The federal government is facing criticism over a planned defence contract that one European competitor says effectively guarantees the deal will go to a U.S. supplier, despite Prime Minister Mark Carney’s pledge to reduce Canada’s defence dependence on the United States.
A single U.S.-based firm is expected to be the sole eligible supplier for a Department of National Defence contract for night-vision binoculars, estimated to exceed $100 million. Industry observers point out that the technical requirements, specifically the signal-to-noise ratio, would restrict the bidding to this one company. The contract is anticipated to be awarded this week.
French company Photonis, which supplies night-vision products to several NATO allies, has alleged that the criteria are unique to Canada and not in line with international standards.
In a statement, the company said repeated attempts to engage the government to revise the specifications have been unsuccessful.
“This approach is clearly contrary to Prime Minister Carney’s directive to closer integrate defence procurement and production with Canada’s allies in Europe,” said Frédéric Guilhem, chief commercial officer of Photonis’s night-vision division.
Carney has made public commitments to diversify Canada’s defence partnerships, including the signing of a new security agreement with the European Union in June.
“Today, [U.S.] dominance is a thing of the past,” Carney said in a recent speech, underscoring his intent to deepen relationships outside of the U.S.
The news follows a series of moves that appear to contradict those ambitions.
In May, Carney confirmed Canada is in talks to join the United States’ proposed $175-billion “Golden Dome” missile defence program.
U.S. President Donald Trump later announced Canada would have to pay US$71 billion to join the system, a US$10-billion increase from his previous estimate.
A Nanos Research poll released in June found that 63 per cent of Canadians oppose joining the Golden Dome and would prefer to see the federal government invest in the Canadian Armed Forces instead.
The tender for the night-vision binoculars has been posted and updated multiple times since its original publication before the 2025 federal election.