CQ-9B:Canada’s Journey Towards a Mixed Crewed/Uncrewed Fleet Begins

BY GABIREL OAKLEY

Canada’s defence future is taking flight with Team SkyGuardian Canada leading the charge. The MQ-9B SkyGuardian program represents a bold step toward a future where the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) fields and employs uncrewed systems that both directly deliver critical defence missions and enhance and extend the reach of its traditional crewed systems.

Team SkyGuardian Canada — a collaboration between General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) and Canadian industry leaders — is slated to produce 11 remotely piloted aircraft systems (RPAS) and six ground control systems.

Focused on delivering surveillance, strike, and reconnaissance capabilities, the newly designated CQ-9B RPAS is poised to play a critical role in defending the homeland and North America, advancing Canada’s global interests, and defending the Arctic.

With the first batch of CQ-9B Guardian aircraft in production, GA-ASI leaders told CDR that Team SkyGuardian Canada is delivering a solution that is as strategic as it is transformative. “The effort to field Canada’s fleet of Guardian systems has grown beyond just an acquisitions program. It has become a model for security cooperation that both deepens ties and enhances Canada’s national and economic security,” said David Alexander, President of GA-ASI. 

“The CQ-9B Guardian program is a perfect example of how collaboration can deliver more than just advanced technology — it builds stronger partnerships and drives economic growth,” Alexander said.

“By working hand-in-hand with Canada’s defence industry and military, we’re not only delivering core operational capabilities but also creating opportunities that will benefit Canadians for generations to come.”

BUILDING SOVEREIGNTY
THROUGH COLLABORATION

Team SkyGuardian Canada is a testament to the power of collaboration. At the heart of this effort are partnerships with leading Canadian companies like CAE, MDA Space, and L3Harris WESCAM.

These partnerships are not just delivering technology — they’re strengthening Canada’s defence industrial base, said Michel Lalumiere, GA-ASI’s international strategic development director for Canada.

Canadian companies are involved in nearly every aspect of the CQ-9B program. CAE will deliver aircrew, mission, and maintainer training, in addition to being a provider of broader In-Service Support (ISS) capabilities. MDA Space is building the Canadian Ground Control Stations and crew stations that will deliver seamless operations from coast-to-coast. And L3Harris WESCAM is delivering advanced sensors integrated into the aircraft itself.

By partnering with Canadian companies, Team SkyGuardian Canada is fostering innovation, creating jobs, and ensuring that Canada maintains sovereignty over its defence capabilities.

“We’re leveraging Canada’s expertise in areas like training, sensors, and ground control systems to deliver a solution that meets Canadian requirements and assures interoperability with allied forces,” Lalumiere told CDR.

PREPARING & TRAINING
CANADIAN CREWS

GA-ASI’s MQ-9B SkyGuardian is a technological game changer, but its success is directly linked to the people who operate and maintain it. That is why Team SkyGuardian Canada is investing heavily in training, ensuring that RCAF crews are ready to maximize the aircraft’s capabilities.

Leading this effort is Daniel Fritz, Senior Director for Canada programs on GA-ASI’s CQ-9B Canada team. Fritz said the development of Team SkyGuardian’s training pipeline is well underway and is on track to begin producing qualified crews in 2027.

“The training program leverages a ‘train-the-trainers’ model, with Team SkyGuardian instructors and RCAF technicians and aircrew receiving instruction before transitioning fully to the Canadian training facility,” he said.

Once in Canada, classes will be led by CAE instructors at the Operational Training Unit in Ottawa and other installations across the country. Fritz estimates that the program will train approximately 14 crews and 12 technicians per year, with additional maintenance managers also receiving instruction.

“The work we’re doing with CAE on our MQ-9B product line is beyond anything we’ve done before,” said Fritz. “This partnership is not just meeting Canada’s needs — it’s setting a global benchmark for the future of RPAS crew training.”

As the program has coalesced, it’s becoming clear that “the impact of the new SkyGuardian training suite is poised to expand business opportunities for GA-ASI and its Canadian industry partners among other partner nations who operate the aircraft,” Fritz told CDR.

For example, CAE’s training analysis work will turbocharge the work of refining learning and training tactics to make all SkyGuardian operators proficient faster, not just Canadian operators.

