Canada’s first combat drones have now entered production, though the remotely piloted aircraft will require years of testing and significant modifications before the first units are delivered in 2028.
The federal government announced last December it would acquire 11 of the MQ-9B drones from manufacturer General Atomics at a cost of $2.49 billion.
The first two Canadian drones are currently on the company’s production line in San Diego, Calif., and will be used as test vehicles starting in 2026, National Defence spokesperson Andrée-Anne Poulin confirmed in an email to CTV News.
Those tests will be critical to proving the MQ-9B’s suitability for northern environments, as the drones will be deployed as needed from forward operating locations in and around the Arctic, where the harsh climate and lack of technical infrastructure will present unique challenges for the aircraft and its operators.
“The need to operate at high northern latitudes, including in the Arctic, requires the use of …