Canadian military drones enter production, though Arctic modifications will be required

One of Canada's first MQ-9B drones under construction at the General Atomics assembly plant in San Diego, Calif. (Assistant deputy minister of materiel, Department of National Defence)

Canada's first combat drones have now entered production, though the remotely piloted aircraft will require years of testing and significant modifications before the first units are delivered in 2028.

The federal government announced last December it would acquire 11 of the MQ-9B drones from manufacturer General Atomics at a cost of $2.49 billion.

The first two Canadian drones are currently on the company's production line in San Diego, Calif., and will be used as test vehicles starting in 2026, National Defence spokesperson Andrée-Anne Poulin confirmed in an email to CTV News.

Those tests will be critical to proving the MQ-9B's suitability for northern environments, as the drones will be deployed as needed from forward operating locations in and around the Arctic, where the harsh climate and lack of technical infrastructure will present unique challenges for the aircraft and its operators.

"The need to operate at high northern latitudes, including in the Arctic, requires the use of satellites and aircraft antennas, and communication components not previously integrated on the MQ-9B," Poulin said, describing the modifications needed to address the difficult conditions.

"The Canadian RPAS (remotely piloted aircraft system) will require significant development work to address Royal Canadian Air Force requirements which differ from Allies' requirements," she added.

Arctic operations

The drone fleet is not expected to reach full operating capacity until 2033, with eight of the aircraft based at 14 Wing Greenwood, N.S., and the remaining three based at 19 Wing Comox, B.C.

Arctic operations will be staged from existing forward operating locations located in Yellowknife, Inuvik, Iqaluit and Goose Bay, N.L., where Canada's $39-billion NORAD modernization program promises to construct new and upgraded hangar facilities over the coming decade, Poulin said.

In the meantime, construction work is set to begin on the B.C. and Nova Scotia drone bases, as well as a new ground control centre in Ottawa, where all of the drone pilots will be stationed.

Drone base construction

Pomerleau was awarded a $4.65-million contract to design the Greenwood site in February 2023, with construction forecast to begin next year. The military expects the base to house four drones for operations and four others in storage, with a total base development cost in the vicinity of $100 million.

Maple Reinders Constructors won the design-build contract for the Comox site this past November, where the remaining three MQ-9Bs are expected to be fully assembled and ready for missions.

The Comox facility, with a projected cost of $53 million, will house 25 personnel inside a 5,700-square-metre space with an additional 11,000 square metres of outdoor apron and parking.

Related: Canadian military expects to secure contract for B.C. drone base by end of 2024 

The Ottawa drone headquarters, where 198 personnel, six drone cockpits and two simulators will be located, is currently nearing the end of the planning phase after the design-build contract went to Bird Construction in May 2023.

Poulin said some preliminary construction work has begun on the Ottawa site, with construction of the main facility to begin next year.

All the infrastructure to support the drone program is expected to be complete by 2028.

Last year, the U.S. State Department approved the sale of munitions to outfit the Canadian drones, including Hellfire air-to-ground missiles and Mk82 500-pound bombs.

The drones are expected to be deployed on Canadian Armed Forces operations abroad, while also serving a domestic role monitoring coastlines and providing civilian aid in wildfire and flood situations, according to National Defence.