Canada is building two complementary strike capabilities: the Army’s Long Range Precision Strike (Land), or LRPS(L), centred on 26 contracted HIMARS launchers; and the Canadian Deep Precision Strike Capability (CDPSC), an emerging joint-force requirement for an affordable, scalable long-range system. They have different procurement paths and schedules. DND acquisition announcement, CDPSC program.
Current status
As of 14 September 2026: Canada signed the HIMARS Letter of Offer and Acceptance on 6 January 2026; the United States confirmed an initial US$250 million payment on 12 January. CDPSC remains at industry engagement and procurement preparation: no selected system, named finalists, or acquisition award has been publicly established in the sources cited here. DND parliamentary briefing, CDPSC program.
| Track | Lead and scope | Next published milestone |
|---|---|---|
| LRPS(L) / HIMARS | Canadian Army; launchers, missiles, training, logistics and infrastructure | First launcher deliveries by 2029; initial operational capability in 2030; full capability in 2034. Army update |
| CDPSC | Canadian Joint Forces Command; equipment, operators, sustainment, command-system integration and stocks | Procurement initiation, demonstrations and formal evaluation precede final selection. Program sequence |
What the programs will deliver
LRPS(L) introduces mobile rocket artillery for continental defence and deployed formations. Its scope includes resupply vehicles, ammunition infrastructure, training and support as well as launchers and munitions. The intended effect is sustained, all-weather precision fire at ranges beyond existing Army artillery. Defence Capabilities Blueprint.
The Army plans to operate the capability primarily through 1st Regiment, Royal Canadian Horse Artillery at Shilo, Manitoba, transitioning to 9th Rocket Regiment. Reserve support is planned from 38 Canadian Brigade Group under 1st Canadian Artillery Brigade. The August 2026 Army account links HIMARS to new sensors and command systems and identifies CC-130J transportability as a selection factor. Army implementation update.
CDPSC seeks a rapidly fieldable capability with economical replenishment and sovereign production. The July engagement notice describes operation beyond 500 kilometres and payload above 100 kilograms, excluding fuel and sensors; exact thresholds and accuracy requirements are reserved for later stages. It also calls for resilience in disrupted navigation and communications environments. These are requirement statements, not demonstrated performance by a chosen product. CAF industry-engagement notice.
How the strike capability fits the Army
HIMARS is one layer of a wider artillery rebuild. Reporting from Future Artillery in May 2025, Janes described plans for rocket artillery, self-propelled howitzers and vehicle-mounted mortars, supported by ammunition, command systems and training. The loitering-munition urgent requirement had already been completed. Its contemporary estimate of 24 rocket launchers predates the subsequent 26-launcher acquisition. The other equipment quantities reported at that conference were planning ambitions, not awarded orders. Janes, 28 May 2025.
The Army’s Inflection Point 2025 strategy assigns long-range rockets a divisional deep-fire role while placing howitzers and mortars in a separate indirect-fire modernization project. It also calls for reconnaissance and targeting networks to support long-range effects. Operational implication: the delivery test is broader than launcher arrival; trained formations must be able to find targets, coordinate fires and sustain ammunition supplies. Canadian Army modernization strategy, pp. 8–14.
Timeline and milestones
| Date | Event | Status |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Our North, Strong and Free establishes long-range land-strike investment. Blueprint | Policy / requirement |
| December 2024 | Canada submits its HIMARS request to the United States. DND briefing | Acquisition request |
| 1 October 2025 | Washington approves a possible sale of 26 launchers and a specified munitions package, estimated at US$1.75 billion. DSCA notice | Export / congressional notification |
| 6 January 2026 | Canada signs the US sales agreement. DND briefing | Agreement signed |
| 2–3 June 2026 | Canada publicly announces the acquisition; Lockheed Martin describes a ten-year industrial plan. DND, Lockheed Martin | Acquisition / industry announcements |
| 23 July 2026 | Defence Drone Initiative launches, including a deep-strike use case. DND | Supplier-qualification initiative |
| 30 July / 7 August 2026 | CAF publishes CDPSC information and schedules its industry Q&A for 7 August at Area X.O, Ottawa. Participation is explicitly not an RFP or purchase commitment. Engagement notice | Market engagement |
| 14 August 2026 | First-round DDI Marketplace submissions close; subsequent applications move to future rounds. CanadaBuys notice | Qualification deadline |
| 2029 / 2030 / 2034 | HIMARS deliveries begin, then initial and full operational capability respectively. Army update | Published targets |
Vendors, systems and selection
| System or participant | Documented role | Procurement distinction |
|---|---|---|
| Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control | HIMARS and associated missile-family supplier; US government-to-government acquisition route | Selected for LRPS(L). DND says it alone met all Army requirements for a mature, proven and interoperable system. DND briefing |
| GMLRS / Extended Range GMLRS | October 2025 notification lists 132 M31A2, 132 M30A2, 32 M403 and 32 M404 pods | Requested / export-approved quantities; the notification is not a delivery manifest. DSCA |
| M57 ATACMS | 64 pods listed in the same notification | ATACMS appears in the notified package; PrSM does not. DSCA |
| Precision Strike Missile (PrSM) | Army identifies a future long-range effector compatible with the planned system | Growth path; the cited Canadian disclosures do not establish a PrSM order. Army update |
| CDPSC suppliers | Canadian and allied primes, smaller firms and technology providers invited to engage | No public finalist list or selected platform. Marketplace interest and industry attendance do not establish evaluation or award. CAF notice |
Cost and Canadian industry
The C$2.6 billion LRPS(L) acquisition estimate includes project management, infrastructure, contracts and contingency. Long-term in-service support will be procured separately. It should not be compared directly with the US$1.75 billion 2025 notification ceiling, which covered a possible export package. DND cost and support scope, DSCA notification basis.
