Canada Awards $307M Contract for 30,000 Rifles

OTTAWA — The Canadian government has awarded a $307 million contract to Colt Canada for the production of 30,000 modular assault rifles, marking a key step in modernizing the Canadian Armed Forces' infantry equipment while bolstering domestic manufacturing.

The deal, announced on March 19, 2026, at Colt Canada's facility in Kitchener, Ontario, covers delivery of the Canadian Modular Assault Rifles, or CMAR, between 2026 and 2029. It includes options for an additional 35,000 units, potentially expanding the total to over 65,000 rifles. The new weapons will replace the C7 and C8 rifle family, which has been in service for more than 35 years and is considered overdue for upgrade. Officials described the rifles as a precision, adaptable system incorporating four decades of technological advancements to meet the evolving needs of soldiers.

Stephen Fuhr, Secretary of State for Defence Procurement, emphasized the urgency of the replacement during an interview. "The army's current rifles, they've had them for 35 years. I'm sure they had a shelf life of less than that. So they're looking forward to having a new piece of equipment and we're happy to get it for them," Fuhr said. He noted...