20 décembre 2019 | Local, Aérospatial
Calgary, Alberta, December 17, 2019 – The ability to fly unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) beyond the visual line of sight (BVLOS) significantly improves their effectiveness and potential. The increased range of BVLOS operations requires real-time airspace situational awareness for the UAV pilot and support crew to ensure safe, repeatable operations.
Canadian UAVs and Lockheed Martin Canada CDL Systems have signed a memorandum of understanding to provide an unmanned traffic management solution to meet this challenge. This solution will build a complete airspace picture necessary to conduct unmanned operations beyond visual line of sight in Canada and beyond.
“A complete airspace picture is an absolutely necessity to conduct unmanned flights beyond visual line of sight,” said Dustin Engen, Lockheed Martin Canada CDL Systems Business Development Manager. “When combined, Canadian UAV's Sparrowhawk radar and our VCSi product will offer all users this complete picture and provide the necessary situational awareness for BVLOS flights in Canada and abroad.”
Lockheed Martin Canada CDL Systems will provide integration support for the vehicle control station software called VCSi, a universal Ground Control System based on more than 1.5 million flight hours in military and commercial flight operations. Canadian UAVs will integrate their low-cost, ground-based radar, Sparrowhawk, into VCSi to provide users with a complete airspace picture of manned and unmanned aviation tracking with collision avoidance. Sparrowhawk has been instrumental in Canadian UAVs' first permitted BVLOS flights outside of restricted airspace in Canadian history. The company will also develop hardware and artificial intelligence software as part of Project Skysensus, a five-year investment from Canada's Industrial and Technological Benefit (ITB) Policy.
“With Canadian UAVs' advanced market position in BVLOS operations, we are seeing a lot of gaps in what the general market offers to solve fundamental technological issues in unmanned aviation,” said Sean Greenwood, President of Canadian UAVs. “As a result, we developed a technology roadmap that invests in a comprehensive toolset to increase flight safety and repeatability as these operations increase in volume and airspace complexity. We have been working with Lockheed Martin CDL Systems for several years and we are very excited by this agreement to formalize the relationship.”
About Lockheed Martin Canada
Lockheed Martin Canada has been Canada's trusted defence partner for nearly 80 years and has a proud legacy of providing innovative naval systems and sustainment solutions for Canada and abroad. For more than three decades, Lockheed Martin Canada has demonstrated its capability and commitment to the Royal Canadian Navy as the Prime Contractor and Combat System Integrator for the HALIFAX Class Frigates. The company employs approximately 1,000 employees at major facilities in Ottawa, Montreal, Halifax, Calgary, and Victoria, working on a wide range of major programs spanning the aerospace, defence and commercial sectors.
About Canadian UAVs
Canadian UAVs is a military-grade unmanned aviation services company based in Calgary, Alberta. With flight safety as our first priority, we provide UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) solutions for a range of applications. We provide low-cost surveillance, monitoring, training, and reporting for commodity-based operations, utilities, military and real estate through UAVs. In 2018, CUAVS became the first company in Canadian history to fly Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) as part of Transport Canada's BVLOS Task Force trials
View source version on Lockheed Martin: https://news.lockheedmartin.com/lockheed-martin-canadian-uavs-improve-unmanned-beyond-visual-line-sight-operations
26 mai 2023 | Local, Aérospatial
Canadian aerospace firms have written Justin Trudeau requesting he allow open competition for a new military surveillance plane
28 janvier 2019 | Local, Aérospatial
CAE announced on Jan. 24 that the company has been awarded a contract from General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) to develop a comprehensive synthetic training system for the United Kingdom's Protector RG Mk1 remotely piloted aircraft system (RPAS) program. The Protector will be operated by the Royal Air Force and is the U.K.