Droning
I
InnovatIon
32 FEBRUARY/MARCH 2016 www.vanguardcanada.com
How unmanned
combat aerial
vehicles can
augment the
Canadian air force
capability without
breaking the bank
By Chris Black
i
f there is one thing this writer feels quite confident about, it is the fact that drones
will be crucial to the future of Canada's air force. This also doesn't have to be a wall
of expense with more risk than reward.
If our current government plays its cards right, it can replace the RCAF's ageing
CF-188's, create new manufacturing jobs, keep current manufacturing jobs tied to
the F-35 contracts and lay the groundwork to become a top level partner to a few promis-
ing unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV) programs in the process.
the non-F-35 route
A good starting ground could be purchasing the Dassault Rafale from France and accepting
the offer for full point technology sharing and a Falcon assembly line right here in Canada.
Chris Black is a regular contributor to Vanguard. Chris has been an avid
aviation enthusiast his entire life and is a former Air Cadet with 618 Queen
City based at HMCS York. His love for all things aviation coupled with missing
out on becoming a fighter pilot led him to begin writing as a way to share
thoughts and ideas with fellow enthusiasts. His blog, On Final, and its
accompanying Facebook and Twitter accounts can be found here:
onfinalblog.com | facebook.com/onfinalblog | twitter.com/onfinalblog
on
