Noah's Wonderfully Spectacular UxS Roundup
Ongoing Thread
Drones, Uncrewed Surface Vessels, Underwater Autonomous Vehicles, Collaborative Aircraft. We love them, we love to see them, and there are a million different ones coming online over the next decade, yet no good resource listing them all.
With the launch of the DDIM last week, I thiugh this would be a good time to test out a new idea. Roundups! Threads where you can come, as a resource, that provide all the basic info, statuses, and links to our previous works on all things UxS. With over two dozen projects with UAS tied to them, and a lot more on the way, I thought it would be important to have something teady to go as time moves.
Kinda like a Blueprint, a Capability Blueprint one might say.
Every named project I know of, as many RFI/RFP/ACAN/RFSA/Whatever as I can find, regularly updated for all of you to take note of. It's a new concept I'm attempting, because lord knows we don't have enough resources as is, and projects can always be difficult to find and keep notice of.
From UGV to UAS, Minehunting to Autonomous Fighter Jets. It's the wonderfully spectacular world of UxS provided by Noah.
CANADIAN ARMED FORCES
DDIM — Defence Drone Initiative Marketplace
Dedicated post can be found here.
Canada's equivalent to the Ukrainian Brave1 Marketplace, a pre-qualified list of suppliers for the delivery of UAS, UGS, UUS, ULS, CUAS equipment, and everything that goes into it.
The five streams being looked into are uncrewed and counter-uncrewed systems and components; data, electronic warfare, and cyber systems; test, evaluation, and training services; systems integrators; and innovation and experimentation opportunities.
Systems of focus include low-cost, attritionable, tactical ISR systems, UGVs, modular explosive payloads for uncrewed systems, low-cost counter-drone interceptors with low collateral effects, and deep precision strike systems.
CANADIAN ARMY
MINERVA Initative
Dedicated post can be found here.
The Army's framework for putting General Purpose Uncrewed Systems (GPUS) into the hands of ordinary soldiers. Small, cheap, low-complexity air, ground, and littoral systems operated at the unit level and below, to take on the dull and dangerous tasks and reduce risk to life.
The three objectives are tactically effective Uncrewed Aircraft Systems at scale, tactically effective Uncrewed Ground and Littoral Systems at scale, and enabled and sustained uncrewed systems at scale. This is also covering universal ground control stations, C2 integration, common parts, and training.
Effects of focus include recce and surveillance, target acquisition, strike, communications extension, cargo drop, and point obstacle breaching, and Arctic operations in the air, with cargo transport, breaching, and fire support on the ground.
CUAS UOR — Counter Uncrewed Aerial System UOR
Multi-phase UOR to acquire a suite of CUAS systems for the Multinational Brigade in Latvia, first announced in 2023.
Phase One aimed to provide non-kinetic dismounted directional, dismounted omni-directional, and fixed-site systems. It was contracted in February 2024 with TRD Systems ORION-H9, CACI BEAM 3.0, and Leonardo UK Falcon Shield fixed-site system.
Phase Two aimed to acquire a non-kinetic, vehicle-mounted system that would also go to CACI in mid-2025. It will provide 15+ vehicles, with Cambli providing their Blackwolf as the baseline vehicle for integration. The first vehicle is expected to be delivered in November of 2026.
LM UOR — Loitering Munition UOR — $50–99M Budget
The other UAS UOR, announced at the same time as the CUAS UOR. Aims to provide a long-range precision-fire capability out to 40km. The LM UOR will provide both a dismounted and vehicle-mounted anti-personnel and anti-armour capacity.
Contracted in February of 2025 to AeroVironment for the Switchblade 300 and 600 systems. Deliveries are scheduled for the end of 2026.
CALM — Canadian Army Loitering Munitions — Unfunded
Dedicated post can be found here.
The follow-up to the LM UOR. Quite open at the moment, save for the requirement that munitions must provide both an anti-personnel and anti-armour precision strike capability to units in complement to other assets like the future PAX-R and PAX-M capabilities acquired through the Land Anti-X project.
As of now, CALM is in the Identification stage, with a potential RFI expected sometime in 2028. Contract award is set for around 2030 or 2031 with IOC in 2033. As always, though, with projects in Identification, timelines are about as firm as very sad Jell-O, and as such should be treated more as vague expectations. Sometimes it's quicker, lots of times later.
CADUC (ex-UASR) — Canadian Army Deep UAS Capability — Unfunded
Dedicated post can be found here.
CADUC aims to replace the Army's existing UAS capabilities with a dedicated unit of long-range UAS suitable to support Division operations.
