Canada's only ground-based detect-and-avoid system with a Transport Canada Pre-Validated Declaration provided the airspace picture behind every CU-179 flight at CFMETR — the world's first certified DAA deployment by an armed force
HALIFAX, Nova Scotia — Canadian UAVs (CUAVs) announced today at DEFSEC Atlantic 2026 that its Sparrowhawk™ ground-based Detect-and-Avoid (DAA) system enabled safe Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) flight operations of the Royal Canadian Navy's (RCN) new CU-179 Peregrine remotely piloted aircraft system. From 24 August to 4 September 2026, Sparrowhawk provided the airspace picture for every CU-179 flight at the Canadian Forces Maritime Experimental and Test Ranges (CFMETR) in Nanoose Bay, British Columbia.
Sparrowhawk is the only ground-based DAA system in Canada to hold a Transport Canada Pre-Validated Declaration (PVD), confirming that it meets Canadian Aviation Regulations Standard 922.10 (Detect, Alert and Avoid Systems) and 922.12 (Demonstrated Environmental Envelope). That accepted compliance evidence gave the RCN a validated DAA foundation for CU-179 operations from the very first flight, without having to build a safety case from scratch.
CUAVs deployed Sparrowhawk to Winchelsea Island, fusing airspace radar, ADS-B and AIS into a single, continuous air and surface picture of restricted airspace CYR107 over the Strait of Georgia. Sparrowhawk supported every CU-179 flight conducted during the deployment across four flying days of take-offs, landings, touch-and-goes, payload orbits and operator training.
The deployment showed why ground-based radar matters. Sparrowhawk detected a low-flying general aviation aircraft transiting the restricted area while transmitting no ADS-B, an aircraft that was visible to radar alone and would not have appeared in a cooperative-only airspace picture. During touch-and-go operations on 1 September, Sparrowhawk detected a range incursion and the CU-179 was held on the helipad until the airspace cleared: the detect-and-avoid function working exactly as intended.
"Cooperative surveillance alone does not tell you everything that is flying, and at CFMETR we saw that first-hand. Sparrowhawk's Pre-Validated Declaration means the RCN is operating on DAA evidence Transport Canada has already reviewed and accepted — and that is what makes safe BVLOS flight possible," said Sean Greenwood, CEO of Canadian UAVs.
RCN personnel operated Sparrowhawk directly throughout flight operations, with six RCN operators trained on the system during the deployment. In a demanding marine environment, Sparrowhawk maintained the DAA function through changing sea states and passing weather, while continuous AIS integration kept surface vessels visible to operators without triggering airspace alerts.
Because Sparrowhawk is ground-based rather than airframe-mounted, it is not tied to a single aircraft. Operators can pair it with the RPAS their mission requires, and the DAA compliance follows. The CFMETR deployment demonstrates that this flexibility extends to new military platforms operating over water, alongside Sparrowhawk's established use across defence, critical infrastructure, public safety and industry.
Airspace enablement and airspace denial are two sides of the same coin: the sensing that lets friendly aircraft fly safely among other users is the same sensing that detects aircraft that should not be there. Sparrowhawk is a critical element of that concept, and the CFMETR deployment is the first certified DAA deployment by an armed force anywhere in the world. It demonstrates a pathway for DND and allied forces to access civilian airspace at scale — flying uncrewed aircraft alongside existing traffic without restricting or interrupting the airspace for other users.
The announcement was made at DEFSEC Atlantic 2026, Atlantic Canada's defence, security and aerospace trade show, running 6–8 October at the Halifax Convention Centre. CUAVs representatives are on site throughout the show at Booth B407.
About Canadian UAVs
Canadian UAVs is the only company with a DAA product to hold regulatory authorizations with both Transport Canada and the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to enable Beyond Visual Line of Sight operations, with more than 12,000 commercial BVLOS flights completed. Its Sparrowhawk™ radar is a portable, ground-based detect-and-avoid system that combines radar, computer vision, ADS-B and AIS to deliver an integrated airspace picture for safe BVLOS drone operations, supporting customers across defence, energy, agriculture, surveying, logistics, mining, critical infrastructure, and public safety throughout North America and Europe. Learn more at canadianuavs.ca.
Noah Note: A fantastic showcase of Canadian technical ability, and a great showcase of what the future of the RCN could look like, an intermixed network of Autonomous systems not just at sea but also increasingly shore-based.
I always love trials like these. They are not inly a wonderful way to shiwcase what Industry can do, but also go a long way to showcasing some of the concepts that the CAF are looking to work on. For the RCN, that is the expansion of Autonomous systems acrosz the board.
Canadian UAVs had already contributed their Textron Aerosnode for trials this year, and the inclusion of Sparrowhawk is another win for the Navy under their belt. Whether this translates to more we'll see, but there is a desire from the Navy to expand not just theor Sea-based but also their Land-based Autonomous capabilities. There is a future there for systems like Sparrowhawk, Canadian, modular, and proven to work in the ecosystem.
Exciting times, no doubt!