Canada’s Future MQ-9 Drone Fleet to Launch With Limited Capability
Canada’s first MQ-9 unmanned aerial systems are set to enter service in 2028 but will initially operate with limited functions.
Unclassified documents viewed by local news agency Ottawa Citizen show the drones will perform “basic domestic ISR (intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance) tasks only” and will not be armed or able to disrupt communications.
They also will not provide the round-the-clock coverage initially anticipated.
Canada’s Department of National Defence confirmed the shipment of the first of 11 MQ-9s remains on schedule, with full operational capability expected between 2030 and 2033.
Program staffing has grown to over 290 personnel, up from the originally planned 240.
CQ-9B SkyGuardians
The North American government approved the purchase of the MQ-9 remotely piloted aircraft from General Atomics in December 2023.
Upon fielding, the drones will be designated as the CQ-9B SkyGuardians and undertake long-endurance tactical and humanitarian tasks in both overseas and domestic settings.
A separate internal briefing said that future configurations will allow them to carry ordnance, including 250 and 500-pound-class (113 and 227-kilogram) bombs.
Each airframe will measure 38 feet (12 meters) long and will be fitted with a Honeywell turboprop engine for a top speed of 300 miles (483 kilometers) per hour, altitudes up to 43,00 feet (13,106 meters), and a range of 6,000 nautical miles (6,905 miles/11,112 kilometers).
The fleet will operate from Canadian Forces Bases 14 Wing Greenwood in Nova Scotia and 19 Wing Comox in British Columbia, with mission control handled from a new operations center in Ottawa.
