MDA's surveillance service operation begins in Afghanistan
MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates has announced that MDA has conducted its first Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) flight in Afghanistan on January 1, 2009. Flight operations are now underway from the Kandahar Airfield for the Canadian Department of National Defence (DND).
The service will support Canadian troops by providing critically important intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance information directly to commanders and front line soldiers in real time.
In August, DND awarded the contract to MDA for a long endurance UAV surveillance solution to support the Canadian Forces in Afghanistan. Only five months later, this service is operational in Kandahar, Afghanistan and fulfills a recommendation made by the Independent Panel on Canada’s Future Role in Afghanistan led by the Honourable John Manley.
David Hargreaves, a vice president within MDA’s Information Systems group, said: "This key milestone demonstrates MDA's ability to rapidly bring very sophisticated, cost effective surveillance services that will improve safety for Canada and NATO and significantly improve operational results."
More from Uncrewed Vehicles
-
Reamda upgrades Grasshopper UGV observation mast
Reamda, an Irish engineering company with a focus on UGVs and defence applications, delivered its Riddler platformed to the Irish Defence Forces last year.
-
Roke unveils new CUAS solution
The Roke Agile CUAS has been designed to provide protection for military and civilian situations, as well as to handle swarms of UAS by using a range of sensors.
-
Russia reaches new monthly record for Lancet use in Ukraine
The aggressor’s armed forces have adapted Lancet to Ukrainian conditions via iterative developments accompanied by a significant expansion in production capacity
-
India’s pursuit of UAVs fuels domestic innovation and industrial growth
In response to escalating border tensions and the need for enhanced surveillance capabilities, the Indian Army is ramping up its drone acquisitions, reflecting the growing importance of unmanned systems in modern defence strategies.
-
Australia to adopt new predatory OWL species
The Australian Defence Force will introduce the One-Way Loitering (OWL) platform by Innovaero, the country’s first long-range loitering munition, to enhance strike capabilities and understanding of loitering munitions.
-
Dedrone’s latest uncrewed solutions offers “complete CUAS DTI-M kill chain”
DedroneOnTheMove, which integrates advanced sensor-fusion and mitigation technologies, was showcased at Eurosatory 2024 and has been designed for deployment to enhance airspace security in high-risk environments.