Canada Agrees with Japan on Military Technology Exchange

Canada and Japan have agreed to exchange military technology, which will allow them to jointly develop new weapons systems.

The Equipment and Technology Transfer Agreement (ETTA) was signed on January 27 by the Canadian Minister of Defense and the Japanese Ambassador, according to the Canadian Department of Defense.

The ETTA will help Canadian and Japanese companies jointly implement projects that require the transfer of equipment, technology, or intellectual property from Japan to Canada.

Japan will also be able to export defense equipment and technology to Canada, providing the Canadian army with an additional source of supply, the Ministry of Defense said.

They explained that ETTA are legally binding framework agreements concluded on a bilateral basis with foreign countries to promote the export of military equipment and technology of Japanese origin abroad.

Currently, Canada and Japan are actively developing defense cooperation amid growing tensions in the Indo-Pacific region.

In July 2025, the countries signed an information security agreement that laid the foundation for cooperation in the fields of intelligence, space, and cyberspace.

In addition, Canada is stepping up cooperation with Japan’s neighbor, South Korea. On January 26, it was announced that Hanwha Corporation had signed a series of agreements with Canadian companies Algoma Steel, Telesat, MDA Space, Cohere, and PV Labs.

The agreements are aimed at establishing a broad framework for industrial cooperation within the program to build new submarines for the Canadian Navy.