The Canadian Armed Forces conducted a rigorous evaluation of nearly twenty drone manufacturers in a remote area west of Ottawa. The event, known as RED COBALT Uncrewed Systems Accelerator 2026, allowed military personnel to test various types of aerial, ground, and maritime drones, along with long-range precision strike systems. Lt.-Gen. Darcy Molstad, overseeing the military’s joint forces command, highlighted the importance of partnering with companies that can quickly adapt to evolving technologies.
Among the twenty participating companies, with the majority being Canadian, the selection criteria included Canadian ownership or partnerships, aligning with the federal government’s defense industrial strategy. While Canadian suppliers are known for their innovation, the practical battlefield experience and technology for drones are predominantly concentrated in Ukraine and Eastern Europe.
In an interview, Molstad expressed confidence in Canadian companies’ ability to meet military requirements, emphasizing the need for agile partners due to the rapid evolution of drone technology. The military is particularly interested in aerial reconnaissance and surveillance drones, ground drones for complex terrain navigation, and maritime platforms for surface and subsurface warfare capabilities. Additionally, there is a focus on precision deep-strike capability, similar to tactics observed in Ukraine targeting Russian facilities.
The Canadian military has been relatively slow in adopting dedicated drone capabilities despite their prevalence on battlefields for the past two decades. While some surveillance drones were deployed in Afghanistan, it wasn’t until 2023 that a contract was signed with General Atomics for the acquisition of MQ-9B SkyGuardian drones, with initial deliveries expected in 2028. The military has also acquired a fleet of 50 Teal 2 micro drones for local surveillance. Furthermore, the government announced plans for a $30-million military drone research and development facility in Mirabel, Quebec, last month.