The Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) restated a requirement for a remotely piloted aircraft system (RPAS) on the eve of the country’s annual CANSEC defense show in Ottawa this week. Two leading potential contenders—GA-ASI and IAI—announced partnerships with Canadian industry at the show.
The RPAS project was previously named the Joint Unmanned Surveillance and Target Acquisition System (JUSTAS) and has been mooted for many years. An RFI was issued to industry in 2016. The latest plan is to define the requirement in 2018-19, select a proposal by 2022, and take deliveries from 2024-30. The surveillance coverage of Canada’s vast northern areas that a long-range RPAS could provide is obvious. But the RPAS will also have a strike mission in support of Canadian Army and special forces that are deployed.
General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc. (GA-ASI) said it would offer the MQ-9B SkyGuardian together with Canadian teammates CAE, L3 Wescam, and MDA. CAE will provide training systems and sustainment expertise; MDA is a specialist in satellite communications, navigation, and radar; and L3 Wescam will provide the MX-25 EO/IR sensor system. “We have a longstanding global relationship with CAE and L3 Wescam and look forward to growing our relationship with MDA as a part of this new team in Canada,” said Linden Blue, CEO of GA-ASI.
MDA also has a turn-key UAS operations business and has previously been associated with operations conducted with the Israeli Aircraft Industries (IAI) Heron, notably by the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) over Afghanistan. But MDA is not part of the team that will bid the Heron TP for the Canadian RPAS. This team is named Artemis and will be led by L3 MAS, which claims to be Canada’s “leading in-service support integrator.” Pratt & Whitney Canada, which already provides the PT6 turboprop for the Heron TP, is also on the team, which will be expanded later.
Operations of the Canadian RPAS will need to be integrated with those of the country’s CP-140 Aurora maritime patrol aircraft (MPA), and the new fixed-wing search and rescue fleet, to be provided by Airbus D&S with the CN-295. Also at CANSEC, Saab promoted the Swordfish MPA as a replacement for the CP-140s, even though they are not due to be retired until the early 2030s.
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