LEONARDO TO EQUIP CANADIAN ARMED FORCES WITH COUNTER-DRONE TECHNOLOGY

Leonardo has been awarded a contract by Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) to provide its Falcon Shield C-UAS system for operation by the Canadian Armed Forces. The company will provide a number of systems and a 10-year sustainment package that includes options for additional equipment and the spiral development of new capabilities. The first systems will be delivered later this year with the Canadian Armed Forces that will immediately deploy Falcon Shield to forward operating bases to protect deployed personnel.

Falcon Shield is the UK’s operationally-proven solution to the growing threat from group 1 to 3 (smaller, slower and lower flying) UAS, which are usually undetectable by conventional air surveillance equipment. Using a mix of advanced sensors from Leonardo and industry partners, the system rapidly detects, tracks and prioritises threats and gives operators the means to neutralise them effectively.

Produced at Basildon and Southampton sites, Falcon Shield is in service with the UK’s Armed Forces, is trusted by close allies on operations and is readily available for export customers worldwide. Leonardo continues to update Falcon Shield to ensure it remains cutting-edge in a rapidly evolving security landscape.

Leonardo has also been working with the United States Armed Forces as part of the ongoing collaboration between the UK and US on counter-drone research and development. Under this partnership, the company has integrated the US Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL)’s NINJA technology into the RAF ORCUS system and demonstrated its ability to detect dozens of small drone platforms in the airspace around airbases and then mitigate them.

Leonardo will be operating Falcon Shield at Canada’s ‘Counter Uncrewed Aerial Systems Sandbox 2024’ exercise, being held in Suffield, Alberta this June, where it will counter drones flown by the Canadian Armed Forces’ ‘red team’ operators.