“As we’re looking to the future, the potential is there for us to be able to standardize our offerings across the fleet,” Fritz continued. “The detailed analysis we’re doing is helping inform our training in such a way as will not just meet Canada’s needs but would likely meet the requirements for all future customers.”

LOOKING TO THE FUTURE

By acquiring MQ-9B SkyGuardian, Canada is investing in a platform that can evolve to meet the nation’s security needs.

GA-ASI has a track record of continuous innovation. The company’s recent announcement to develop an Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) package for SkyGuardian in partnership with Saab should grab the attention of Canadian defence leaders, said Lalumiere. As part of Canada’s Defence Policy Update (DPU) released in 2024, DND has allocated $307 million over 20 years for an AEW&C aircraft.

“This is a long-awaited transformative approach to the control mission of the Air Domain,” he said. “That mission has always been particularly challenging in Canada. We’re a big country, and we have to be prepared to counter adversaries with substantial capabilities that can spread airborne early warning assets thin. When you combine that with the persistence required to cover all that territory, you see that this mission requires an uncrewed platform.”

And the capability goes beyond just defending the homeland, Lalumiere said, adding that AEW&C is a critical need when it comes to Canada’s NORAD Mission, Arctic security, and its ability to support European allies facing increasing air threats on their Eastern front.

“When you look at all the factors involved here — the large geographic areas needing coverage; the rise of new air threats such as hypersonic missiles and drone swarms on top of traditional fighters, bombers, and missiles; and the cost of crewing and maintaining traditional manned platforms — it really adds up to exactly the path Canada has chosen,” Lalumiere said.

“Mixed fleets of crewed and uncrewed systems to meet today’s challenging operational requirements, from a resource-effectiveness and warfighting standpoint, just makes sense. So, as Canada looks to fill its AEW&C requirements, GA-ASI believes we’re offering the solution that best complements Canada’s existing investment in CQ-9B.”

Another transformative capability is the integration of Air-Launched Effects (ALEs), such as GA-ASI’s Precision Exportable Launched Effect (PELE) system introduced at the Paris Air Show in June and AeroVironment’s Switchblade 600 loitering munition.

ALEs further expand MQ-9B’s operational reach by creating a persistent integrated network for surveillance, attack, and communication pathways. For example, in September the company announced that it successfully deployed the Switchblade 600 from the MQ-9A RPAS, further proving the use case for larger RPAS as motherships to deploy a variety of stand-in effects, whether they be munitions, electronic warfare systems, or additional surveillance payloads for high-risk missions.

Looking further ahead, advancements in Autonomous Collaborative Platforms (ACP), or specifically Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) technologies, are poised to revolutionize Canada’s defence operations.

The U.S. Air Force’s CCA program aims to deliver “affordable mass,” fielding large numbers of AI-enabled uncrewed wingmen that team with F-22, F-35, and future NGAD family aircraft to expand sensing, weapons capacity, and survivability in contested airspace.

And that future is coming faster than some might presume. In August, GA-ASI and the U.S. Air Force announced that they had begun YFQ-42A CCA flight operations, underscoring how quickly this capability is becoming a reality.

The YFQ-42A is a semi-autonomous uncrewed combat jet that delivers affordable mass and powerful capability. 

“As Canada embraces a mixed fleet of traditional crewed and uncrewed systems, this is another area it will almost certainly need to invest in to keep up with the rapid pace of technological advancement,” said Lalumiere.

“The world is changing quickly, and it is imperative for Canada to invest in ways to take the approach of mixed fleets even further,” he said. “The CQ-9B program is a huge first step, but there is more to be done.”

DELIVERING MORE THAN AIRCRAFT

Team SkyGuardian Canada is more than a procurement program — it’s a window to Canada’s future force structure and a partnership that embodies Canada’s defence priorities.

“By delivering the CQ-9B Guardian, investing in future-focused capabilities, and providing advanced training delivery, Team SkyGuardian Canada is strategically positioning the country to be a global leader in uncrewed systems innovation,” Lalumiere concluded.

For Alexander, GA-ASI’s President, Team SkyGuardian represents a life-long commitment to   Canada’s advanced, sustainable, and secure future.

“Team SkyGuardian Canada is delivering more than aircraft — it’s delivering a long-term vision,” Alexander said. “Together, we’re ensuring that the Canadian Armed Forces have the tools, training, and technology to protect Canada’s people and interests, at home and abroad.”

Gabriel Oakley is a Regular CDR Contributor