-specific variant of GA-ASI's certifiable MQ-9B SkyGuardian RPAS, which can meet the most stringent certification requirements of aviation authorities. Under terms of the contract, CAE will design and develop a comprehensive synthetic training system that will include desktop and high-fidelity mission trainers specific to the Protector RPAS. The high-fidelity Protector mission trainers will be based on GA-ASI's certifiable ground control station (CGCS) and will be the first simulators developed for this advanced CGCS. CAE will also provide brief/debrief and scenario generation stations as part of the overall synthetic training system. “We are pleased to continue our global training partnership with GA-ASI to support the U.K. Protector program,” said Gene Colabatistto, CAE's group president, defence and security. “Protector will offer a new level of capability in an unmanned air system and will require well-trained aircrews. We will leverage developments we have made over the past several years creating the highest fidelity training devices for the Predator family of remotely piloted aircraft to produce a world-class synthetic training system for the Protector program.” Initial deliveries of the synthetic training system will be targeted for delivery in 2020 to RAF Waddington, the hub of U.K. Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition and Reconnaissance (ISTAR) that will be the main operating base for the Protector. “MQ-9B SkyGuardian, which Protector is based on, represents the next-generation of remotely piloted aircraft capabilities, including longer endurance and automatic take-off and landing,” said David R. Alexander, president, aircraft systems, GA-ASI. “The Protector synthetic training system will play a key role helping the Royal Air Force develop skilled aircrews, and we are pleased to collaborate with CAE as our training partner on this critical program.” https://www.skiesmag.com/press-releases/cae-awarded-contract-by-ga-asi-to-develop-synthetic-training-system
25 janvier 2021 | Local, Aérospatial, C4ISR
January 19, 2021 By Wings Staff At the AIx Space 2021 Conference, Saab outlined a proposed plan to establish a new facility in Canada as part of its offer for Canada's Future Fighter Capability Project (FFCP). The facility would be known as the Saab Sensor Centre, located in Vancouver, British Columbia, with a focus on sensor technologies such as radar. The Saab Sensor Centre would provide career opportunities for Canadian engineering talent in the Vancouver area, as well offering research and development avenues for academia. One of the proposed projects is to develop a Space Surveillance Radar (SSR) in Canada, in co-operation with other companies within the Canadian space industry. It is envisaged that this surface radar will target the global market for greater awareness of objects in the Earth's orbit. “So much of modern life and military capability depends on space-based assets. Today space is anything but empty when it comes to the Earth's immediate vicinity with an increasing number of satellites and many more to come,” said Simon Carroll, President of Saab Canada Inc., in a statement. “We feel that Saab teamed with Canadian space partners are the perfect combination to co-develop a SSR for Canada and the global market.” A Saab radar demonstrator has been built and is the basis for a co-development opportunity of a SSR with Canadian companies. This demonstrator leverages radar technology as found in Saab's military radars that operate across the world including on Canadian and U.S. naval ships. Saab, in co-operation with the Swedish government, has offered 88 Gripen E fighter aircraft, for Canada's FFCP. The establishment of the Saab Sensor Centre is part of the associated Canada-wide Industrial and Technological Benefits (ITB) program from Saab. In co-operation with the Swedish government, Saab's Gripen E fighter bid includes a support and training package for FFCP. The proposal includes a another two proposed Saab centres in Montreal. Known separately as the Gripen Centre and the Aerospace Research & Development Centre, they would be co-located in the Greater Montreal Region. “These two centres, managed and staffed by Canadians, will provide prosperity and employment security, with several thousand new Canadian jobs across the Province of Quebec. This proposal will boost employment and generate valuable economic activity, as well as strengthening the aerospace sector,” stated Johansson, in an earlier statement. The Gripen Centre would be the fighter's ITB centerpiece, primarily staffed by the Gripen for Canada Team. Work at the centre will be conducted by Canadians to ensure Gripen meets NORAD and NATO requirements. The Gripen Centre will also act as a hub for supporting and sustaining Gripen, while allowing Canada to manage future upgrades in-country. The Aerospace R&D Centre will act as a focal point over decades for developing a rich ecosystem for research and innovation, representing a key component of Saab's long-term vision in Canada. The Aerospace R&D Centre will develop, test and produce next generation aerospace systems and components to complement the existing Canadian aerospace industry, which may include unmanned aerial systems, artificial intelligence and environmentally progressive aviation technologies. The Gripen for Canada Team was announced in March 2020 and consists of IMP Aerospace and Defence, CAE, Peraton and GE. https://www.wingsmagazine.com/saab-expanding-its-facilities-in-canada/