General Atomics to provide MQ-9B uncrewed aircraft to Canada for polar reconnaissance and maritime patrol

WRIGHT-PATTERSON AFB, Ohio – Royal Canadian Air Force needed long-duration uncrewed aircraft for polar and maritime reconnaissance missions. They found a solution from General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc. in Poway, Calif.

Officials of the U.S. Air Force Life cycle Management Center at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, announced a $108 million foreign military sales contract to General Atomics in late December for Canada MQ-9B SkyGuardian remotely piloted aircraft.

MQ-9B SkyGuardian

MQ-9B, which is based on the General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) delivers long endurance and range, with automatic takeoff and landing under satellite communications (SATCOM)-only control.

The uncrewed aircraft will be able to operate in open airspace using the General Atomics-developed Detect and Avoid system. In addition to Canada, other operators of the MQ-9B are the United Kingdom, Belgium and the U.S., and Japan.

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The first deliveries of MQ-9B UAVs to Canada are expected in 2028, and the fleet of MA-9Bs will be operational with Canadian military forces in 2033. Canada will purchase a fleet of MQ-9B SkyGuardian UAVs and ground-control stations.

The MQ-9B will be able to fly as long as 40 hours in all weather conditions, it has the Lynx multi-mode radar and an infrared imaging sensor. It can carry payloads that weight a total of a payload capacity of 4,751 pounds distributed across nine hard points, and will be able to carry 250- and 500-pound bombs.

Long-range reconnaissance

The MQ-9B can be configured for missions like long-range reconnaissance, anti-submarine and anti-ship warfare, electronic warfare (EW), and mine countermeasures. The UAV has a 79-foot wingspan.

These UAVs will operate in polar and maritime regions, perform border surveillance, monitoring large-scale events, supporting disaster response, reconnaissance missions, and precision strikes. Adapted for Arctic conditions, the drones will be based at 14 Wing Greenwood in Nova Scotia and 19 Wing Comox in British Columbia, with operational control centralized at a military facility in Ottawa.

For more information contact General Atomics Aeronautical Systems online at www.ga-asi.com, the Royal Canadian Air Force at www.canada.ca/en/air-force.html, or the U.S. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center at www.aflcmc.af.mil.