What mattersShow
- The deal expands the Lightspeed constellation by 69 satellites
- Primary sector: Satellite & Space Systems
- Open the company page to keep the follow-up signal in view.
The Defence Investment Agency (DIA) has awarded Telesat a $2.3 billion CAD contract to dramatically increase Canada’s military communications capabilities across the Arctic region. This massive government commitment supports the national goal of asserting sovereignty by ensuring secure, reliable satellite connectivity for the Canadian Armed Forces in high-latitude and remote areas.
The agreement tasks Telesat with expanding its Lightspeed constellation by 69 satellites, raising the total count from 156 to 225. The physical construction of this expanded network will be handled at MDA Space’s Montréal manufacturing facility. This contract is structured as a 15-year commitment and includes two five-year option periods, giving it a potential total value of $2.7 billion.
The immediate focus will shift to the separate agreements covering ground infrastructure and training, which determine how quickly the increased satellite capacity can be operationally deployed for military use.
For the Canadian Armed Forces, these secure communications are critical for executing regional defense missions, search and rescue operations, and maintaining seamless operational capability across Canada's vast North. As stated by Royal Canadian Air Force commander Jamie Speiser-Blanchet, sovereign communication links are essential for operating in the region and collaborating with allies.
The scope of work extends past simply deploying satellites. Telesat confirmed that a separate agreement with the DIA will cover the entire end-to-end network integration, including ground infrastructure, control systems, training, and support services required to make the constellation functional. Furthermore, MDA has been tapped as the prime contractor for the next phase: developing an ultra-high frequency and X-band constellation in medium earth orbit (MEO), though details on this follow-on contract are still under negotiation.
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