16 APRIL/MAY 2026 www.vanguardcanada.com
S
SIT REP
Canada Awards $32M Space Surveillance Contract
to MDA Space
Photo: MDA Space
By 2028, MDA Space will establish three remotely operated
telescope sites in Alberta, Manitoba, and New Brunswick. The
sites will provide persistent surveillance of objects in orbit,
operating alongside existing space-based sensors to build a
more layered and resilient picture of Canada's orbital environ-
ment. The contract also includes acquisition and integration of
the Sensor Tasking and Reporting System.
The capability will feed directly into Canada's contributions
to NORAD and to Multinational Force – Operation Olympic
Defender, the allied space domain awareness partnership.
As space becomes more contested, persistent ground-based
surveillance fills gaps that space-based sensors alone cannot
cover.
Secretary of State for Defence Procurement Stephen Fuhr
made the announcement, noting the contract reflects the De-
fence Investment Agency's mandate to streamline procure-
ment and accelerate delivery of mission-critical capabilities.
The project is expected to support close to 80 jobs annually
and contribute approximately $9 million to Canada's GDP each
year over its six-year delivery horizon.
The Defence Investment Agency has awarded a $32 million
contract to MDA Space to deliver ground-based optical capa-
bility for the Surveillance of Space 2 (SofS 2) project, a follow-
on to Canada's Sapphire satellite program launched in 2013
as the country's first dedicated military contribution to space
domain awareness.
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