defence officials said during a technical briefing that the new funds aren’t specifically intended to support industry, but to come up with solutions to problems facing the military more quickly; any commercial benefits will be a bonus.

Sajjan nonetheless indicated that the government would make allowances to help companies and others develop their ideas, including testing products in the field with the Canadian Forces.

The list of areas that the government is targeting also includes monitoring social media, identifying the source of cyberattacks, non-GPS navigation and identifying objects in space.

Canada’s defence industry has seen several hits and misses in recent years, including several deals that have raised questions about human rights and Canada’s moral standing.

Those include a $15-billion contract with Saudi Arabia for the provision of light-armoured vehicles and the planned sale of military helicopters to the Philippines, which Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte scrapped following an uproar in early February.

The Canadian Association of Defence and Security Industries, which represents about 800 defence companies, says the sector employs about 63,000 people and generates $10 billion in annual revenues — 60 per cent of which come from exports.

The Canadian Press