North Vector Dynamics aims to bring missile production to Canada

A computer-generated image of North Vector Dynamics' CM-70 C-UAS missile. (North Vector Dynamics)

As Canada seeks to develop its domestic defence industry, new companies have emerged to meet the needs of the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) and allied countries, including North Vector Dynamics (NVD), which is now developing counter-unmanned aircraft system (C-UAS) weapons.

Headquartered in Calgary, Alberta, NVD was founded in 2022 as Think Solutions Engineering, a research and development company, Paul Ziadé, co-founder and CEO of North Venture Dynamics, told Janes on 7 April.

“In 2025, we rebranded and went all in on our air-defence development and innovations,” he said. “We've been working in air defence and counter-UAS since early 2024,” with backing from the Canadian Department of National Defence (DND) and venture capital firms, Ziadé said.

The decision to go into defence was a response to the war in Ukraine and the CAF's potential need for air-defence capabilities, he said, noting that NVD's three co-founders are aerospace engineers working in hypersonics, rocket propulsion technology, and high-speed aerodynamics. “It was an obvious play for us,” Ziadé said.

Products

NVD's offerings include the CI-60 UAS in target and C-UAS configurations, and the CM-70 C-UAS missile. The company has been shifting its focus to the CM-70 to meet demand for C-UAS interceptors, he noted.

The CM-70 is an attritable mass, precision-guided missile measuring 0.72 m (2.4 ft) in length and weighing around 2 kg (4.4 lb), Ziadé said. The missile has a range of 3.5 km (2.1 mi) and a speed of more than 1,000 km/h (621 mph), according to the NVD website. It features semi-active laser homing (SALH) guidance supported by artificial intelligence (AI) and a blast fragmentation warhead, the website said.