{"id":7525,"date":"2026-04-17T10:26:07","date_gmt":"2026-04-17T10:26:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/7525\/"},"modified":"2026-04-17T10:26:07","modified_gmt":"2026-04-17T10:26:07","slug":"canada-is-behind-in-the-global-drone-race-but-not-for-long","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/7525\/","title":{"rendered":"Canada is behind in the global drone race. But not for long"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"c-article-body__text text-pr-5\">The drone shoots skyward out of its nesting box in a flash, piercing the air with an intense buzzing sound comparable to what the world\u2019s biggest mosquito might sound like. It hovers for a moment, as if deciding what to do next, before zipping off in the opposite direction, quickly shrinking into a mere speck on the skyline.<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-article-body__text text-pr-5\">Below it, the snow-crusted ground of a grassy field in Kleinburg, a village just less than an hour\u2019s drive north of Toronto, seems an unlikely setting for the quadcopter\u2019s test flight. But the property is an important, yet little-known, asset of Canadian company Volatus Aerospace Corp., a drone reseller, trainer, manufacturer and service provider. It\u2019s one of the places where it can test new technologies and train operators when they\u2019re not in the classroom, a short drive away at the company\u2019s headquarters in Vaughan, Ont.<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-article-body__text text-pr-5\">Later that day, a group of Volatus pilots from its U.S. and Canadian operations, will come to the field to test a low-cost drone with a flight endurance of an hour and a half \u2013 perfect for intelligence, surveillance or reconnaissance flights carried out by the military.<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-article-body__text text-pr-5\">Through facilities like this, and its new domestic manufacturing hub, Volatus is raising the stakes of what\u2019s possible for a Canadian drone company. And it\u2019s in good company, as its fellow innovators from across the country flock to the sector in droves.<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-article-body__text text-pr-5\">\u201cIt\u2019s a rising tide,\u201d said Glen Lynch, chief executive officer of Volatus. \u201cIndustry is going to do well, if they don\u2019t get in one another\u2019s way.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Volatus technicians work on drone repairs at the company&#8217;s facility in Vaughan, Ont. Volatus employs around 200 full-time staff and operates seven offices across Canada, the U.S. and Britain.Sammy Kogan\/The Globe and Mail<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-article-body__text text-pr-5\">Canada is behind in the global drone race. Without a war on its doorstep to incentivize innovation, its Armed Forces have been left lacking some of the critical technologies needed to fight on the modern battlefield. <\/p>\n<p class=\"c-article-body__text text-pr-5\">Meanwhile, Ukraine\u2019s response to Russia\u2019s illegal invasion continues to change the world of warfare through an influx of uncrewed systems. Front lines have become blurred and the rate at which new technologies are becoming obsolete on the battlefield is rapid. Lessons learned in Ukraine are being amplified further by the conflict in the Middle East, where expensive legacy systems built for the U.S. military are coming under fire from mass-saturation attacks by cheaper Iranian drones. <\/p>\n<p class=\"c-article-body__text text-pr-5\">But Canada is catching up fast. Prime Minister Mark Carney intends to spend big on defence, aiming to allocate 5 per cent of the country\u2019s gross domestic product toward the sector by 2035. And according to Ottawa\u2019s new Defence Industrial Strategy, uncrewed and autonomous systems are one of 10 key sectors sure to benefit. This, plus Canadian Army Commander Lieutenant-General Michael Wright repeatedly saying he wants to \u201cflood\u201d the army with drones as it undergoes a massive modernization effort, is sparking a gold rush mentality within Canadian industry.