Heron, Reaper And Hermes Competing In Canada UAS Tender

The Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) Heron unmanned air system (UAS), General Atomics (GA‑ASI) Reaper and Elbit Systems’ Hermes 900 are among three platforms competing for the Canadian tender to supply an advanced system for operation in the Arctic.

Canada looks to expand its Unmanned aircraft system (UAS) roles in the Arctic with the capability of of dropping search-and-rescue sup­plies across the region, and is ready to spend between $1 billion to $1.5 billion for this UAS Vision.

Lieutenant-General Yvan Blondin, head of the Royal Canadian Air Force, explained “I would like to have a UAS that can carry some equipment, whether it is weapons or other equipment, to be able, when it is patrolling the Arctic, to carry a search-and-rescue package that I can drop any time I want or need to,” Blondin said.

Air Force is hoping that the industry will provide solutions to Canada’s project to purchase the UAS.