The Closer SPRING
THE CLOSER
Your neighbourhood military manufacturer
Heroux-Devtek 1480 Birchmount Rd., Scarborough
By NEXT MAGAZINE
Kraken Robotics 1 Eglinton Ave. E., Toronto
B
loody scenes from war ravaged Gaza, Ukraine, Yemen, Syria and too many more might seem far away here in the GTA but these Toronto-based firms, with more outside the city, bring the war home. They make armed personnel carriers, bomber guidance systems, surveillance software and more -- all for military clients including Israel, the US, Saudi Arabia, NATO members and Azerbaijan.
Canadian marine technology company Kraken Robotics has three facilities across the country, including an office in the heart of midtown at Yonge and Eglinton. According to World Beyond War, Kraken Robotics supplies its KATFISH towed sonar system to Elbit Systems Ltd., Israel’s largest weapons contractor, for use by the Israeli Navy.
INKAS Armored Vehicles 3605 Weston Rd., North York With almost 500,000 sq. ft. of manufacturing space in the city, Toronto-based INKAS produces a wide range of armoured and military-purpose vehicles. According to World Beyond War, INKAS has supplied the government of Israel with “more command and control units than any other supplier in history.” The company also signed a deal in 2016 to supply Azerbaijan with armoured personnel carriers (APCs). At the time, the regime there was criticized by groups such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch over Azerbaijan’s “crackdown on dissenting voices” and “persistent reports of torture.”
L3 Harris 17 Prince Andrew Pl., North York According to its website, L3 Harris is a “key industry provider of precision guided munitions and subsystem solutions.” It operates a facility off of Don Mills Road in North York. According to World Beyond War, L3 Harris parts are used worldwide in Lockheed Martin fighter jets, including to bomb Gaza and for Israeli war ships.
Quebec-based aerospace company Heroux-Devtek has a facility on Birchmount in Scarborough used for the machining and assembly of “complex precision parts [and] structural components.” According to World Beyond War, Heroux-Devtek’s technology and landing gear equipment are used in Elbit Systems’ drones, which are used to “bomb and surveil Palestinians.” Heroux-Devtek also entered into an agreement with Lockheed Martin in 2021 to develop landing gear for the F-35 multi-role aircraft used by dozens of militaries including the Israeli Air Force.
TTM Technologies 8150 Sheppard Ave. E., Scarborough U.S.-headquartered Printed Circuit Board (PCB) manufacturer with a location in Scarborough. According to World Beyond War, TTM exports circuit boards to Israeli companies Elbit Systems & Artem Technologies Ltd., which are likely used in Israel’s fleet of F-15 and V-22 aircraft as well as transport vehicles and other military goods, such as Elbit’s “Lizard” laser guidance system for “precision strike” munitions.
Follow our ongoing reporting on this issue
Firan Technology Group 250 Finchdene Sq., Scarborough Firan Technology Group (FTG) has two facilities in Scarborough that produce aerospace circuits and components, respectively. FTG is a supplier for Lockheed Martin’s F-35 multi-role aircraft project, used by many military clients, including Israel to bomb Gaza.
38 SPRING 2024 NEXT
NEXT SPRING 2024
39