<\/p>\n<p>\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" id=\"gi-2-rb-ne-i-drones-canada-0417-mobile-small-img\" class=\"gi-aiImg gi-aiAbs\" src=\"https:\/\/www.theglobeandmail.com\/files\/graphics\/2-rb-ne-i-drones-canada-0417\/2-rb-ne-i-drones-canada-0417-mobile-small.jpg?token=2\" bad-src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhCgAKAIAAAB8fHwAAACH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAAKAAoAAAIIhI+py+0PYysAOw==\"\/><\/p>\n<p>The federal government has identified <\/p>\n<p>uncrewed and autonomous systems as one of 10 sovereign capabilities it wants to build at home. These companies, all headquartered in Canada, are already building their uncrewed vehicles at home and abroad, ready to meet domestic demand. <\/p>\n<p>ReKam is a fixed-wing uncrewed aerial vehicle designed for multiple use cases. It\u2019s payload agnostic, meaning it can be used for anything from intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance to electronic warfare to counterdrone missions, depending on how it\u2019s configured. The platform can be launched in various ways and has a range of 500 kilometres. <\/p>\n<p>INKAS\u2019 Heemar uncrewed ground vehicle is designed to evacuate wounded personnel, carry cargo and lay landmines, though this latter use requires a separate attachment. It\u2019s remotely operated, with a range of 45 kilometres and a top speed of 16 km\/h. As a transport platform, it can carry up to 350 kilograms and as a landmine layer, it can carry up to 16 mines. <\/p>\n<p class=\"gi-pstyle5\">the globe and mail, Source: SENTINEL RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT;<\/p>\n<p class=\"gi-pstyle5\">KRAKEN ROBOTICS; INKAS AEROSPACE &amp; DEFENSE<\/p>\n<p>\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" id=\"gi-2-rb-ne-i-drones-canada-0417-mobile-large-img\" class=\"gi-aiImg gi-aiAbs\" src=\"https:\/\/www.theglobeandmail.com\/files\/graphics\/2-rb-ne-i-drones-canada-0417\/2-rb-ne-i-drones-canada-0417-mobile-large.jpg?token=2\" bad-src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhCgAKAIAAAB8fHwAAACH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAAKAAoAAAIIhI+py+0PYysAOw==\"\/><\/p>\n<p>The federal government has identified <\/p>\n<p>uncrewed and autonomous systems as one of 10 sovereign capabilities it wants to build at home. These companies, all headquartered in Canada, are already building their uncrewed vehicles at home and abroad, ready to meet domestic demand. <\/p>\n<p>ReKam is a fixed-wing uncrewed aerial vehicle designed for multiple use cases. It\u2019s payload agnostic, meaning it can be used for anything from intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance to electronic warfare to counterdrone missions, depending on how it\u2019s configured. The platform can be launched in various ways and has a range of 500 kilometres. <\/p>\n<p>INKAS\u2019 Heemar uncrewed ground vehicle is designed to evacuate wounded personnel, carry cargo and lay landmines, though this latter use requires a separate attachment. It\u2019s remotely operated, with a range of 45 kilometres and a top speed of 16 km\/h. As a transport platform, it can carry up to 350 kilograms and as a landmine layer, it can carry up to 16 mines. <\/p>\n<p class=\"gi-pstyle5\">the globe and mail, Source: SENTINEL RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT;<\/p>\n<p class=\"gi-pstyle5\">KRAKEN ROBOTICS; INKAS AEROSPACE &amp; DEFENSE<\/p>\n<p>\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" id=\"gi-2-rb-ne-i-drones-canada-0417-desktop-img\" class=\"gi-aiImg gi-aiAbs\" src=\"https:\/\/www.theglobeandmail.com\/files\/graphics\/2-rb-ne-i-drones-canada-0417\/2-rb-ne-i-drones-canada-0417-desktop.jpg?token=2\" bad-src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhCgAKAIAAAB8fHwAAACH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAAKAAoAAAIIhI+py+0PYysAOw==\"\/><\/p>\n<p class=\"gi-pstyle1\">The federal government has identified <\/p>\n<p class=\"gi-pstyle1\">uncrewed and autonomous systems as <\/p>\n<p class=\"gi-pstyle1\">one of 10 sovereign capabilities it wants to build at home. These companies, all headquartered in Canada, are already building their uncrewed vehicles at home and abroad, ready to meet domestic demand. <\/p>\n<p>ReKam is a fixed-wing uncrewed aerial vehicle designed for multiple use cases. It\u2019s payload agnostic, meaning it can be used for anything from intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance to electronic warfare to counterdrone missions, depending on how it\u2019s configured. The platform can be launched in various ways and has a range of 500 kilometres. <\/p>\n<p>INKAS\u2019 Heemar uncrewed ground vehicle is designed to evacuate wounded personnel, carry cargo and lay landmines, though this latter use requires a separate attachment. It\u2019s remotely operated, with a range of 45 kilometres and a top speed of 16 km\/h. As a transport platform, it can carry up to 350 kilograms and as a landmine layer, it can carry up to 16 mines. <\/p>\n<p class=\"gi-pstyle5\">the globe and mail, Source: SENTINEL RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT;<\/p>\n<p class=\"gi-pstyle5\">KRAKEN ROBOTICS; INKAS AEROSPACE &amp; DEFENSE<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-article-body__text text-pr-5\">After all, it\u2019s impossible to build a fighter jet overnight. But a drone? Well, that\u2019s something even small companies can do \u2013 and for a fraction of the cost.