Canada bets on homegrown defense to curb US reliance

Canada unveils a Defense Industrial Strategy called 'Buy Canadian' to cut its dependency on the United States by boosting domestic production, creating about 125,000 jobs, and expanding sovereign capabilities. It sets out doubling defense expenditures to C$80 billion over five years, with C$45 billion annually for domestic resilience as part of NATO commitments, and aims to hit 2% of GDP on defense this year and 5% by 2035. The plan seeks to raise Canadian-owned share of defense acquisitions to 70%, boost exports by 50%, R&D by 85%, and industry revenues by over C$5.1 billion annually, while pursuing deeper partnerships with Europe and Indo-Pacific allies and protecting Arctic sovereignty. It also pledges a list of defense champions by summer and emphasizes 10 sovereign capabilities (AI, quantum, missiles, drones, etc.). The release was delayed after a mass shooting in British Columbia.