On August 4, the Government of Canada announced a $2.3 billion contract with Telesat to deliver the first phase of the Enhanced Satellite Communications Project, expanding its Lightspeed constellation by 69 satellites to provide secure and resilient military communications in the Arctic and other high-latitude regions.
In this episode of the Expert Series, Dr. Jessica West examines what the new capability means for Arctic sovereignty, military operations and Canada’s growing reliance on commercial space infrastructure. She discusses how satellite connectivity supports command and control, situational awareness and NORAD operations, why Canada is combining low and medium Earth orbit capabilities, and how redundancy and interoperability can improve resilience. She also explores the implications of integrating commercial and military systems, including the potential risks to civilian infrastructure, the challenges of protecting satellite networks from jamming and cyberattacks, and what the growing strategic importance of space means for Canada’s Arctic defence posture.
