Canadian export freeze on Turkey extends to UAV engines
Canadian company bans sales of UAV engines manufactured in Austria
Canada-based Bombardier Recreational Products (BRP) is suspending exports to Turkey of engines produced by its Austrian subsidiary Rotax.
The engines are being used on Bayraktar TB2 UCAVs, but BRP insists that they are certified for commercial use only. However, EU dual-use export rules do not list this type of engine as requiring an approval permit – so Austrian legislation does not prohibit sales to Turkey for installation on UCAVs.
‘We have recently been made aware that some Rotax engines are currently used in military UAVs, and have started a thorough investigation immediately,’ Martin Langelier, BPR’s senior vice president and the company’s spokesperson, told state-owned Radio Canada International on 25 October.
‘In the meantime, we are suspending delivery of aircraft engines in countries with unclear usage.’
Bayraktar TB2s are being used extensively by Azerbaijan in its ongoing conflict with Armenia over Nagorno-Karabakh. The UCAVs contain Canadian components; on 5 October, the Canadian government announced it was freezing defence equipment exports to Turkey.
As part of our promise to deliver comprehensive coverage to our Defence Insight and Premium News subscribers, our curated defence news content provides the latest industry updates, contract awards and programme milestones.
Related Equipment in Defence Insight
More from Defence Notes
-
![Ukraine turns legacy Kongsberg land turrets into semi-autonomous USV weapons]()
Ukraine turns legacy Kongsberg land turrets into semi-autonomous USV weapons
The company told Shephard that Ukraine is operating modified Protector weapon stations originally supplied for armoured vehicles, with human operators authorising engagements from hundreds of kilometres away.
-
![UK urged to prioritise sea, air and space over heavy armour]()
UK urged to prioritise sea, air and space over heavy armour
A report from the Council on Geostrategy argues the UK should move away from a traditional balanced force and shift investment to naval, air and space capabilities, backed by a larger fleet of attack submarines and deeper AUKUS integration.
-
![Thales: deployment speed to determine winners in ‘production versus production’ era]()
Thales: deployment speed to determine winners in ‘production versus production’ era
At its technology summit in London, attended by Shephard, Thales UK examined the importance of speed to delivery, the growing focus on cross-domain capabilities and how procurement reform could be crucial for future battlefield advantage.
-
![Orchestrating operational readiness across every defence domain]()
Orchestrating operational readiness across every defence domain
Are all systems ready for the next mission? Have upgrades been applied? Are all assets aligned to deploy together, on time and fully prepared? In modern defence operations, readiness is no longer measured platform by platform. It is measured by how well people, assets, data and decisions move together — across land, sea and air.
