Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney announced in Calgary on September 10, 2026, alongside Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, that Canada has established a new national defense drone procurement portal named the Defence Drone Initiative Marketplace (DDIM). The supply arrangement serves as the primary procurement vehicle for the Defence Drone Initiative launched on July 23, 2026, aiming to acquire uncrewed systems for the Canadian Armed Forces and the Canadian Coast Guard.
According to the Prime Minister’s Office, nearly 400 suppliers have qualified for the marketplace, which Ottawa modeled after Brave1, Ukraine’s defense technology cluster. Initial contract awards under the initiative could reach up to C$50 million ($36 million), an investment expected to expand the Canadian Armed Forces' drone inventory tenfold, although the current size of the inventory was not disclosed.
The initial procurement batch selected by Canada features four uncrewed aircraft systems: the AVSS Drone D1, Volatus Aerospace Huntsman X6, Draganfly Astiia, and Objexis AI MAQ-C. In addition, two uncrewed ground vehicles were selected, including the Twenty20 Insight XRC RHINO and Beonyx VTSE-TC. Government background documents indicate that these models include both local and international manufacturing arrangements, with the Huntsman X6 and XRC RHINO produced in the United Kingdom with Canadian support, and the Astiia manufactured in Canada under license based on Australian technology.
In tandem with the procurement announcement, Carney and Zelenskyy signed a Joint Declaration on Enhancement of the Defence and Security Cooperation to foster co-development and co-production of military equipment. Building on a letter of intent signed in Kyiv on August 24, 2025, the bilateral framework establishes deeper ties between defense contractors in both nations. As part of this cooperation, General Dynamics Mission Systems-Canada will partner with Ukrainian firm Green Tech Harvest to develop and produce drones and associated technologies.
Furthermore, Canada committed approximately C$350 million ($253 million) for air defense interceptors through the US-led Joint Ukraine Multinational Program: Services, Training and Articles Rapid Timeline (JUMPSTART). The mechanism uses allied contributions to procure defense materiel for Ukraine, further bolstering international military assistance efforts.
