When we think of national defence, we think of hardware: ships, aircraft, tanks. In 2026, that picture is incomplete. One of the most critical layers of Canada’s defence capability is increasingly digital. The quality of the software powering our defence systems have become a strategic imperative.
“Today, the defence sector relies heavily on cutting-edge, highly complex computer and digital systems that need to be built, upgraded, and secured,” says François de Bellefeuille, software engineer and VP Client Solutions at Spiria, a Canadian custom software development firm. De Bellefeuille is also a member of Gatineau’s newly formed strategic defence committee, a signal that the National Capital Region is positioning itself as a technology hub for the sector.
Spiria delivers custom software solutions for companies since 2003
“A mission-critical system that fails, or ties your operational continuity and autonomy to another country’s decisions is a major risk. What you build, how you build it, and who builds it are now potentially questions of national security.”
The C5ISRT framework makes this explicit. Command and Control, Communications, Computing, Cybersecurity, Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance and Targeting: the doctrine that now shapes modern defence operations is, at its core, a software problem. Every component depends on systems designed with precision, built to withstand adversarial conditions, and maintained by teams who understand both the technology and the stakes. A weakness in any layer is critical for national security.
These software threats are already well documented. The Canadian Centre for Cyber Security recorded 2,561 incidents in 2024-2025 affecting federal institutions and critical infrastructure partners. While in August 2025, a vulnerability in widely deployed software exposed data at the House of Commons.
These are not abstract vulnerabilities. Now, the real challenges rising are related to the firms building the very technologies we use in defence. Systems built offshore without robust architecture become liabilities the moment they are deployed. And software developed outside Canada introduces supply chain dependencies that defence procurement frameworks are only beginning to address seriously.
“Canada has the talent, the firms, and the expertise to grow software capabilities from within, without relying on other countries,” de Bellefeuille adds. As Canada moves to meet NATO’s 5% GDP target, the contracts are being written and the systems are being designed.
Ships, aircraft, tanks: the hardware of national defence is only as capable as the software that commands, connects, and secures it. Well-built and Canadian-built critical systems are key to the success of our national defence.
François de Bellefeuille, VP Client Solutions at Spiria
Footnote: Communications Security Establishment Canada, Annual Report 2024-2025 (Ottawa: Government of Canada, 2025).
