The Canadian Army launches the first innovation challenge under the MINERVA Initiative
Press Release
May 21, 2026 – Ottawa, Ontario – National Defence / Canadian Armed Forces
The Canadian Army, with support from the Innovation for Defence, Excellence and Security (IDEeS) program, announces the launch of the first innovation challenge under the MINERVA Initiative: Unparalleled precision: low-cost drones with laser telemetry.
This inaugural challenge aims to advance the development of versatile, innovative, and affordable unmanned aircraft systems capable of providing accurate information on range, target acquisition, and impact adjustment. These capabilities will enable indirect fire missions and enhance the Canadian Army's battlefield knowledge through the following:
knowledge of the situation and decision-making;
the safety and survivability of soldiers;
integration between sensors and shooters for indirect fire;
operational resilience in challenging environmental conditions.
Development funding totaling up to $2.1 million will be made available to innovators to develop low-cost solutions for targeting and telemetry using small drones.
The Unparalleled Precision Challenge marks the first in a series of challenges organized under the MINERVA Initiative. These challenges will bring together defence and security partners from government, industry, and the Canadian Armed For9ces to collaboratively develop, test, and refine emerging technologies to support military operations.
The Government of Canada continues its efforts to mobilize the Canadian innovation ecosystem and strengthen collaboration with industry to advance versatile unmanned systems. These systems are critical to Canada's national security; they provide the sustainability and responsiveness needed to complement ground-based capabilities while ensuring sustainable national capability.
Quotes
“The MINERVA Initiative reflects our commitment to equipping the Canadian Army with cost-effective, cutting-edge capabilities that deliver tangible results on the ground. By leveraging Canadian innovation and strengthening cross-sector partnerships, we can develop smarter tools that improve decision-making and support our soldiers where it matters most.”
The Honourable David J. McGuinty, Minister of National Defence
“We are making targeted investments in innovation to redefine operational effectiveness and ensure the safety of our soldiers on the battlefields of tomorrow. Through the MINERVA Initiative, we are accelerating the development of affordable and highly effective unmanned systems technologies, while establishing a more agile, collaborative, and continuous learning-oriented procurement partnership with industry. MINERVA will engage soldiers—the end users—to connect them with industry and ensure that solutions are grounded in operational reality.”
Lieutenant-General MC Wright, Commander of the Canadian Army
Facts in brief
Following initial consultations with industry on December 2, 2025 and January 29, 2026, the MINERVA Initiative team organized three further working groups with industry in February and March 2026, which focused on operational concepts and requirements for multipurpose unmanned systems.
The MINERVA Initiative offers the industry the opportunity to propose solutions based on the Canadian supply chain that are developed collaboratively to adapt to operational conditions and environments.
The IDEeS program connects the Department of National Defence (DND) with Canadian innovators to address defence and security challenges, supporting technologies from initial design through real-world testing. The Unparalleled Precision challenge is led by the Army, with support from IDEeS.
The Department of National Defence continues to work closely with its Canadian industry partners to build a strong and resilient defence industrial base that will support Canada's defence and economic needs for decades to come.
This challenge is supported by the Bureau of Advanced Research, Engineering and Leadership in Innovation and Science (BOREALIS).
Oooo, I hope this moves fast and yeilds real results! There are plenty of other types of drones that we should be pursuing, but a this is the first from MINERVA, it should show us a template of what is to come. Exciting!