Italy-Canada Defence Partnership Accelerates Military Industry Expansion
Italy and Canada strengthened bilateral defence relations during the CANSEC 2026 exhibition in Ottawa, where senior officials, military leaders, and major defence companies gathered to deepen industrial and strategic cooperation.
An Italian delegation headed by Admiral Giacinto Ottaviani, Italy’s National Armaments Director, attended the event as part of efforts to expand collaboration in defence manufacturing, training, and technology development between the two nations.
The Embassy of Italy in Ottawa, in partnership with ITA/ICE Toronto and Canadian authorities, organized the “Italy-Canada Defence Cooperation Forum,” providing a high-level platform for institutional and business representatives to explore new defence opportunities.
Canadian Secretary of State for Defence Procurement Stephen Fuhr highlighted growing prospects created by Canada’s rearmament initiatives and praised existing industrial partnerships with Italian companies. He particularly emphasized the International Flight Training School (IFTS) in Decimomannu as a successful model of bilateral cooperation.
Several prominent Canadian and Italian officials attended the forum, including Parliamentary Secretary Karim Bardeesy, Parliamentary Secretary Sherry Romanado, former minister Marco Mendicino, Assistant Deputy Minister Heather Sheehy, and Foreign Affairs Director General David Hutchison. Discussions focused on enhancing government-to-government coordination and expanding defence sector cooperation.
Leading defence and aerospace firms from both countries also participated, including Telesat, CAE, Leonardo, and Fincantieri, alongside representatives from Italian small and medium-sized enterprises.
Italian Ambassador Alessandro Cattaneo stressed the commitment of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Prime Minister Mark Carney to reinforce cooperation in strategically important sectors. He also highlighted the upcoming Italy-Canada Business Forum scheduled for October in Toronto.
The forum concluded with several major announcements. Italy and Canada signed two memorandums of understanding, including an agreement on defence materials cooperation and another between Wass, part of the Fincantieri Group, and Canada’s Magellan Aerospace to enhance submarine defence capabilities.
In a significant development for North American defence aviation, Leonardo announced an agreement with Canadian flight training company ITPS for the acquisition of six Leonardo M-346 aircraft, with an option for six additional jets. The deal marks Leonardo’s first sale of this aircraft model in North America.
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