This includes tasks such as long-range ISR, strike, and target acquisition for the future CA Division. CADUC is expected to replace most, if not all, existing drones in this category, such as the CU-172 Blackjack. While no requirements are firmly out there, and I have asked, the expectation is that CADUC might similarly not be one drone, but either a family of drones or a system, like the Polish WB Group Gladius, that provides a common system integrating multiple drones.
It will very, very likely be a Class I or even Class II-sized platform capable of integrating multiple payloads. Whether it has the ability to utilize its own munitions is up in the air. In terms of timelines, there does seem to be a desire to get an RFI/RFP out sometime next year, with a contract signed around 2030 with IOC in 2032.
AIEDDD — Advanced Improvised Explosive Device Detection and Defeat — $100–249M Budget
The Canadian Army's modernization of her current explosive disposal capabilities, specifically targeting improvised explosive devices. Included in AIEDDD is the provision of Group I UAS as well as small and mini-UGVs for EOD operations.
Deliveries are expected to start in 2027 or 2028 with FOC scheduled for 2030 or 2031.
Land ISR MOD — $1–4.99B Budget
Land ISR MOD is a far-reaching initiative that includes the provision of UAS. The UAS system will comprise two NATO Class 1 Mini UAS (maximum take-off weight per aircraft is 25 kg) and a ground control system linked to the ISR network. These will be broken down into two categories: light and mobile.
The system will be employed at company, battalion, and brigade levels to conduct day and night aerial reconnaissance, detect, recognize, identify, track, and provide targeting information. Most of these systems must be mobile and transported by vehicle or trailer.
Light variants must be soldier-portable to support dismounted, airmobile, and airborne operations. The light variant system must weigh less than 31 kg (including one aircraft, payload, and GCS). The project is looking to acquire up to thirty-five mobile systems and ten light systems.
Various UGVs
The Army also has a number of minor UGV acquisitions currently in the pipeline that we will link to. These minor acquisitions are still important to trialing and developing the Army's future UxS capabilities, and while some likely will fall further under DDIM, I have chosen to mention them.
The largest of these is the acquisition of small and medium UGVs, which you can find our post on here. This will establish a list of prequalified suppliers for the acquisition of both wheeled and tracked UGVs with a specific focus on logistics support and CASEVAC.
Along with this, we have also seen smaller, targeted RFIs for mini-UGVs, small-UGVs, quadruped UGVs, and UGVs for CASEVAC go out in the last few months. I expect many of these will now fall under DDIM, but will include them here for reference.
ROYAL CANADIAN AIR FORCE
RPAS — Remotely-Piloted Aircraft System — $1–4.9B Budget
The CQ9B Guardian acquisition, which will provide 11 aircraft based on the General Atomics MQ-9B SkyGuardian. Need I say more about this one?
Will provide the RCAF a dedicated fleet of long-endurance, autonomous, medium-altitude platforms for intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition, reconnaissance (ISTAR), maritime surveillance, and long-range strike (and whatever else they can jam on her).
First delivery in early 2028, IOC 2030, FOC 2033 is all still in the books.
RALE-P — RCAF Air-Launched Effects — Unfunded
Aims to provide the RCAF with a host of air-launched effectors for various platforms coming into service, including future fighters, CP8, CQ9B, and future nTACS. Effectors will be based on modular platforms with a number of customizable payloads able to support tasks such as ISR, EW, and long-range strikes. The RFI is supposed to release this year, with IOC set for 2029 or 2030.
RACP-P — RCAF Autonomous Collaborative Platform — $10B+ Budget
One of the largest projects on the books value-wise and also one of the least informed. Aims to acquire a fleet of collaborative, autonomous aircraft to supplement and support the future fighter fleet. Not a lot to say right now about this one; it is likely to be more an initiative than a single project, and we are very likely to see multiple fleets of different platforms acquired, from smaller, expendable systems utilized as things like decoys, EW platforms, etc., to larger, fighter-sized collaborative aircraft.
RFP is currently set for 2027 or 2028 with a staggeringly quick award in 2028, likely for research and development. The current IOC is set for 2032 with FOC 2036. So as we close out the F-35, we're jumping right into the first CCA.
ROYAL CANADIAN NAVY
RCN ISTAR — Royal Canadian Navy ISTAR UAS — $100–249M Budget
Dedicated post can be found here.
The future CU179 Peregrine, itself based on the Schiebel S-100. It will provide the Halifax-class Frigates (and a bit of the AOPV) with an autonomous, long-range ISTAR capability for the first time.
Contracted to MDA in August of 2025. Will deliver an initial two S-100 systems at a value of approximately $39 million, along with an additional in-service support contract that has an estimated value of $27 million for a period of five years that could be extended up to 20 years.
