Counter-drone technologies put to the test at CFB Suffield

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The challenge reflects growing concern within Canada’s defence and security community about the availability and capabilities of small drones, which are becoming more affordable, autonomous and difficult to detect.

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Officials are looking for technologies that can be incorporated into broader military command-and-control systems and used in a variety of environments, including military bases, mobile vehicle operations, urban areas, naval vessels and along borders.

The technologies being tested include radar, radio-frequency and acoustic sensors, artificial intelligence, electro-optical systems, electronic warfare, lasers and interceptor drones.

Participating companies include Canadian firms such as AIM Defence, Aurora Airspace, Colt Canada, Cross-North Dynamics, EchoCoreAI, North Vector Dynamics, Rival Lab, SkyFuse, StrobelTEK and TensorOne, along with companies from the United States, United Kingdom, Switzerland, Finland and Australia.

The sandbox builds on a similar 2024 program and is intended to identify promising technologies that could fill gaps in Canada’s counter-uncrewed-aircraft capabilities.

The Department of National Defence said the military is also working toward establishing a strategic Joint Counter Uncrewed Aerial Systems Office to coordinate efforts among the Canadian Army, Royal Canadian Navy, Royal Canadian Air Force and Canadian Special Operations Forces Command, as well as allies and other government partners.

The program is offering $1.75 million in monetary prizes for promising technologies.

The event comes as small drones continue to emerge as a concern for militaries and security agencies, both as potential threats and as tools that can provide surveillance and other capabilities on the battlefield.

The goal of the Suffield testing is to determine which emerging technologies can keep pace with that changing threat while working as part of a broader, layered defence system.