Canada's Defence Investment Agency, which runs defence procurement for the country, has selected Kelluu's Canadian subsidiary Kelluu Canada Ltd. as a qualified supplier under the Defence Drone Initiative. Canadian defence authorities can now request quotes and place orders with Kelluu directly, without running a separate competition. The arrangement runs to the end of July 2031.
Canada launched the programme in July 2026 to speed up how fast its armed forces get uncrewed systems into the field. Kelluu is the only airship company among the suppliers named so far. The others include defence primes such as Lockheed Martin, BAE Systems and Rheinmetall.
"Under this arrangement we can offer tactical ISR to the Canadian armed forces. Our platform delivers exactly what is valued here: autonomous, persistent and cost-effective surveillance that was designed for arctic conditions," says Janne Hietala, CEO of Kelluu.
Kelluu established Kelluu Canada Ltd. in Ottawa this summer. The office is at Area X.O, Canada's hub for defence innovation and emerging technology. Canada is part of Kelluu's focus on Arctic autonomy and deterrence. Kelluu's airships deliver detailed situational awareness from below the clouds, over large areas that are remote and thinly covered. The company is building towards a network of hundreds of airships, doing close to the ground what satellites do from orbit.