<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-article-body__text text-pr-5\">From labs to dorm rooms, Ottawa to Victoria, hundreds of companies are making uncrewed technologies for the air, land and sea, populating the sector as they endeavour to meet the needs of the Canadian Armed Forces. <\/p>\n<p>              Beyond designing and manufacturing, Volatus has extensive experience training operators and carrying out remote operations with their products.<\/p>\n<p>                 Sammy Kogan\/The Globe and Mail<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-article-body__text text-pr-5\">It\u2019s an emerging industry built upon existing strengths such as Canada\u2019s aerospace and marine sectors, and its aptitude for research and development. Uncrewed and autonomous technology offerings in Canada have been developing for decades, but only now are all eyes trained on defence.<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-article-body__text mv-16 l-inset text-pb-8\" data-sophi-feature=\"interstitial\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.theglobeandmail.com\/business\/economy\/article-ottawa-defence-industrial-strategy-drones-melanie-joly-david-mcguinty\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Ottawa plans to support drone development, quantum tech with $900-million for defence strategy<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"c-article-body__text text-pr-5\">\u201cThere are a lot of companies that have gone from, \u2018Well, we\u2019re thinking about it\u2019 to \u2018You know what? No, we\u2019re in defence. This is what we\u2019re doing. We have to protect ourselves. We have to protect our allies and our troops,\u2019\u201d said Jordan Cicoria, a board member of the Aerial Evolution Association of Canada, which represents stakeholders in the aerial, remotely piloted systems sector.<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-article-body__text text-pr-5\">According to a 2024 market assessment by Josh Ogden, CEO and co-founder of Aerial Vehicle Safety Solutions Inc., there are at least 200 players working in the aerial drone industry. This includes manufacturers, resellers, software and service providers, industry associations, postsecondary institutions and counterdrone companies. <\/p>\n<p class=\"c-article-body__text text-pr-5\">While legacy procurements, such as Canada\u2019s decision to modernize and restock its fighter jet fleet, are still under way, some industry experts question whether the billions of dollars being spent on these complex systems are worth it. Or if the country\u2019s dollars should be redirected elsewhere, toward systems that will only set the government back thousands or tens of thousands of dollars, not millions, if lost in the theatre of war.<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-article-body__text text-pr-5\">After all, Mr. Lynch said, \u201cEverybody knows drones are the new warfare. Rifles used to be the first line of resistance. They\u2019re now the last line.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-article-body__text text-pr-5\">As a prominent leader in the Canadian drone industry, Mr. Lynch hasn\u2019t slept enough lately. His world has been turned upside down &#8211; or in this case, right side up \u2013 by the Canadian government\u2019s recent about-face decision to fund the defence industry. Like many of his colleagues, Mr. Lynch feels there\u2019s little time to sleep when there\u2019s money on the line.<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-article-body__text text-pr-5\">Founded in 2019, Volatus employs around 200 full-time staff and operates seven offices across Canada, the United States and Britain. The publicly traded company generates about $10-million in revenue per fiscal quarter, Mr. Lynch said, \u201cSo, still a small business, but for a drone company, we\u2019re like an 800-pound gorilla.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-article-body__text text-pr-5\">In response to Ottawa\u2019s call for Canadian companies to build at home, Volatus is gearing up its domestic manufacturing capabilities. It recently moved into an approximately 53,000 square-foot facility in Mirabel, Que. There, it\u2019s developing seven different products, including three medium-altitude, long-endurance uncrewed aircraft with surveillance, reconnaissance and strike capabilities \u2013 a significant production line the Canadian Armed Forces can access at home.