Canadian UAVs & Textron Systems Join Forces

BY GABRIEL OAKLEY

Canadian UAVs and Textron Systems will have a joint booth (Booth 121) at CANSEC 2023. The two companies have joined forces to bid on the Royal Canadian Navy’s ISTAR UAS project – a procurement that could be worth up to $200 million. The project is currently in the RFI stage and should be going to RFP shortly.

The RCN requires a shipborne vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) Remotely Piloted Aircraft System (RPAS) that can launch and recover from a Halifax-class frigate with an embarked maritime helicopter, by day and night, in challenging weather conditions globally. This ability will provide critical over the horizon Situational Awareness and generate an operational advantage for commanders while minimizing the risk to the frigate or Maritime Helicopter in support of simple to multi-threat operations.

The minimum requirement will be to operate at least 50nm from the ship while fitted with a dynamically responsive, open architecture, maritime ISTAR sensor suite (to include at a minimum EO/IR, maritime radar, AIS, and an IFF Transponder).

Canadian UAVs and Textron Systems will be displaying their offering for the RCN ISTAR procurement, the Aerosonde HQ, as well as Canadian UAVs’ proprietary Detect And Avoid Sparrowhawk™ Radar.