Defence representatives participate at Space Symposium and Combined Space Operations Initiative Principals’ Board Defence representatives participate at Space Symposium and[...]

May 21, 2026 - Defence Stories

Estimated read time - 1:22

Between April 14 to 17, the Assistant Deputy Minister (ADM) for Policy, Scott Millar, and the Commander of the Royal Canadian Air Force, Lieutenant-General (LGen) Speiser-Blanchet, visited Colorado Springs to represent the Department of National Defence and the Canadian Armed Forces at the Space Symposium and Combined Space Operations (CSpO) Initiative Principals' Board. LGen Speiser-Blanchet also attended the Space Chiefs Forum.

Throughout the week, they engaged with key allies, partners, and commercial stakeholders on the future of the space domain, the capabilities required to support national defence, sovereignty, prosperity, and international security, and finally, to operate effectively in a more congested and contested space environment. Their visit was also an opportunity to showcase Canada's role as a global leader in space.

The Government of Canada, working closely with Canada's world-class space sector, continues to take important measures and make significant investments in space capabilities. These include declaring space capabilities as sovereign as part of Canada's Defence Industrial Strategy, and investing in crucial areas such as space launch, satellite communications, space-based intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, and space domain awareness.

Mr. Millar delivered remarks at the Space Symposium, where he reaffirmed Canada's commitment to strengthening its sovereignty, including in the space domain. He underscored the vital role of space in modern society and emphasized the importance of collective deterrence and public awareness in addressing growing threats in the space domain. At the Space Chiefs Forum, hosted by the United States Space Force, LGen Speiser-Blanchet joined fellow senior space leaders to discuss, among other topics, space readiness and interoperability. At the CSpO Initiative Principals' Board, both officials joined policy and military counterparts from ten like-minded spacefaring nations to advance collective efforts to enhance resilience in space.

Throughout these engagements, Canadian representatives reaffirmed Canada's commitment to sustained collaboration with allies and partners, and to the promotion of responsible behaviour and freedom of action in space.