MDA to deliver MMUAS to Canadian navy
MDA has signed a contract with Canada’s Department of National Defence (DND) to provide maritime miniature UAS (MMUAS) to the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN), the company announced on 13 February.
The contract, valued at approximately $6.35 million, also includes services to support training, resource and equipment development activities; and development and validation of naval tactics and new capability development.
MDA’s MMUAS solution is based on Aerovironment's Puma All Environment (AE) UAS. The UAS will extend the reach of the host vessel's communication and ISR sensor capabilities during maritime security operations. Puma has the ability to carry additional payloads as required for specific missions and can land on both water and land.
The MMUAS is the first UAS project that will see the RCN operate and maintain its own capability and provide a sustainable shipborne, near real-time, beyond visual line-of-sight ISR capability. The systems are expected to enter into service in the summer of 2018 onboard Kingston-class ships.
The Puma AE is operated from the same control station as the Raven UAS which has been provided by MDA to the Canadian Army since 2013. MDA’s Canadian-based UAS services group has been providing UAS systems and services to Canada’s DND since 2009.
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