Newspaper: Canada pushes forward with US HIMARS deal despite tensions with Trump

Canada’s military leadership is pushing forward with a proposal for a sole-source deal to purchase U.S. military equipment, specifically the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS), despite ongoing tensions with the US and President Donald Trump’s public threats to economically damage Canada and even annex it as the 51st state.

The Ottawa Citizen newspaper writes that the Canadian Forces have expressed a strong desire to acquire HIMARS, a US-built artillery system that has been used by Ukraine in its combat against Russian forces, per Caliber.Az.

However, the system’s effectiveness has recently been diminished due to Trump’s actions, including limiting the flow of data and intelligence critical for its operations.

Trump has also continued his threats against Canada. On March 12, he imposed tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminium, and a day earlier, on March 11, he suggested plans to eliminate Canada’s auto industry, which would result in thousands of Canadian workers losing their jobs.

The plan proposed by Canada’s military leadership involves purchasing HIMARS units manufactured by Lockheed Martin. This deal would likely be a sole-source contract through the US government’s Foreign Military Sale process, which would allow Canada to receive the equipment directly from the United States.

When asked why Canada would consider purchasing military equipment from a country actively threatening its sovereignty, Kened Sadiku, a spokesperson for the Department of National Defence said: “The Long-Range Precision Strike (Land) project will significantly enhance Canada’s defence capabilities, both domestically and abroad. This project is progressing well, and we are expecting to share additional details in the coming months.”

Sadiku emphasized that Canada’s procurement decisions are made based on national security priorities, adding that the government is “closely monitoring the trade situation in the US, and assessing potential impacts to existing projects.”

A 2024 Canadian Forces briefing on the Long Range Precision Fires project, which was obtained by the Ottawa Citizen, indicated that the acquisition of HIMARS could be worth approximately $5 billion. This project would involve the purchase of launchers, fire control software, munitions, and spare parts, with the briefing even including photos of the HIMARS system.

The proposed HIMARS acquisition, along with other recent Canadian defense procurements, has raised concerns among military analysts and Canadian industry officials. One anonymous defense industry official, who feared potential repercussions for speaking out, criticized the Canadian military leadership as “tone deaf” to the threat posed by the United States.

Despite the growing concerns, Canada’s Defence Minister Bill Blair downplayed Trump’s threats. On February 12, Blair described the president’s talk of annexing Canada as not a “real threat.” Blair’s office did not comment on the proposed HIMARS deal.

At a March 7 technical briefing on the purchase of new Canadian warships — many of which are equipped with US technology — Canadian defence officials reaffirmed that military relations between the two countries remain strong.

By Tamilla Hasanova