On 27 July 2026, North Vector Dynamics published a revised specification set for its CM-70 counter‑unmanned aerial system missile, marking the first substantive public change to the design since spring 2026.
CM-70 in the public record: shifting numbers and claimed capabilities
The product page for the weapon—first listed under the name SPEAR in June 2025 and relabelled CM-70 around the turn of the year—now shows a mass of 3 kg, a length of 0.9 m, a range of 3.5 km and a speed of 900 km/h, aimed at Group I to III drone threats. Those figures have shifted across successive public iterations: the May 2026 page listed 2.5 kg and 0.72 m at more than 1,000 km/h, while the 2025 version gave a 2 km range and an energetic payload of 0.8 kg that has since been withdrawn.
Guidance, autonomy and the "ITAR‑free" claim
Guidance details posted by the company have moved from an autonomous infrared arrangement in 2025 to a semi‑active laser setup the firm now brands SALG. The same page pairs SALG with claims of radio silence and autonomy in GPS‑denied conditions. North Vector has carried an "ITAR‑free" claim on the product page since June 2025, promising procurement free of United States International Traffic in Arms Regulations controls for allied integration.
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Talk to us →Leadership positioning and operational intentions
Dr. Paul Ziadé, co‑founder and chief executive officer, described the CM‑70 in April as an "attritable, precision‑guided missile," placing its mass at around 2 kg at that time and dating the firm’s air‑defence work to early 2024. Ziadé has put the target unit cost at under $10,000 and tied the ITAR‑free positioning to investor behaviour, saying American backers are looking at non‑American defence firms because it will become harder for American companies to export to the European Union, Canada and Asia. He has described active relationships in Germany, the Czech Republic and Southeast Asia, advanced diligence in the United Arab Emirates, and an intention to field the missile in Ukraine during 2026.
Capital, contracts and testing pathways
On capital and partnerships, Czechoslovak Group’s Tech Horizons fund took a stake in May 2026 and NordSpace Ventures followed in July as a strategic investor and propulsion partner. Domestically, North Vector holds a $4.2 million contract from Defence Research and Development Canada for high‑speed and hypersonic aeropropulsion work, on top of $2.5 million in earlier grants through the IDEaS program. The firm is also one of 26 participants selected for the IDEaS counter‑UAS sandbox at Suffield, Alberta, scheduled from 14 September, though it will attend under its SHIELD system rather than the CM‑70.
Canada’s export‑finance architecture: DSRB, SAFE and EDC
Parallel to the CM‑70’s public evolution, Ottawa has been building export‑finance measures aimed at widening defence industrial capacity. Nine countries signed a declaration at the NATO summit in Ankara on 7 July backing the Canada‑led Defence, Security and Resilience Bank (DSRB), intended to begin operations as early as 2027; the declaration was signed by Canada alongside Albania, Belgium, Greece, Latvia, Luxembourg, Romania, Türkiye and Ukraine. Prime Minister Mark Carney said the bank would unlock investment and strengthen the defence industrial base, while Finance Minister François‑Philippe Champagne framed it as strengthening collective capacity to produce and export defence capabilities. The DSRB is described as complementary to existing national and multilateral instruments.
Concretely, Canada joined the European Union’s SAFE instrument on 15 June as the first non‑European participant. Under SAFE, Canadian content may account for up to 80% of procurement value, compared with 35% for other third countries, with a participation fee where European content falls below 65%. Export Development Canada has provided roughly $2 billion in financing and insurance to defence and security firms since expanding its sector approach in 2025, including $1.1 billion to more than 60 companies this year. Canada’s Defence Industrial Strategy targets a 50% increase in defence exports over the decade, starting from a 2024 base in which 63% of roughly $8 billion in sector exports went to the United States.
What this means for procurement officials, investors, and frontline operators
- Procurement officials and Defence Drone Initiative buyers: The Department of National Defence and the Defence Investment Agency launched the Defence Drone Initiative on 23 July, naming low‑cost, low‑collateral counter‑drone interceptors among its focus areas and opening a request for supply arrangement that closes on 14 August—creating a near‑term procurement window for systems like the CM‑70 or comparable offerings.
- Investors and strategic partners: The entrance of Tech Horizons and NordSpace Ventures, plus domestic contracts and IDEaS sandbox selection, signal investor and institutional interest tied to both propulsion technology and rapid counter‑UAS deployments; the ITAR‑free positioning is explicitly part of the firm’s investor pitch.
- Frontline operators and allied purchasers: North Vector’s public claims of an attritable interceptor at sub‑$10,000 unit cost, plus evolving guidance modes and range figures, will be metrics operators watch closely if the firm moves toward fielding in Ukraine or participates in testing at Suffield.
The CM‑70’s public record is now a composite of shifting technical figures, investor moves and Ottawa’s changing finance architecture. The next concrete markers to watch in the public record are the close of the Defence Drone Initiative supplier window on 14 August, North Vector’s planned fielding in Ukraine during 2026, and how the DSRB and SAFE participation rules intersect with procurement decisions for ITAR‑free offers.
