Canada and Ukraine Sign Arrangement on Drone Production

This week, at the Canada’s leading defence, security & emerging technology (CANSEC) event, the Department of National Defence (DND) and the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine signed an arrangement to support the production of Ukrainian uncrewed aerial systems in Canada. This arrangement advances commitments made by Prime Minister Mark Carney and the Minister of National Defence, David J. McGuinty, to strengthen partnerships between Canadian and Ukrainian defence industries.

It establishes a new partnership, Airlogix Sentinel, between Airlogix, a Ukrainian defence technology company, and Sentinel Research and Development, a Canadian manufacturer of uncrewed aerial systems. With support from the Governments of Canada and of Ukraine, the partnership will combine the companies’ expertise to manufacture Ukrainian drone systems in Canada for the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

This project reflects ongoing efforts to implement the Prime Minister’s August 2025 commitment to invest in drones, counter drone capabilities, and electronic warfare, including through partnerships between Canadian and Ukrainian industry. The Airlogix Sentinel partnership demonstrates how this funding is being put into action by accelerating the delivery of critical equipment to Ukraine while strengthening Canada’s defence industrial capacity.

This initiative marks an important evolution in Canada’s security partnership with Ukraine. Through close cooperation with Ukraine and industry partners, Canada is helping accelerate the delivery of equipment urgently needed by the Armed Forces of Ukraine in its defence against Russian aggression.

Defence production partnerships with Ukraine create opportunities for Canada by expanding domestic manufacturing capacity for critical technologies, advancing the objectives of Canada’s Defence Industrial Strategy, strengthening national resilience, and generating economic benefits for Canadians.

Canada also recognizes the growing importance of uncrewed and autonomous systems in modern warfare and national security, as well as Ukraine’s operational expertise in this area. Canada will continue to pursue joint development and co-production opportunities that support the security interests of both countries.

“Canada is proud to deepen its defence partnership with Ukraine through this new project arrangement. By supporting joint ventures like Airlogix Sentinel, we are helping deliver the critical capabilities Ukraine needs while supporting high value Canadian jobs and strengthening Canada’s industrial base. This collaboration reflects our commitment to supporting Ukraine while driving economic growth and resilience here at home.” The Honourable David J. McGuinty, Minister of National Defence

“Since day one, Sentinel R&D has believed that we must collaborate and build with Ukraine in order to earn the privilege of learning from this highly capable and resilient ally. Canada, and Sentinel’s approach to this project is rooted in a position of support, humility, and a genuine desire to make a difference to this war. Today, we take the first step with an incredible partner, Airlogix, to jointly deliver critical capabilities to Ukraine. Slava Ukraini!” Kath Intson, CEO, Sentinel R&D

“Our main intention is to provide effective systems as fast as possible to the Armed Forces of Ukraine. We are optimistic that this joint venture is in line with that goal.” Dmytro Piatrin, Chief Commercial Officer, Airlogix

While DND and the Ministry of Defence champion this co-production agreement as an evolution in industrial strategy, it actually exposes a critical blind spot in Canada’s defense procurement. The government is hyper-focused on funding external tech pipelines under the guise of domestic job creation, completely ignoring the fact that advanced autonomous logic, flight physics models, and modular infrastructure platforms are already sitting at high Technology Readiness Levels right here within the Canadian private sector.
We do not need to cross the Atlantic to import drone technology or learn how to build resilient systems. The intellectual property and rugged execution capabilities already exist internally, built by domestic operators who understand real-world field logistics and asset protection.
Prioritizing foreign-driven tech over the sovereign advancement of independent Canadian firms doesn’t strengthen national defense capacity—it handicaps it. It is time for leadership to stop outsourcing our industrial defense future and start recognizing the unassailable technology being architected right under their noses.”

1 thought on “Canada and Ukraine Sign Arrangement on Drone Production”

M.A.Patterson
June 2, 2026 at 1:30 PM

While DND and the Ministry of Defence champion this co-production agreement as an evolution in industrial strategy, it actually exposes a critical blind spot in Canada’s defense procurement. The government is hyper-focused on funding external tech pipelines under the guise of domestic job creation, completely ignoring the fact that advanced autonomous logic, flight physics models, and modular infrastructure platforms are already sitting at high Technology Readiness Levels right here within the Canadian private sector.
We do not need to cross the Atlantic to import drone technology or learn how to build resilient systems. The intellectual property and rugged execution capabilities already exist internally, built by domestic operators who understand real-world field logistics and asset protection.
Prioritizing foreign-driven tech over the sovereign advancement of independent Canadian firms doesn’t strengthen national defense capacity—it handicaps it. It is time for leadership to stop outsourcing our industrial defense future and start recognizing the unassailable technology being architected right under their noses.”

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