Largest Ever Canadian Delegation at SAHA 2026 as Ottawa Looks for Partners

Our Bureau - : May 8, 2026 - : 6:57 pm

In a sign of growing Canadian interest in the Turkish defence market, over 25 Canadian defence companies are at SAHA 2026, displaying a wide range of products and capabilities.

The largest ever presence of Canadian firms at a Türkiye tradeshow comes at a time when Ottawa is diversifying its defence purchases to reduce its reliance on the United States for its defence needs. The Turkish defence industry, which has grown exponentially over the last decade, is known for the quality of its products, quick turnaround times, and willingness to transfer technology.

The Canadian delegation at the event, led by Secretary of State for Defence Procurement Stephen Fuhr and CEO of the newly established Defence Investment Agency Doug Guzman, includes 28 Canadian companies and 2 Chambers of Commerce. Among the major companies at the event are Kraken Robotics, L3 Harris/WESCAM, OZ Optics, and Tyto Robotics.

Ontario-based L3Harris WESCAM supplies electro‑optical and infrared surveillance and targeting turret systems that are integrated across multiple Turkish unmanned aerial vehicle platforms, enabling intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, and precision‑strike capabilities, and representing a direct supplier‑to‑platform integration. Pratt and Whitney Canada is a long‑standing supplier of turboprop aircraft engines used on multiple aircraft types operated and supported within Türkiye in civil and dual‑use aviation.

"At home and globally, Canada is renewing its investment and resolve in defence and security, and we are actively seeking trusted partners who share our ambition,” said Chargée d'affairs a.i. Larisa Galadza. “In this context, Canada and Türkiye have a clear opportunity to deepen collaboration across defence industry, innovation, and procurement. This will strengthen our collective security and economic resilience."

A Partnership Brimming with Potential

Canada's Prime Minister Mark Carney has framed defence as both a security imperative and an industrial growth engine for the country. Canada recently achieved the benchmark of 2% of GDP on defence with over $60 billion in annual defence investment. The country is targeting up to 5% of GDP in combined defence and security-related investments by 2035.

The country's Defence Industrial Strategy eyes expanding exports by 50%, capturing global procurement opportunities, and building domestic capacity across aerospace and advanced manufacturing. Central to the approach is a "build, partner, buy" procurement strategy that prioritizes domestic industrial capability where Canada has strengths, partnering with trusted allies to co-develop and scale, and purchasing internationally where necessary to ensure speed and readiness.

Canada is now more willing than ever to invest, partner, and compete globally in a more fragmented geopolitical environment. This includes new defence agreements and partnerships across Europe, the Indo-Pacific, and the Middle East, alongside a deliberate push to diversify trade and reduce overreliance on any one market. For Canada and Türkiye, NATO allies with complementary industrial ecosystems, this creates concrete opportunities: joint industrial partnerships, supply chain integration, and co-development across aerospace, defence technologies, and dual-use innovation.

Canada currently exports more than US$100million annually in aerospace products to Türkiye, including structural components, systems, and materials used by Turkish aerospace manufacturers. The number is expected to grow as the two countries enhance bilateral defence ties.