Canada secures new defense partnerships at 2026 NATO summit

Canada concluded its participation at the 2026 NATO summit in Ankara on Wednesday, with Prime Minister Mark Carney announcing new defense partnerships, industrial investments, and support for Ukraine, according to a statement from his office.

At the summit, Canada and its allies signed a declaration reaffirming their commitment to NATO and transatlantic security.

The statement said Canada is on track to meet NATO's target of investing 5% of GDP in defense by 2035, with investments including a new submarine fleet, the world's second-largest fleet of icebreakers and new aircraft, missiles and cyber defenses.

Carney underlined new defense partnerships and contracts, including an agreement-in-principle with Telesat to provide military satellite communications in the Arctic, expected to result in a multibillion-dollar investment in Canada's defense sector.

Canada also signed an $800 million contract with Norwegian company Kongsberg Defence and Aerospace to procure Joint Strike Missiles for the Royal Canadian Air Force, updating its Light Utility Vehicle procurement strategy to limit the tender to two Canadian suppliers.

Ottawa also agreed to open technical negotiations to join the NATO Innovation Sub-Fund and will host the 2027 NATO Industry Forum, said the statement. Carney also announced the launch of negotiations toward a Canada-Germany Strategic Partnership Agreement and a comprehensive Canada-Türkiye free trade agreement, with trade between Canada and Türkiye reaching $4.3 billion in 2025.

The statement noted that eight countries expressed support for the Canadian-led "Defence, Security and Resilience Bank."

Carney also announced that a portion of Canada's approximately $2 billion in military assistance for Ukraine will fund $475 million in ammunition, nearly $400 million for 35 armored combat support vehicles and $50 million for IT and engineering equipment.

"The threats facing us today are real and they will be met by a Canada prepared to defend our interests, our citizens, and our Allies. We are rapidly scaling our capabilities through historic investments in new submarines, icebreakers, aircraft, and cyber defences and strengthening our partnerships with Allies around the world," Carney said in the statement.

"Today, we are a stronger, more capable member of NATO with greater ability to advance its mission of collective security. This is a strong, confident Canada taking full responsibility for our defence, for a more secure and more prosperous world," he added.