FOC is currently set for 2032 or 2033.
JMMU — Joint Multi-Mission Uncrewed Aerial System — Unfunded
Will provide the RCN with a VTOL, heavy-lift multi-domain UAS for logistics support and resupply. Not much on this one just yet. How big it will be, what capabilities it will have, and how many will be acquired. Will it be something like Proteus in the UK? Or more along the lines of the Unmanned H145M? Could be smaller too. We just don't know right now.
IOC is vaguely in the 2030s; I wouldn't put much into timelines for this.
RMDS — Remote Minehunting and Disposal Systems — $50–99M Budget
The Royal Canadian Navy’s newest minehunting system, a containerized system provided by Kraken Robotics that will deliver a modern, dispersed MCM capability to the Navy, able to be rapidly onboarded by any platform that can fit a 20ft container.
This system consists of a 20ft TEU equipped with the REMUS AUV and SEAFOX mine disposal vehicle. SH Defence is providing its CUBE modular container system for the project, while Kraken will be equipping it with their AquaPix synthetic aperture sonar.
Just recently starting delivery too. A really impressive capability to have, and a major godsend as the Kingston-class is divested. Personally, I would order several more if I could.
MCM USV — Mine Countermeasures Uncrewed Surface Vessel — $15M Budget
Will provide the AOPV with a remote or autonomous uncrewed route-survey vessel capable of being equipped with modular MCM payloads, supplementing the RMDS. Likely to be something like the Thales Pathmaster or TKMS ARCIMS.
Only one will be procured for now; payloads will come separately. The RFP and contract award are both expected in 2026 with IOC in 2028.
UUSS — Uncrewed Underwater Surveillance System — >$500M Budget
Dedicated post can be found here.
Will provide the RCN with a teamed surface and subsurface UxS capability for persistent Arctic and littoral awareness. Will likely include a mix of smaller UUVs and XLUUVs as well as various USVs. Again, more initiative than single project.
It will work in tandem with the Canadian Arctic Suite of Sensors Initiative, which will provide the specialized maritime sensors to conduct persistent underwater awareness.
RFI is currently set for 2026 with IOC in 2033/2034 and FOC in 2038/2039.
Minor Projects
The Navy also has a number of smaller, minor projects on the books. That includes minor projects for lightweight UUVs (contract 2027, IOC 2028), the AOPV UAS, which will provide the AOPV with four (with an option for two more) standardized Class I UAS systems for beyond-visual-line-of-sight ISR, and broader minor general purpose UAS acquisitions for the Navy.
Others Not Included
For all the ones that didn't make it. Sometimes there are rumors, minor acquisitions, or leases that don't quite fit into the framework above. This little section is dedicated to all of them:
Foreign UAS Acquisition Rumors
Previously, we have reported on Canadian officials' discussions with allied industry on UAS. Over the last few years, CAF, DND, and DIA officials have made a note of the need to rapidly onboard and expand Canada's UAS capabilities, both in terms of equipment and expanding the Defence Industrial Base.
A large part of that is exploring collaborative avenues with allies, and areas where Joint Production and Strategic Partnerships can be established. Most of these efforts, admittedly, are on the Ukrainian front. That includes recent partnerships like Sentinel R&D-Airlogix, Volatus-UCan Brave Tech, and a rumored partnership through GDLSC.
But they ain't the only ones. Canada has also had negotiations and discussions with other players, including at least one UK company, the German-based Helsing, Pablo Air (now partnered with IMT), Hanwha, Lockheed, and a few others on the UAS front when it comes to domestic production and licensing of UAS systems.
Even some provinces are getting involved. Quebec has reportedly had their own independent discussions, and Alberta is rumored to be courting the Estonian CUAS company Frankenburg Technologies about potential collaboration.
On the Turkish front, the primary company officials have been talking with is Baykar. They ain't the only one, but that is the one where there seems to be primarily our interest, pushed on by the desire of the Turkish market to once again access Canadian products like WESCAM. You didn't hear that one from me, but there is a mutual benefit pathway there.
On the Polish front, the interest is related mainly to WB Group. Gladius, FlyEye, and Warmate all have interest, but primarily Gladius is what I have heard discussed. Previously we had reported that these talks were not super serious, but we are told they are actually active and considered by both sides to have a viable pathway to a contract. So apparently, things were farther along than we thought.
Leases and One-Off Acquisitions
It's funny...I was just thinking the other day how truly impressed I am how you can keep track of all these projects/RFIs/MOUs etc. etc.
Would this format be expandible to projects in other fields as well?