<\/p>\n<p><a style=\"display:block\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theglobeandmail.com\/resizer\/v2\/ZUM2AUAT7RFG5CHYQHYWBAFNRM.JPG?auth=027a875ae00d61c19e165f208901ecef0e48ea403855bfaf9cc2501ab57b3bf9&amp;width=600&amp;height=400&amp;quality=80&amp;smart=true\" aria-haspopup=\"true\" data-photo-viewer-index=\"0\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Open this photo in gallery:<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"figcap-text\">Volatus specializes in large drones, designed for heavy cargo and long-range deliveries.Sammy Kogan\/The Globe and Mail<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-article-body__text text-pr-5\">The largest of these three drones will have a wingspan of 10 metres and two of them will be Arctic-operable, thanks to their use of heavy fuel, weather-resistant materials and ability to operate in environments with limited communications, Mr. Lynch said. <\/p>\n<p class=\"c-article-body__text text-pr-5\">Other systems Volatus plans to produce in Mirabel include a helicopter drone designed for heavy lifts, a remote drone deployment dock, an interceptor drone and smaller, low-cost systems to meet Canadian defence requirements. By early summer 2026, Mr. Lynch said he expects to be flying completed aircraft out of the Mirabel facility.<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-article-body__text text-pr-5\">Volatus\u2019 repertoire includes a specialty in large drones, unlike those you can find off-the-shelf at Best Buy, and the company has extensive experience training operators as well as carrying out remote operations.<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-article-body__text text-pr-5\">Distinction in an increasingly crowded sector is important to Kath Intson, CEO of Sentinel R&amp;D, as well. Her Hamilton-based company is exclusively developing the intellectual property for its composite manufacturing, which helps set it apart. That, and the fact that Sentinel\u2019s drone \u201cflies like a bat out of hell,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<p>      In response to Ottawa\u2019s call for Canadian companies to build at home, Volatus is gearing up its domestic manufacturing capabilities. The company is currently developing long-endurance uncrewed aircraft with surveillance, reconnaissance and strike capabilities, among other products.<\/p>\n<p>        Sammy Kogan\/The Globe and Mail<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-article-body__text text-pr-5\">The company\u2019s signature ReKam platform, pronounced \u201cwreck \u2018em,\u201d is designed and manufactured entirely in Canada. It has a range of around 500 kilometres and a top horizontal speed of more than 180 kilometres per hour. <\/p>\n<p class=\"c-article-body__text text-pr-5\">\u201cIt can fulfill a very wide mission set. Everything from surveillance and reconnaissance to small cargo delivery to strike to signal relay to electronic warfare,\u201d Ms. Intson said. Owing to a recent partnership, it\u2019s also one of the products Volatus will help assemble and integrate components for in Mirabel. Ms. Intson\u2019s goal? To have Sentinel become the go-to drone original equipment manufacturer, or OEM, for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and have its platform widely adopted by members.<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-article-body__text text-pr-5\">At Pegasus Aeronautics, CEO and and co-founder Matt McRoberts said the Waterloo, Ont.-based company\u2019s hybrid powertrains make it unique. A powertrain refers to anything that helps keep a drone in the air, such as motors and generators, he said. Pegasus\u2019 Canadian-made powertrains use a combination of fuel and batteries, making them particularly adept at operating in harsh environments such as the Arctic. \u201cThat\u2019s where our system really excels,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-article-body__text text-pr-5\">Each of these companies brings something different to the uncrewed aerial vehicles space. And they\u2019re only three of dozens more building sovereign drone and counterdrone solutions in Canada. If Ottawa is serious about procuring autonomous uncrewed technologies domestically, it must engage with a range of companies, covering as much of the supply chain as possible, Mr. Cicoria said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-article-body__text text-pr-5\">Canada may not be able to build it all, but it can certainly give its companies the chance to try.<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-article-body__text text-pr-5\">\u201cWe have to start doing it at least in small enough batches that should we have to ramp up, we can. Should we have that supply chain cut off, we\u2019re not completely dead in the water,\u201d Mr. Cicoria said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-article-body__text text-pr-5\">Julie Angus isn\u2019t your typical defence tech entrepreneur. Her inspiration to design and build solar-powered autonomous surface vessels came after spending five months rowing across the Atlantic Ocean, making her the first woman, accompanied by her fianc\u00e9 at the time, to complete the trip from mainland to mainland.<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-article-body__text text-pr-5\">Today, she runs Open Ocean Robotics, a Victoria-headquartered company focused on building endurance vessels capable of navigating rough seas and collecting data along the way. Its boats can be tapped for a range of tasks, such as using a hydrophone to collect acoustic data or using surveying instruments to map the ocean floor.