From the Sabre to the CF-18, the lesson is clear: smart procurement didn’t just equip the Canadian Forces; it built a world-class aerospace and defence sector. (Credit: :GREG AGNEW/TIMES/Postmedia files)

Aviation doesn’t just move people; it moves economies and shapes history. It has always reflected our national ambition.

Canada’s aerospace and defence leadership began during the Second World War, when we trained more than 130,000 Allied pilots under the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan, one of history’s largest aviation training efforts. That legacy led United States president Theodore Roosevelt to call Canada the “aerodrome of democracy.”

During that time, Canada made a deliberate decision to build domestic aviation manufacturing capacity, recognizing it as vital for both defence and economic development.

That continued after the war, with programs such as the F-86 Sabre, built under licence in Montreal to grow local expertise and supply chains. The government also chose Toronto-made engines from Orenda Engines, a Canadian upgrade that boosted performance and enabled exports.

Next came the CF-100 Canuck, a fully Canadian-designed and -built interceptor. It marked the start of CAE Inc.’s flight simulation journey, establishing domestic expertise that now spans civil and military aviation training.

The CF-104 Starfighter followed, again built in Canada, enhanced for export, and paired with CAE simulators — first for Canada, then Germany. That marked CAE’s first international program and the dawn of a global capability that today helps power North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) readiness.

Procurement of aircraft such as the F-86, CF-104, T-33 and CF-5, all built under licence in Montreal, gave Canadair Ltd. the expertise to design its own platforms, like the CT-114 Tutor, still flown by the Snowbirds. That foundation led to the Challenger business jet and, ultimately, to the CRJ and Global Express families — programs that firmly established Bombardier Inc. as a global aerospace leader.

Similarly, defence procurement in the 1950s and 1960s supported the development of rugged transport aircraft such as the DHC-3 Otter, DHC-4 Caribou and DHC-5 Buffalo, procured from De Havilland Aircraft of Canada Ltd. in Toronto. These aircraft met Canadian Army and NATO needs and were adopted by the U.S. military. This legacy of innovation led to the development of the Twin Otter and Dash 8, uniquely Canadian aircraft still operating in airline service around the world today.

Together with related programs awarded to CAE for simulators and Pratt & Whitney Canada for engines, these procurements helped anchor aerospace innovation and manufacturing across Canada, including Montreal and Toronto, making both cities global aerospace hubs.

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The CF-18 program in the 1980s followed the same logic. Though not built here, Canada ensured sustainment capability at home, enabling our engineers in Mirabel to manage classified source code critical to our fighters’ performance.

From the Sabre to the CF-18, the lesson is clear: smart procurement didn’t just equip the Canadian Forces; it built a world-class aerospace and defence sector. Today, this sector contributes $29 billion to our economy and supports 218,000 jobs, strengthening trade ties and giving Canada rare full-spectrum aerospace capability.

As Canada prepares to boost defence spending, we must learn from this legacy: prioritizing national champions and placing key industrial capabilities at the heart of procurement strategies. If we want to meaningfully contribute to future platforms, such as sixth-generation fighters, we need to start investing now.

The Future Aircrew Training Program offers a real-time example of smart procurement. Its 25-year horizon lets CAE and partners invest early in technology, talent and Canada’s industrial base. Together with the Future Fighter Lead-in Training initiative, it’s a model for how Canada can build sovereign capability.

From the outset, industry plays a direct role in shaping, delivering, and sustaining a made-in-Canada solution for the Royal Canadian Air Force.

But to be a meaningful contributor to allied readiness, Canada must go beyond procurement and sustainment to play a greater role in delivering critical defence capabilities. That includes meeting our North American Aerospace Defence Command (NORAD) and NATO commitments and integrating more deeply into their industrial bases.

In today’s defence landscape, simulation, training systems and personnel development are no longer peripheral; they are core to mission readiness. Aerospace and defence is not an industry that rewards hesitation; it rewards action.

Canada has built its aerospace industry through smart policy, coupled with innovation and R&D from the private sector, designing iconic aircraft, training those who defend freedom and advancing systems and technologies that safeguard the skies.

In an uncertain world, we must treat aerospace and defence as a national strategic priority, engaging industry from the outset, not just as suppliers, but as partners. This ensures sovereign control over critical capabilities essential to our security.

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I’ve spent my career championing this industry because I know what it means to our country. It’s not just an economic pillar; it’s part of our identity and a promise to future generations.

It’s time to act. The question isn’t whether Canada can; it’s whether we will.

Marc Parent, CM, is chief executive of CAE Inc.

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