Canada's Drone Capability Gap

This episode of the CDA Institute’s Expert Series brings together perspectives from academia, the Canadian Armed Forces, and industry to examine how drones and uncrewed systems are reshaping modern warfare and Canada’s defence posture.

Dr. Alexander Salt (Canadian Global Affairs Institute), Lieutenant Colonel Cory Durant (DLR 2, Director of Land Requirements, Canadian Armed Forces) Katheron Intson (CEO, Sentinel R&D), and Bibi Imre (Lund University, and Centre for International and Defence Studies) discuss Canada’s current and emerging drone and uncrewed systems landscape, focusing first on the country’s limited operational capabilities, which are largely restricted to small tactical UAVs like Raven B and Blackjack and select naval uncrewed platforms.

They then examine how the war in Ukraine has reshaped thinking on modern warfare by highlighting the need for mass-produced drones, rapid adaptation to electronic warfare, and tighter integration between frontline feedback and industry development cycles. They also discuss the industrial and technical requirements for future capability, including scalable domestic production, resilient supply chains, and the integration of AI, cloud computing, and advanced data systems to manage large volumes of battlefield information, and the tension between technological acceleration and Canada’s institutional, ethical, and procurement constraints.

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