<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-article-body__text text-pr-5\">One of the company\u2019s first jobs was to monitor endangered marine mammals using a suite of sensors, Ms. Angus said. Today, that same technology is being used, with additional sensors such as 360-degree cameras, to detect and identify other vessels through a security lens. \u201cIn many ways, we have always been inherently dual use,\u201d Ms. Angus said, referring to products with defence and commercial applications.<\/p>\n<p>B.C.-based Open Ocean Robotics builds endurance vessels capable of navigating rough seas and collecting data along the way. The company&#8217;s founder, Julie Angus, was inspired to design and build the solar-powered autonomous surface vessels after spending five months rowing across the Atlantic Ocean.Chad Hipolito\/The Globe and Mail<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-article-body__text text-pr-5\">Open Ocean has worked with the U.S. Navy and with Defence Research and Development Canada since its founding in 2018, focusing largely on maritime security and domain awareness. However, lately, Ms. Angus said the company\u2019s work with government has begun shifting from mostly pilots and tests to more substantial contracts.<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-article-body__text text-pr-5\">\u201cThe pace of adoption for uncrewed technologies is accelerating,\u201d she said. To meet the domestic demand, Ms. Angus said Open Ocean is \u201chardening\u201d its technologies for Arctic use, which includes training its artificial-intelligence-powered camera vision to operate in icy environments and reinforcing the hulls of its boats.<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-article-body__text text-pr-5\">Like many Canadian entrepreneurs, defence wasn\u2019t the primary market Sam Macdonald had in mind either when she co-founded Deep Trekker in 2010. The Kitchener, Ont.-headquartered company builds remotely operated vehicles for underwater inspections and monitoring, born out of Ms. Macdonald\u2019s desire to explore shipwrecks and underwater archaeology.<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-article-body__text text-pr-5\">In the five or six years before she left the company in 2024, Ms. Macdonald said the defence market for Deep Trekker\u2019s technologies grew significantly, particularly for applications such as underwater mine and threat identification. \u201cAs bad actors are putting things that go boom in places that we also are involved in, in shipping, tourism or infrastructure, it\u2019s become more and more important.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>      Open Ocean Robotics Technician intern Jake Cushway deploys and remotely control a solar-powered USV during an open water test. <\/p>\n<p>        Chad Hipolito\/The Globe and Mail<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-article-body__text text-pr-5\">Selling mine countermeasures is a significant stream of business for Greg Reid, president and CEO at Kraken Robotics Inc., as well. Founded in 2012 to commercialize synthetic aperture sonar, which is used to capture high-resolution images, the Mount Pearl, N.L.-headquartered company has made waves lately in the uncrewed underwater vehicles space. Today, Kraken employs about 450 people and has offices in Canada, the U.S., Brazil, Britain and Germany.<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-article-body__text text-pr-5\">Kraken\u2019s sonar and optical sensor technology, and subsea batteries, are sought out by navies all over the world, as well as offshore energy companies, to image the sea floor and things buried within it, such as unexploded mines. Some of these explosives are left over from past conflicts and others are being placed today as a form of defence against ships or submarines, Mr. Reid said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-article-body__text text-pr-5\">Kraken sells an underwater drone, called the KATFISH, in addition to sales of its sonar and subsea lithium-ion batteries, which other companies buy to supplement their own autonomous vehicles. This includes Norwegian defence contractor Kongsberg Gruppen ASA, as well as U.S.-based Lockheed Martin Corp. and defence darling Anduril Industries, to name a few.