Airlogix’s GOR UAV is displayed as people arrive at the CANSEC trade show in Ottawa in May.Justin Tang/The Canadian Press
Ottawa is establishing a new secure facility for industry to test and experiment with uncrewed systems, as part of an effort to accelerate the development of the technology which the federal government is placing an emphasis on through its defence build-up.
In an announcement on Tuesday, Defence Minister David McGuinty said the Uncrewed Systems Defence Innovation Secure Hub will be based in Mirabel, Que., where the federal government has already begun to build a centre for drone development.
“Drones are changing the way modern militaries operate, and Canada must be ready to develop, test and adopt these technologies at speed,” Mr. McGuinty said in a written statement.
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The hub is part of a national network of facilities Ottawa is establishing to give industry a place to develop the technologies that the federal government wants to build at home and has identified as sovereign capabilities through its Defence Industrial Strategy. The uncrewed systems hub is the second in this network to be established, after a maritime hub was launched as a pilot in November, in Dartmouth, N.S.
Similar to the first one, the federal government has committed $29-million over two years for the establishment and initial operations of the uncrewed systems hub. This will be led by a consortium of 30 organizations, including the provincial government’s aerospace innovation initiative, Espace Aéro, and other organizations from industry, academia and the not-for-profit sector.
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Not to be confused with Ottawa’s Drone Innovation Hub, which has also been established in Mirabel, Que., this new defence hub will focus specifically on developing technologies based upon the needs of the Canadian Armed Forces.
Whereas the Drone Innovation Hub, which has sites in Ottawa and Mirabel, is being led by the National Research Council and will focus on defence as well as commercial applications, the uncrewed systems hub is being supported by the Canadian Joint Forces Command, a branch of the military that focuses on capabilities that are applicable across all domains, from land to sea.