Canada Makes Its Biggest Artillery Move in a Generation
Canada is getting serious about firepower. The Liberal government has officially confirmed a $2.6-billion deal to purchase 26 HIMARS (High Mobility Artillery Rocket System) rocket launchers from the United States — ending months of speculation and silence about the acquisition's fate.
The announcement marks one of the largest single investments in Canadian Army ground combat capability in recent memory, and comes at a time when NATO allies are under mounting pressure to boost defence spending and reduce reliance on U.S. security guarantees.
What Is HIMARS?
HIMARS — short for High Mobility Artillery Rocket System — is a wheeled, truck-mounted rocket launcher that can strike targets up to 80 kilometres away with precision-guided munitions. The system rose to international prominence after Ukraine used it to devastating effect against Russian supply lines and command posts following its introduction in 2022.
Each launcher is relatively lightweight and fast, designed to fire and relocate quickly — a tactic known as "shoot and scoot" — making it harder for enemies to counter-strike. It can fire GPS-guided rockets and, with the right munitions, even longer-range missiles.
For the Canadian Army, which has long relied on aging Soviet-era-style tube artillery, HIMARS represents a generational leap in range and precision.
Why Now?
The purchase fits into Canada's broader push to meet its NATO commitment of spending two percent of GDP on defence — a target Canada has historically missed but pledged to reach by 2032. The current federal government has accelerated several major procurement files in recent months amid a shifting geopolitical landscape, including ongoing instability in Europe and growing uncertainty around U.S. trade and security relationships.
Canada's decision to buy directly from the U.S. government — through a Foreign Military Sale rather than a commercial contract — likely helped speed up the approval process and ensures long-term logistical support from American military supply chains.
Timeline and Delivery
The first launchers are expected to arrive starting in 2029, with the full fleet delivered over subsequent years. That timeline allows the Canadian Army to train personnel, develop doctrine, and build the necessary infrastructure to support the systems before they reach operational readiness.
The Canadian Army currently operates troops across multiple NATO commitments, including a battle group in Latvia as part of Canada's enhanced Forward Presence mission — where long-range precision fires like HIMARS could play a direct role.
A Signal to Allies
Beyond the battlefield math, the announcement sends a political message. Canada has faced criticism from NATO partners — and pointed comments from Washington — about lagging defence investment. A $2.6-billion, high-profile weapons purchase is the kind of tangible commitment that quiets some of that noise.
It also signals that Canada is orienting its military investments toward serious peer-competitor scenarios rather than solely peacekeeping or counterinsurgency roles — a shift that defence analysts have been calling for since at least Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
Whether HIMARS transforms the Canadian Army's battlefield role remains to be seen, but the deal is unambiguously a milestone — and one that will reshape how Canada projects land power for years to come.
Source: CBC Politics
