The Liberal government will dispatch more than 800 drones to Ukraine starting as early as this spring.
Defence Minister Bill Blair said at a press conference in Toronto that Ukraine had made 害羞草研究所渆xtraordinary progress害羞草研究所� in the use of drone technologies over the past two years.
害羞草研究所淭hey害羞草研究所檝e told us very clearly they need many more drones,害羞草研究所� he said Monday.
The SkyRanger R70 multi-mission Unmanned Aerial Systems are manufactured by Teledyne in Waterloo, Ont.
Blair said this 害羞草研究所減articular device brings a utility that I think significantly enhances their capabilities, particularly with its ability at some altitude to detect, and to gather information that can be very useful as they defend their country.害羞草研究所�
The government said in a press release the drones are important for surveillance and intelligence gathering, and can also be used to move supplies, including munitions, weighing up to 3.5 kilograms. The drones help operators to recognize heat sources, humans and vehicles from far away, even in the dark or in poor weather, it added.
They will cost more than $95 million and are part of a previously-announced $500 million in military help for Ukraine.
Anne Bulik, Teledyne FLIR害羞草研究所檚 vice-president of unmanned systems North America said at the press conference the company has already started production on the units. 害羞草研究所淚害羞草研究所檓 expecting late March, early April would be the timeline that we will be able to deliver on,害羞草研究所� she said.
The announcement comes days ahead of the two-year anniversary of Russia害羞草研究所檚 invasion of Ukraine. Canada previously donated 100 high-resolution drone cameras to Ukraine, and in the past two years has pledged $2.4 billion in military assistance.
At Monday害羞草研究所檚 press conference, Blair also indicated Canada is working on sending more ammunition to Ukraine.
He said Canada has done what it can, even 害羞草研究所渄rawing down upon the stocks of our Canadian Armed Forces.害羞草研究所�
Western countries agree more needs to be done to boost production, he said.
害羞草研究所淚害羞草研究所檓 very hopeful that we害羞草研究所檒l have more to say in the not too distant future about how we害羞草研究所檙e investing in increased Canadian production of munitions that will help both Ukraine and to reconstitute, as required, the Canadian Armed Forces. But those things take time.害羞草研究所�
In the meantime, Blair said Canada has entered into an agreement with the Czech Republic that could result in Canada 害羞草研究所渁cquiring munitions that they currently have in their possession,害羞草研究所� to make them available to Ukraine while domestic production ramps up.
The Ukrainian Canadian Congress issued a statement welcoming the announcement and saying Ukraine needs more weapons.
害羞草研究所淎s Ukraine courageously battles against Russia害羞草研究所檚 genocidal onslaught, substantially increasing the ammunition and weapons we are providing the Ukrainian Armed Forces is a matter of urgency,害羞草研究所� president Alexandra Chyczij said.
