Canada’s department of national defence has awarded a $4 million contract to a startup based out of Calgary.
Defence Research and Development Canada is tapping Alberta’s North Vector Dynamics for “hypersonic aeropropulsion technologies,” according to a report from BetaKit, as well as “investigating small satellite launcher concepts.”
Research will be carried out in Quebec, according to co-founders Craig Johansen and Paul Ziadé, who say their tech could be used for high-speed missile weapons or launching objects into orbit.
North Vector Dynamics emerged from stealth in May “to address one of today’s most pressing defence and public safety challenges: neutralizing hostile drones.”
“The threat is real and it’s here today,” chief executive officer Ziadé stated at the time. “We’re proud to offer a Canadian solution that empowers our national security end-users with the tools they need to protect against evolving aerial threats.”
NVD’s offerings include the SPEAR, a low-cost 70mm precision missile system, as well as SPIKE and SHIELD.
The defence technologies integrate scalable architecture, AI-powered detection, and advanced sensing, according to a statement from NVD.
“Our goal from the beginning has been to build a capability that meets the needs of not just Canadian end-users, but also our allies,” said Ziadé.
NVD is backed by ONE9, a Canadian venture capital firm focused on global security technologies.
“This is the kind of Canadian innovation our ecosystem needs: dual-use, defensible, and deployable,” stated Glenn Cowan, Founder of ONE9, in late May. “NVD demonstrates what’s possible when elite operators, technologists, and mission-aligned investors unite around a shared vision.”
For too long, says Ziadé, “we’ve treated defence as a dirty word in our industrial vocabulary.”
“There should be nothing controversial about building to defend Canada, Canadians, and our allies,” the CEO said.
Leave a Reply