Canada’s military drone capability gap widens while the global security landscape accelerates toward autonomous warfare. The UK partners with academic institutions to train drone warfare specialists, Ukraine demonstrates tactical supremacy daily, yet Canada’s Armed Forces remain decades behind in cultivating specialized human capital for modern conflict. With Canada’s commercial drone market projected to reach $5.06 billion by 2030 and over 147,000 certified pilots as of November 2025, the disconnect between civilian capacity and military readiness represents a strategic vulnerability that procurement alone cannot address.

The UK Model and Canada’s Procurement Without Training

The New Model Institute for Technology and Engineering’s partnership with the British Army delivers a three-year Masters in Engineering in Autonomous Systems starting September 2026. This accelerated program specifically trains drone warfare specialists with emphasis on dual-use applications spanning military and civilian sectors. UK Air Chief Marshal Sir Richard Knighton states this will train the next generation of drone warfare specialists to make the Army more lethal in an increasingly dangerous world.

Canada announced $2.49 billion in December 2023 to acquire 11 MQ-9B Reaper drones with delivery expected by 2028 and full operational capability by 2033. The fleet requires approximately 300 service members including pilots, technicians, and support personnel. Additional investments include $46 million for counter-drone equipment in Latvia and $169 million for Counter Uncrewed Aircraft Systems. Canada’s military drone market is projected to reach $7.47 billion by 2030 at 16% compound annual growth. Yet Canada lacks any equivalent military-academic drone warfare training partnership, and the Department of National Defence has no procurement plans for First Person View drones despite their proven effectiveness in Ukraine.

Transport Canada’s BVLOS Revolution and Untapped Capacity

Transport Canada implemented transformative drone regulations with Phase 1 on April 1, 2025, and full implementation November 4, 2025. The new Level 1 Complex Operations certification enables routine Beyond Visual Line of Sight operations without Special Flight Operations Certificates. Pilots must complete 20 hours of ground school, pass an online exam, and successfully complete a flight review. Operations must remain in uncontrolled airspace below 122 meters over sparsely populated areas or at least one kilometer from populated areas.

These regulatory advances create opportunities for specialized BVLOS curricula, yet focus remains exclusively civilian with no structured pathway connecting Transport Canada-certified pilots to military drone operations. Canada’s 147,000 certified drone pilots, 115,000 registered drones, and expanding BVLOS framework represent untapped human capital that proper training bridges could convert into military advantage. The overall Canadian drone market is expected to reach $22.84 billion by 2033 at 14.67% compound annual growth rate.

Ukraine’s Innovation Versus Canadian Technological Conservatism

The Ukraine conflict demonstrates tactical drone innovation outpacing traditional military procurement. Ukrainian forces use decentralized production in small workshops to manufacture thousands of First Person View drones monthly at hundreds rather than millions of dollars per unit. These platforms prove devastatingly effective against armored vehicles and air defense systems. Ukraine employs drone swarms, thermobaric warheads, and decoy operations representing fundamental shifts in combined arms warfare.

Canada’s response focuses on traditional high-end platforms while conducting no experiments with small drones or quadcopters dropping munitions. The Canadian military has no procurement plans for FPV drones and conducts no drone swarm development while Sweden announced operational swarm capabilities in January 2025. Tom Barton of Janes Defence notes that well-equipped drone forces with skilled operators make even strongest opponents hesitate to launch armored attacks. For Canada with vast borders to defend, drones represent potentially transformative defensive capability that requires training infrastructure emphasizing tactical innovation rather than traditional aviation paradigms.

Building Canada’s Training Capacity

Canada requires immediate investment in military-academic partnerships similar to the UK model. Universities in collaboration with the Department of National Defence should develop accelerated programs in autonomous systems emphasizing tactical innovation including FPV operations, swarm coordination, counter-drone systems, and decentralized manufacturing approaches proven in Ukraine. Transport Canada’s expanded BVLOS framework creates opportunities to augment Level 1 Complex certification with military-focused modules covering threat assessment, electronic warfare, and tactical employment.

The Canadian military must embrace tactical experimentation through Defense Research and Development Canada partnerships with commercial operators testing swarm operations, FPV systems, and autonomous coordination. These experiments require minimal capital investment compared to traditional procurement but yield insights critical for future conflict. Canada’s Indigenous partnerships and vast northern territories offer unique opportunities for drone warfare training where remote community infrastructure, pipeline monitoring, and Arctic operations provide realistic BVLOS training environments serving dual-use civilian applications.

Canada’s substantial procurement investments in platforms including the MQ-9 Reaper fleet will fail to deliver strategic value without corresponding training infrastructure investment. The country’s 147,000 certified civilian drone pilots, expanding BVLOS regulatory framework, and projected $22.84 billion drone market by 2033 represent untapped capacity that proper training programs could convert into military advantage. As the UK demonstrates, developing skills in autonomous technologies proves critical to defence in an increasingly dangerous world. Canada’s failure to invest equivalently while peer nations accelerate represents a strategic vulnerability that procurement alone cannot address.

References

1. Government of Canada. (2024, February 15). Canada acquiring air defence and anti-drone capabilities for Canadian Armed Forces members deployed with NATO in Latvia. Retrieved from https://www.canada.ca/en/department-national-defence/news/2024/02/canada-acquiring-air-defence-and-anti-drone-capabilities-for-canadian-armed-forces-members-deployed-with-nato-in-latvia.html
2. Dyer, E. (2025, August 6). The Canadian drone industry is spinning up — with lessons from Ukraine. CBC News. Retrieved from https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/canadian-forces-drone-warfare-1.7600299
3. Government of Canada. (2023, December 19). Canada acquiring Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems for the Canadian Armed Forces. Retrieved from https://www.canada.ca/en/department-national-defence/news/2023/12/canada-acquiring-remotely-piloted-aircraft-systems-for-the-canadian-armed-forces.html
4. Pugliese, D. (2025, January 21). Canadian Forces being left behind as it dithers on new technology. Esprit de Corps. Retrieved from https://www.espritdecorps.ca/feature/canadian-forces-being-left-behind-as-it-dithers-on-new-technology