UCAV in the Maritime Domain

[Kirkhill]

I worked on a RPV program in the 1980's to adjust artillery fire by drone. MY WO had worked on a UAV program in the 1960's. Canada used to be a world leader in this field.....

But horrible things could happen Colin....

 

[CBH99]

I worked on a RPV program in the 1980's to adjust artillery fire by drone. MY WO had worked on a UAV program in the 1960's. Canada used to be a world leader in this field.....

Canada used to be a lot of things it no longer is...

 

[CBH99]

But horrible things could happen Colin....

Such aaaasssss...???

 

[Kirkhill]

Such aaaasssss...???

Apparently Canadian imaginations are vivid. More vivid than mine. They see problems where I see none.

 

[Navy_Pete]

I hadn't thought of that, but you are 1000% right.

It's a lot easier to find someone willing to fly drones against a target than it is to find people willing to blow themselves up.



Maybe this revolution in warfare will see the end of the suicide bomber??

(Which sounds good on the surface, but obviously this will work against us overall)

And for the operators, it's apparently a lot more like a video game, so apparently much easier psychologically generally to pull the trigger to start with.

 

[SeaKingTacco]

There are a few interesting items here.

However, the article and announcement is pretty vague and perhaps misleading. MDA Space is not building UAS they are supplying foreign UAS.

This article offers a better perspective I think.

Canada to acquire six ship-based UAVs for maritime surveillance

Ottawa will acquire up to six yet-unnamed vertical take-off and landing aircraft from Canadian manufacturer MDA Space for use aboard the Royal Canadian Navy's Halifax-class multi-role frigates.

www.flightglobal.com

Basically it seems MDA Space services has received a contract to provide a UAS and a separate contract to provide the support services for that UAS.

Which UAS they will procure in order to meet the contract isn’t clear. It may be a S100 CAMCOPTER or something else like a Puma. An armed S100 variant would be interesting.

The timelines are interesting, IOC by 2028, FOC by 2032. 5 year initial support contract with option to extend to 20 years. My initial thought is that IOC and FOC are not indicating urgency ( obviously production line priority etc might be a large and massive issue). As well the five year CL support contract makes sense while the 20 year option doesn’t. At the five year mark I would assume we should be moving on to the next generation of UAS.

I do like how the S100s being deployed by various Navies are including moving target indicator radar, synthetic aperture radar and Electro optical sensors as well as some EW functions. I think the army needs to expand its vision past just EO.

This contract feels like this made up situation:

Dateline Ottawa, August 1917- The Canadian Government has signed a contract with Sopwith Aviation Company to supply Sopwith Camel aircraft to our fighting forces in France as they battle the Hun. Deliveries will commence in 1920, with an expected full operating capability in 1924. Sopwith has been further contracted to provide a support contract until 1937…

 

[Cloud Cover]

This contract feels like this made up situation:

Dateline Ottawa, August 1917- The Canadian Government has signed a contract with Sopwith Aviation Company to supply Sopwith Camel aircraft to our fighting forces in France as they battle the Hun. Deliveries will commence in 1920, with an expected full operating capability in 1924. Sopwith has been further contracted to provide a support contract until 1937…