Ottawa spending $2.49 billion to acquire 11 drones for Royal Canadian Air Force
BNN Bloomberg
Ottawa plans to spend $2.49 billion to acquire 11 remotely piloted drones to help the Royal Canadian Air Force conduct long-distance surveillance, federal officials announced Tuesday.
Canada will buy the drones from U.S.-based General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc., with some components from the United States government. Defence Minister Bill Blair said in a news release that the drones, known as the Remotely Piloted Aircraft System, will offer Canada’s military “nimble response options” during deployments.
“We must ensure Canada has a modern, adaptable military that is prepared to respond to evolving and emerging security challenges,” Blair said. “Canada must meet the growing demand for domestic assistance while preserving our ability to defend Canada, protect North America, and support our allies.”
Roughly the size of a fighter jet, the large drones will be used to monitor Canada’s coastline and territory, and assist the military when it responds to natural disasters such as forest fires and floods. Officials said the drones will also help Canada fulfil its missions with Norad and NATO, and provide the air force interoperability with allied militaries.
