Too right! We Canadians have depended on the US far too much for far too long! We need our own defence industry and Ukrainian know how to mass produce drones to defend ourselves!
Canada has been very generous with its aid to Ukraine, but I'm surprised I haven't seen anything about drone co-production deals like those the UK, Germany, Sweden etc have set up with Ukraine. Those deals are a win:win for both sides. And it's not as if Canada does not have the aeronautical engineering base to do so.
For Ukraine, another SAMP/T NG system (the latest ballistic missile shoot-down variety) is due in the next few months. It's a loaner from France until the first of the four SAMP/T NG batteries Ukraine ordered arrives next year. IIRC, MBDA doubled production of the system's Aster interceptor missile in 2025, and is on track to double that again this year. But they're starting from such a low base that they're going to have to keep on doubling for a few years more to meet worldwide demand.
A lot rests on Ukraine's FP-7 Freya interceptor missile. It's a multinational collaboration and that is its strength. Lots of nations are supplying off-the-shelf components so there is no need for a decade-long bespoke development program. The rocket has been tested already. The site of production line abroad (safe from Russian missiles) is already selected. Ukraine has the machine tools it needs for the missile. Freya is meant to enter service next year. It will all come down to how good it is. Hit-to-kill intercepts are fiendishly challenging.
Too right! We Canadians have depended on the US far too much for far too long! We need our own defence industry and Ukrainian know how to mass produce drones to defend ourselves!
Canada has been very generous with its aid to Ukraine, but I'm surprised I haven't seen anything about drone co-production deals like those the UK, Germany, Sweden etc have set up with Ukraine. Those deals are a win:win for both sides. And it's not as if Canada does not have the aeronautical engineering base to do so.
For Ukraine, another SAMP/T NG system (the latest ballistic missile shoot-down variety) is due in the next few months. It's a loaner from France until the first of the four SAMP/T NG batteries Ukraine ordered arrives next year. IIRC, MBDA doubled production of the system's Aster interceptor missile in 2025, and is on track to double that again this year. But they're starting from such a low base that they're going to have to keep on doubling for a few years more to meet worldwide demand.
A lot rests on Ukraine's FP-7 Freya interceptor missile. It's a multinational collaboration and that is its strength. Lots of nations are supplying off-the-shelf components so there is no need for a decade-long bespoke development program. The rocket has been tested already. The site of production line abroad (safe from Russian missiles) is already selected. Ukraine has the machine tools it needs for the missile. Freya is meant to enter service next year. It will all come down to how good it is. Hit-to-kill intercepts are fiendishly challenging.
Just this one man, just one war, just one world.