Lockheed Martin’s announced ten-year Canadian plan covers smaller businesses, research organizations and Indigenous partners. Its examples include electro-optics, dual-use energy, uncrewed-aircraft manufacturing and Arctic infrastructure. These are company-announced industrial activities; the release does not identify a complete roster of awarded Canadian work packages. Lockheed Martin, 3 June 2026.
For CDPSC, production scale, stockpiles and sovereign sustainment are part of the requirement. The DDI Marketplace creates a pool able to compete for subsequent work; qualification alone guarantees no contract. A CDPSC acquisition budget and order quantity have not been announced in the cited official program material. CDPSC, DDI launch.
What officials are saying
- David McGuinty, Minister of National Defence, 2 June 2026: presented long-range missiles as necessary to protect Canada and support allies. Lieutenant-General Michael Wright, Commander Canadian Army, the same day: stressed mobility, transport using existing RCAF aircraft, and integration with artillery, sensors and command systems. Acquisition announcement.
- Vice-Admiral Angus Topshee, identified as Acting Chief of the Defence Staff, 23 July 2026: argued that the drone initiative should connect military requirements with Canadian innovation to field capabilities faster. His remarks concerned the wider initiative, not a CDPSC platform selection. DDI announcement.
Next decisions
For HIMARS, the delivery and force-generation program leads toward the 2030 initial-capability target. The separate long-term support arrangement and any future missile acquisition will determine how the capability grows. Army schedule, DND support scope.
For CDPSC, an account of the 7 August industry day reports a first RFP targeted for mid-to-late September 2026, an initial capability target of June 2027, and a separate sovereign-system competition in 2027–28. These are reported planning targets, not a released RFP or an awarded delivery schedule. A published solicitation would establish the competition’s actual scope and dates. True North Strategic Review, 7 August 2026.
Sources
All sources accessed 14 September 2026. Official announcements establish procurement events; supplier releases describe their own plans. Dates below are publication or document dates unless marked otherwise.
- National Defence. Government of Canada acquiring long-range missile capability for the Canadian Armed Forces, 2 June 2026. Agreement, budget, support scope and officials’ statements.
- National Defence. NDDN: Defence Industrial Strategy, 6 May 2026, LRPS(L) briefing approved 1 May 2026. Exact signature/payment dates and selection rationale.
- Canadian Army, Col M-E Bégin and Maj G Riddoch. Canadian Army on track to acquire critical long-range strike capability, article dated 20 August 2026. Unit, schedule and future effectors; footer shows 19 August.
- Defence Security Cooperation Agency. Canada — M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems, 1 October 2025, transmittal 25-76. Possible-sale quantities and US-dollar ceiling.
- National Defence. Long Range Precision Strike (Land), Defence Capabilities Blueprint, modified 1 December 2025. Broader requirement and support scope.
- National Defence. Canadian Deep Precision Strike Capability, 30 July 2026. Lead, scope and acquisition sequence.
- National Defence. CDPSC question-and-answer session, 30 July 2026. Requirements and 7 August engagement.
- National Defence. Government launches Defence Drone Initiative, 23 July 2026. Qualification framework and statements.
- CanadaBuys. W8703-270055 Defence Drone Initiative Marketplace, published 23 July, amended 10 August 2026. First-round deadline and later-round treatment.
- Lockheed Martin. Canada’s procurement of HIMARS and industrial partnership, 3 June 2026. Supplier’s industrial plan.
- Noah, True North Strategic Review. Small Update On The Canadian Deep Precision Strike Capability Initiative, 7 August 2026. Reported industry-day schedule, attributed separately from official dates.
- Janes. Future Artillery 2025: Canada takes layered approach to fires modernisation, 28 May 2025. Conference reporting on the wider fires requirement; historical quantities are distinguished from later awards.
- Canadian Army. Inflection Point 2025 — Canadian Army Modernization Strategy, 2025, especially pp. 8–14. Roles of reconnaissance, long-range rockets and indirect fires.