The Canadian Army announced Tuesday it is purchasing 11 drones from U.S. manufacturer General Atomics for missions overseas and aerial surveillance over a wide swath of the country.
In addition to the vehicles, the overall contract, worth 2.49 billion Canadian dollars (1.7 billion euros), includes ground control stations, hangars and rockets.
“We must ensure Canada has a modern, adaptable military ready to respond to emerging and ever-changing security challenges,” National Defense Minister Bill Blair was quoted as saying in the statement.
“Drones will allow the Canadian Armed Forces to monitor Canada’s vast territory and long coastline. They will support civil assistance operations such as intervention during bushfires or floods,” he added.
The first drones, designated MQ-9B SkyGuardian, are expected to be delivered in 2028. These are long-range systems with great autonomy, “which will only be necessary to complete the assigned task,” the same source clarified.
These devices are the size of a combat aircraft.
The order comes as the Canadian Air Force upgrades its aging fleet with new combat aircraft, namely the F-35.
Author: Lusa
Source: CM Jornal
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