<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-article-body__text text-pr-5\">In 2020, Kraken generated about $12-million in revenue. Five years later, that number climbed to more than $100-million. \u201cThe defence market has taken off a fair amount,\u201d Mr. Reid said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-article-body__text text-pr-5\">Much like their counterparts in the skies, underwater drones are increasingly being used to complement fleets of larger vessels, potentially saving countries from multibillion-dollar mistakes, he said. <\/p>\n<p class=\"c-article-body__text text-pr-5\">\u201cIf you lose a couple of $20-million dollar drones, it\u2019s not great, but it\u2019s way better than losing a whole multibillion-dollar submarine,\u201d Mr. Reid said. \u201cPlus, you\u2019re keeping people out of harm\u2019s way.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-article-body__text text-pr-5\">Keeping soldiers safe and healthy is part of the appeal of Philip Reece\u2019s robots. Whether that\u2019s by carrying troops\u2019 heavy packs over tough terrain, transporting injured parties or investigating potentially dangerous obstacles along the way.<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-article-body__text text-pr-5\">Mr. Reece\u2019s Sidney, B.C.-based company, InDro Robotics, makes a variety of platforms, from aerial drones to humanoids, but its uncrewed ground vehicles are seeing the most demand. Whereas the market for aerial vehicles in Canada is flooding with new companies, he said the market for their counterparts on land is experiencing more of a steady stream. But that\u2019s not to say it\u2019s any less important.<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-article-body__text text-pr-5\">\u201cDrones are the splashy cousin who gets out there and gets everybody\u2019s attention and does cool things, and the ground robot is the workhorse that\u2019s getting things done behind it,\u201d Mr. Reece said. <\/p>\n<p><a style=\"display:block\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theglobeandmail.com\/resizer\/v2\/EOVHMVP3HZEHLF2EMFXYT63TAY.jpg?auth=76853f44acb44995a2330815c947c3ce262821dc4f799924c4f9a1ed0e374f89&amp;width=600&amp;height=400&amp;quality=80&amp;smart=true\" aria-haspopup=\"true\" data-photo-viewer-index=\"1\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Open this photo in gallery:<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"figcap-text\">InDro Robotics founder and CEO Philip Reece. His B.C.-based company, makes a variety of products, but its uncrewed ground vehicles are seeing the most demand.InDro Robotics\/Supplied<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-article-body__text text-pr-5\">Founded in 2014, InDro won its first contract with the Department of National Defence about five years ago through an Innovation for Defence Excellence and Security competition, in which it received approximately $2.2-million to help build a ground platform that can carry supplies or act as a stretcher. Today, InDro features several different ground robots, aerial drones and other platforms and accessories on its website.<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-article-body__text text-pr-5\">The company has two locations in British Columbia, as well as two R&amp;D facilities in Ottawa, and it is currently looking to scale operations from rapid prototyping to domestic manufacturing. Mr. Reece said he\u2019s also looking to up the share of Canadian content in his robots from around 50 per cent to 80 per cent, in line with Ottawa\u2019s ask for domestic manufacturers to meet its new Buy Canadian standards.<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-article-body__text text-pr-5\">Across the country, in Toronto, INKAS is building an uncrewed ground vehicle to assist soldiers on the battlefield. Made to carry supplies or wounded people, or lay landmines, the company\u2019s remote-controlled Heemar platform resembles a padded wagon or cart with four large, deeply treaded tires.<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-article-body__text text-pr-5\">Founded in 1995, INKAS is a group of companies that includes armoured vehicle manufacturing, aerospace and defence, safe manufacturing, payment solutions and metal fabrication. It employs more than 350 people and specializes in ensuring its products are field-tested, through footprints the company has in places such as Ukraine, said Habib Irani, product and business development manager at INKAS Aerospace and Defence. <\/p>\n<p class=\"c-article-body__text text-pr-5\">Production of INKAS\u2019 uncrewed Heemar vehicle is already under way in Ukraine and is slated to begin in Canada soon at a facility the company just acquired close to its Toronto headquarters, he said. The new 10,000-square-foot facility will be dedicated exclusively to meeting domestic demand for uncrewed vehicles, as well as some armoured vehicles.