Canada’s defence moment has arrived

The countries that succeed in the coming decade will not necessarily be those with the largest budgets alone. They will be the ones capable of adapting fastest, integrating innovation most effectively, and translating industrial capacity into operational capability at speed.

Prime Minister Mark Carney arrives at the West Block on May 6, 2026. Allied nations across NATO are grappling with the same realities. What is encouraging, however, is that Canada is beginning to align many of the foundational elements required to respond effectively and quickly, writes Glen Lynch. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Opinion

BY GLEN LYNCH

May 20, 2026

For years, discussions about defence innovation revolved around future possibilities. Autonomous systems, artificial intelligence, and dual-use technologies were often discussed as emerging concepts that would eventually reshape modern defence capability.

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