The latest available figures say Canada’s arms sales jumped more than 50 percent from 2010 to 2011, with later years reportedly expected to spike.
In a recently released government memorandum, the Chief Review Services office says CF soldiers and Department of National Defense personnel are “authorized and highly encouraged to visit the CANSEC 2014 exhibits,” because they’ll get the chance to “network with industry leaders.”
Besides international firms, CANSEC is showcasing the military technology scene in Canada—and it’s booming.
Revision Military, a Montreal-based firm, just sold 90,000 next-generation helmets to the US Department of Defense, with countries like Denmark lining up for the future-soldier tech.
When it comes to military technology, drones are Canada’s bread and butter with emerging companies all over the country.
In 2011, little-known Waterloo company Aeryon dealt drones to Libyan rebels fighting former Libyan leader Muammar Gadaffi.
Since, the Canadian drone company is known to count Saudi Arabia, the Canadian Forces, RCMP, and the US Army as clients.
Aeryon specializes in surveillance drones and is the market standard for remote controlled systems the average Joe can master in minutes.
It's currently rebranding their drones for commercial use in new agriculture and scientific markets.
Another Canadian company showcasing at CANSEC already has a lucrative production deal courtesy of the government.
In February, through diplomatic channels Harper's negotiators helped a lubricate a $10 billion deal for General Dynamics Canada to build light armored vehicles for the Saudi Arabian Army.
Saudi Arabia has been one of the biggest supporters of the three-year-old war in Syria where more than 170,000 people have been killed and continues with no end in sight.
The foreign-charged war in Syria which started in 2011 as pro-reform protests but turned into a massive insurgency following interventions from Western and regional countries has recently extended into Iraq, while violence has already caused great insecurity in Lebanon and Turkey as well.
Many human rights groups have called for banning arms sales to the militant groups, especially in Syria, but the calls have faced cold shoulder from supporters of the war in Syria which want to see the Syrian government toppled down.
SHI/SHI