Kepler wins Canadian defence contract to advance Arctic procurement technology

Kepler Communications has been awarded a multi-year contract by Defence Research and Development Canada (DRDC) to strengthen national procurement in defence innovation through advanced satellite connectivity. The deal will focus on real-time data sharing and resilient communications systems supporting Continental Defence, particularly across the Canadian Arctic.

The initiative will use Kepler’s commercial low-Earth orbit (LEO) network as a communications backbone for on-orbit and multi-domain assets. Launching in early 2026, the project will deploy a tranche of data relay satellites to test secure, high-throughput optical intersatellite links between space and remote ground terminals in Northern Canada.

These demonstrations aim to validate the performance of encrypted data transfer, terrestrial data relays, and on-orbit processing for critical defence applications. The system will also simulate network resiliency and compress Earth observation data to support Canada’s situational awareness and operational efficiency in extreme conditions.

Mina Mitry, Kepler’s CEO, said the company’s goal is to advance sovereign and secure communication networks, providing high-speed and low-latency links in one of the world’s most demanding environments. By integrating space-based communications into Canada’s defence infrastructure, the project reinforces national procurement objectives tied to Arctic sovereignty and technological self-reliance.

The agreement aligns with Canada’s broader defence procurement strategy to invest in secure, locally developed technologies that enhance interoperability and national security. As data and connectivity increasingly drive defence operations, Kepler’s work underscores the growing intersection between procurement, innovation, and space systems in national resilience.

Explore how this partnership is redefining defence procurement through innovation in satellite infrastructure by reading the full story.