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Tech

The Canadian Business of War: CANSEC

You looking for a new F-35? Smart rifle to geo target the enemy? CANSEC has you covered.

If you're a national army in the market for a brand spanking new jet, smart rifle, or drone, you might consider checking out CANSEC, Canada's premier defense trade show.

While Canada is known as a peacekeeping nation and for ​turning down (publicly, at least) George Bush's invitation to invade Iraq in the "Coalition of the Willing," military exports ​are booming as of late.

And every year at CANSEC, held in Canada's quiet capital of Ottawa, Canadian and international defence and security contractors hawk their wares to soldiers, generals, and defence officials from Peru to Israel. While the military products on site aren't for sale per se, defence companies use CANSEC to showcase their best hardware to serious national armies looking for upgrades.

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We saw this armed drone for training at CANSEC.

With the support of the Harper government, sales of Canadian defence merchandise are rising: The latest available government figures put sales increasing between 2010 to 2011, with recent years reportedly expected to spike.

Last winter Canada touted one of the biggest arms sells in its history: a $10 billion deal for General Dynamics Canada to build light armoured vehicles for the Saudi Arabian Army.

So while you might think Canadians love their Alberta crude oil and hockey players—they also don't mind peddling military and security hardware the world over.

An armoured vehicle showcased at CANSEC.