Whether you’re headed up to CANSEC 2019 or just looking for some basic facts on the Canadian Defense Industry, DSJ has you covered:
Some fast facts:
- Canada has 660 defense firms that generated about $10 billion in sales in 2016, roughly equivalent to the annual defense revenue of Airbus or Thales.
- The defense industry directly hires about 27,000 Canadians and contributes to the employment of 33,000 others.
- Close to 60 percent of sales were exports.
Each region has a different focus:

Canada and the U.S. account for 63% of sales:

Land and Air dominate Sales, Employment, R&D, and Exports:

But Marine sales grew the most at 40% between 2014 and 2016, led particularly by shipbuilding:

For more information, see the State of Canada’s Defence Industry prepared by Innovation, Science, and Economic Development Canada.