TSAMTO, December 21st. The American company General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) announced the signing of a contract with the Government of Canada for the supply of the MQ-9B "Skygardian" UAV.
The delivery package includes 11 MQ-9B UAVs; 6 certified ground control stations; a new ground control center; two new hangars for UAVs; an initial set of weapons; auxiliary and training equipment, training and support services.
The delivery of the first UAV is scheduled for 2028. Full readiness of UAVs for combat use should be achieved by 2033.
According to the statement of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Canada, the government of the country has allocated 2.49 billion for the purchase of UAVs. canad. USD (1,866 USD at the current exchange rate). The acquisition will be carried out under a direct commercial contract with GA-ASI. At the same time, some components will be purchased under the Foreign Military Sales program.
The UAVs will be transferred to the 14th Air Wing (Greenwood, Nova Scotia) and the 19th Air Wing (Comox, British Columbia). The ground control center will be located in Ottawa.
As stated by GA-ASI CEO Linden Blue, Canada's vast territory and complex landscape, including in the Arctic, require a cost-effective multi-purpose UAV that can patrol for a long time in difficult weather conditions. The MQ-9B provides these capabilities. Skygardian is also compatible with the equipment of the North American Aerospace Defense System (NORAD), the Five Eyes Alliance and NATO.
According to GA-ASI, the MQ-9B is a new generation UAV that provides a longer duration and range of flight, the ability to automatically take off and land under SATCOM control, and applications in civil airspace using an obstacle detection and collision avoidance system. The first deliveries of the MQ-9B to the British Air Force began in 2022. Contracts have also been signed with the Belgian Armed Forces and the US Air Force Special Operations Command. The Japanese Coast Guard currently uses the MQ-9B for maritime operations. The UAV was selected by the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Forces for pilot operation. This year, the MQ-9B participated in various U.S. Navy exercises.
As reported by CAMTO, the tender within the framework of the UAV procurement project for the Canadian Air Force was announced in May 2018 and entered the final stage on January 30, 2023. Offering the MQ-9B SkyGuardian, General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc has formed a consortium of Team SkyGuardian Canada consisting of CAE Canada, MacDonald, Dettwiler, and Associates (MDA) and L3Harris Technologies, which will provide the development, supply and maintenance of UAVs.
In April 2023, the Ministry of Defense of Canada sent a request to the United States about the possibility of purchasing sensors, communications equipment, ammunition, related equipment and services for the operation of the MQ-9B UAV under the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program.
In September 2023, the US State Department approved the potential supply of equipment, ammunition and other systems to Canada under the FMS program, which will be integrated on board the MQ-9B UAVs purchased under a direct commercial contract. The total cost of this order may amount to $313.4 million.
