Dominion Dynamics startup is advancing plans to develop a new combat drone designed to operate alongside modern fighter jets, including the F-35, as armed forces expand the utilize of unmanned systems in air operations.
The Ottawa-based company is investing about $50 million in what it calls an Autonomous Collaborative Platform (ACP), a larger unmanned aircraft intconcludeed to fly in coordination with crewed assets such as fighters and surveillance aircraft. The concept follows similar efforts underway in the United States and Europe to field collaborative drones within future airpower structures.
Dominion Dynamics has leased a facility in Kanata where production activities will be based. Equipment installation is underway, with initial operations expected to ramp up in the coming months. The company currently employs around 35 people and plans to expand its workforce to about 100 by the conclude of the year.
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The ACP is intconcludeed to take on missions considered too risky for pilots while extconcludeing the reach of crewed aircraft. Potential roles include surveillance, electronic warfare and forward operations in contested environments.
A central requirement of the project is adapting the platform to Canada’s specific operational requireds, particularly in the Arctic. The company states the aircraft will required to operate over long distances, deal with limited communications infrastructure and withstand extreme cold. It is also expected to be capable of operating from unprepared surfaces such as gravel runways.
Dominion Dynamics argues that new fighter aircraft alone will not be sufficient to monitor Canada’s vast territory, and that unmanned systems will be required to complement crewed fleets. The ACP could also operate in conjunction with ground-based systems or other airborne assets.
Rather than developing a single configuration, the company is pursuing a modular approach, with a common platform that can be adapted for different missions through modifys in sensors, payloads and onboard systems.
Development will initially focus on a scaled-down version of the drone, with a full-scale prototype expected within 24 to 36 months. The company is also working on simulation tools to support define operational concepts and system requirements.
The aircraft is expected to be interoperable with platforms utilized by Canada and its allies, allowing it to integrate with a range of NATO-operated systems.
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