(OTTAWA) The federal government has officially launched a competition to purchase armed drones after nearly two decades of delays and discussions about whether Canada should acquire these controversial weapons.
Posted at 5:43 p.m.
A formal request for proposals was made on Friday from the two companies shortlisted to bid on the $5 billion contract, which could see the Canadian Armed Forces launch a fleet of unmanned aerial vehicles over the next few years.
A formal contract isn’t expected for another year or two, while delivery of the first drone isn’t expected until at least 2025, with the last expected to arrive in the early 2030s.
The request does not specify how many aircraft the government plans to buy and instead leaves it to the two companies to say how their offers will meet the military’s needs while benefiting the Canadian economy.
The document reveals that the drones will be established at the 14and Greenwood Wing in Nova Scotia and 19and Wing Comox in British Columbia, while the main control center will be in the Ottawa area. Yellowknife is also identified as a forward operating location.
The drone team will include approximately 240 members of the Royal Canadian Air Force, including 55 in Greenwood, 25 in Comox and 160 in Ottawa.
Although delivery is not expected for years, the fact that the military has reached this milestone represents a major step forward after nearly 20 years of working to identify and procure a fleet of unmanned aerial vehicles to perform surveillance of Canadian territory. and supporting overseas missions.
Aside from purchasing a small number of temporary unarmed drones for the war in Afghanistan — all of which have since been retired — the military has never been able to make much headway on a permanent fleet.
And this despite the fact that drones are playing an increasingly important role in armies around the world. A report published in the Royal Canadian Air Force Journal at the end of 2015 indicated that 76 foreign armies were using drones and another 50 were developing them.
One major reason: no federal government had allowed the addition of drones as permanent equipment within the military in the same way as fighter jet or helicopter squadrons until the Liberal government included them in its 2017 defense policy.
Concerns about their use
The government and military say the unmanned aircraft will be used for surveillance and intelligence gathering as well as to carry out spot airstrikes on enemy forces in locations where the use of force has been approved.
Some have already criticized the decision to purchase the armed drones over concerns about their potential use in Canada and several reports of airstrikes by other countries, particularly the United States and Russia, causing unintended damage. and civilian casualties.
The government has also said little about the scenarios in which force could be used, including whether drones could be deployed for assassinations. Officials suggested they would be used in the same way as conventional weapons such as fighter jets and artillery.
“While the (drones) will be a medium-altitude, long-endurance system with precision strike capability, they will only be armed when necessary for the assigned task,” the Defense Ministry said on Friday.
“At all times, the employment of the precision strike capability will respect the law of armed conflict, as well as any other applicable national or international law. The use of force will be applied in accordance with the rules of engagement applicable to the Canadian Armed Forces,” the ministry added.