The Royal Canadian Air Force will be getting new unmanned aircraft soon, according to the Department of National Defence.
During a news conference at CFB Comox, Marie-France Lalonde, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of National Defence says Canada will be getting a fleet of 11 MQ-9B remotely piloted aircraft.
The fleet will be purchased from General Atomics, a U.S-based company.
Lalonde says the total value will be nearly $2.5 billion.
“This will include all our specialized equipment, initial weapons, in-service support, training devices, courses, infrastructure, software, and hardware,” said Lalonde.
“On a variety of missions when time is of the essence, this new aircraft can fly with real-time information and rapid response options.”
She says that the aircraft will be the size of a fighter jet, with a wider wingspan, with hopes of having it certified to the same standard as a piloted aircraft.
Along with being able to carry out missions over much longer distances, it will also be used to protect Canadian and allied troops, with the fleet to be stationed at 19 Wing in Comox and 14 Wing Greenwood in Nova Scotia.
Lalonde adds they are anticipating up to 700 jobs while working on the project, with 25 personnel to be added to 19 Wing.
The first aircrafts are expected to arrive in 2028, and for the full fleet to be online by 2033.
–Files by Hussam Elghussein, My Comox Valley Now
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