Canadian Army eyeing new weapons in response to lessons learned from Ukraine war

On the same subject

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  June 7, 2023 | Local, Aerospace, C4ISR

  Coming Soon: New funding and prizes for Counter Uncrewed Aerial Systems challenge

  New funding and prizes will be available for innovators at all developmental stages of counter-drone technology through the Innovation for Defence Excellence and Security (IDEaS) program Counter Uncrewed Aerial Systems (CUAS) challenge, launching this summer. Do you have a creative concept for this challenge, but need some funding to kick-start or continue your development?   Do you have an innovative prototype that will soon be ready to demonstrate to the Canadian Armed Forces?   In summer 2023, the IDEaS program will seek submissions for:   New game-changing CUAS concepts that IDEaS will be funding for development with up to $2.5 million per innovator and up to $11 million in total available, and; CUAS prototypes that are ready to test and demonstrate at our 2024 CUAS Sandbox. May 27 to June 21, 2024, in Suffield, Alberta. Now with $2 million of total Sandbox prizes being awarded, with $1 million for first place, $500,000 for second place, and $250,000 for third place. Open to all CUAS technologies and concepts, with specific interest in kinetic, laser, microwave, and other hard-kill solutions.   This concurrent approach of both lower readiness level concept development and higher level Sandbox demonstrations permits innovative solutions at any stage of development to apply and be eligible for potential funding.   Further details and confirmation of funding amounts will be released with the call for applications in summer 2023.  Subject to confirmation, applications will close in early October 2023 with innovator selections in November 2023!   Visit the IDEaS website Sandboxes page to learn about our past 2019 CUAS and the 2022 CUAS Sandboxes.   The IDEaS team

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  December 30, 2019 | Local, Aerospace

  Canadian surveillance satellite system now operational

  DAVID PUGLIESE, OTTAWA CITIZEN Canada's RADARSAT Constellation Mission is now operational and federal government departments will start receiving data from the surveillance and earth observation satellites. The RADARSAT Constellation Mission, or RCM, was launched June 12 aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. The constellation of three satellites will provide daily images of Canada's territory and maritime approaches, as well as images of the Arctic, up to four times a day, according to the Canadian Space Agency. It will have daily access to 90 per cent of the world's surface. The RCM is also equipped with an Automatic Identification System (AIS), allowing improved detection and tracking of ships, including those conducting illegal fishing, the CSA noted. The constellation is orbiting Earth at an altitude of 600 km. Each of the satellites has a life expectancy of seven years. The Canadian government owns the satellites. The three spacecraft were assembled in the Montreal area by the prime contractor MDA. Over a dozen federal government departments and agencies will use RCM images. It is estimated that the Canadian government will use approximately 250,000 images from the satellite constellation every year. That represents a fiftyfold increase from the days of the first RADARSAT-1 system, according to the Canadian government. The majority of the data transmitted from RCM is expected to be used by the Canadian Forces and the Department of National Defence. RCM follows the highly successful RADARSAT-1, launched by NASA in 1995, and RADARSAT-2, put into orbit by the Russians in 2007. Initial work on RCM began in 2005. The project cost an estimated $975 million. The RCM project was led by the Canadian Space Agency and supported by its principal users: the Department of National Defence, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Environment Canada, Natural Resources Canada and Public Safety Canada. https://ottawacitizen.com/news/national/defence-watch/canadian-surveillance-satellite-system-now-operational

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  January 5, 2023 | Local, Naval

  Cost of new Arctic patrol ships jumps by $780 million

  National Defence and Public Services and Procurement Canada noted in a statement sent Wednesday to this newspaper that the extra money was needed to deal with reduced labour availability, higher costs as a result of COVID protocols such as screening and cleaning, and price increases on transportation and spare parts.