<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-article-body__text text-pr-5\">\u201cWe\u2019re going hard. We\u2019re going straight for the Canadian government. We\u2019re going there and basically grabbing them by the shirt and saying, \u2018Look at this, look at what I\u2019ve got. Open your eyes, because you have it locally,\u2019\u201d Mr. Irani said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-article-body__text text-pr-5\">Grabbing the attention of their own government has long been a struggle for emerging Canadian defence entrepreneurs. Many end up selling abroad to foreign militaries before gaining any traction at home.<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-article-body__text text-pr-5\">Small to medium-sized businesses that make uncrewed technologies are no exception, Mr. Cicoria said. \u201cUnfortunately, the vast size of this country sometimes works against us,\u201d he said. \u201cBut we are starting to see that change, and it\u2019s exciting.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-article-body__text text-pr-5\">That\u2019s because the Canadian Armed Forces want to work with companies in its own backyard, but this hasn\u2019t always been a priority for the federal government departments in charge of procurement. As director of joint requirements for the Forces, Colonel Chris Labb\u00e9 said it\u2019s in his best interest to ensure members have the weapons they need when they need them.<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-article-body__text text-pr-5\">\u201cThat includes making sure that our supply chains for weapons systems and drones, for example, are assured,\u201d he said. \u201cSo that if we need to, for example, scale up production because we have a lot of demand, Canada is in a position to do so.\u201d <\/p>\n<p><a style=\"display:block\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theglobeandmail.com\/resizer\/v2\/CIYTSWRPBFHCHOFOIU6DOG4HSU.jpg?auth=7dca5a46fdb26651fe3cdcc4ec7f6efd5f0c47eb943ff5b9891961ae6902edc3&amp;width=600&amp;height=400&amp;quality=80&amp;smart=true\" aria-haspopup=\"true\" data-photo-viewer-index=\"2\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Open this photo in gallery:<\/a><a style=\"display:block\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theglobeandmail.com\/resizer\/v2\/IBSV5WA3MJEPZGC5H2JG3L7Q7M.jpg?auth=228f899fbd16b310a0075c266e00445eaa582a843c9203630f69b69573e3421c&amp;width=600&amp;height=400&amp;quality=80&amp;smart=true\" aria-haspopup=\"true\" data-photo-viewer-index=\"3\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Open this photo in gallery:<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"figcap-text\">Thermal imaging drone capabilities are tested during Operation Nanook, the Canadian Armed Forces&#8217; annual Arctic training and sovereignty operation, in Inuvik, N.W.T. in February, 2025.<br \/>\nAccording to Ottawa\u2019s new Defence Industrial Strategy, uncrewed and autonomous systems are one of 10 key sectors sure to benefit from the increase in defence spending.COLE BURSTON\/AFP\/Getty Images<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-article-body__text text-pr-5\">Military-industry engagement is soaring to new heights in Canada as part of an attempt to ensure defence technology procurement happens in a more timely, effective manner. Senior officers on both sides, from colonels to executives, are touting newfound relationships with each other and a surplus of benefits from military-led efforts, such as the MINERVA Initiative, which was set up to help drone companies learn directly from their end users.<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-article-body__text text-pr-5\">There\u2019s no question that uncrewed systems will shape the way the Canadian Armed Forces function at home and abroad in this new world order, just as they have already done for countries such as Ukraine. What\u2019s not yet clear is the role they will play in shaping the Canadian defence industry, and the country\u2019s economy, by consequence, as it undergoes immense change. <\/p>\n<p class=\"c-article-body__text text-pr-5\">But can Canadian companies handle this capacity and grow with what the Armed Forces need? The answer to that, Mr. Cicoria said, is, \u201cWe don\u2019t have a choice. We have to.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The drone shoots skyward out of its nesting box in a flash, piercing the air with an intense&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":7526,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[136,17,1185,617],"class_list":{"0":"post-7525","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-canada","8":"tag-appwebview","9":"tag-canada","10":"tag-ne-i","11":"tag-nopolly"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7525","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7525"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7525\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7526"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7525"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7525"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7525"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}