Canada and Ukraine were bound together more tightly on Thursday with the signing of a long-term strategic and political partnership that lays the foundation for the construction of millions of drones to defend both countries.
The countries signed a declaration to establish a 100-year partnership that stretches across defence and security, trade and investment, as well as energy and critical minerals. The specific details and implementation of that long-term framework will be laid down in the coming months.
The two nations kickstarted the partnership with a series of contracts involving drone production and defence industry investments.
Prime Minister Mark Carney said the war in Ukraine is at a turning point where some of its uncrewed systems are now reaching hundreds of kilometres inside of Russia.
He also acknowledged the heavy toll Russia’s stepped-up missile and drone campaign is having on Ukraine, especially Kyiv which has been under relentless bombardment.
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Canada ready to support Russia-Ukraine ceasefire where U.S. can play ‘decisive role’: Carney
Speaking alongside Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Thursday, Prime Minister Mark Carney said a cessation of hostilities between Russia and Ukraine offers a possible ‘shorter-term solution’ to global issues around access to energy and agricultural goods.
“Canada will always stand in solidarity with Ukraine,” Carney said alongside Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Calgary.
“Canadians understand in our bones the importance of your struggle. There is no qualification to our commitment. Because your cause — freedom, democracy, sovereignty — is our cause.”
Ripping a page out of Ukraine’s wartime experience, Canada plans to create its own drone marketplace where individual military units can reach out to companies to quickly fulfil their needs.
“This is a key part of our plan to build the industrial capacity to produce millions of drones within the next two years,” Carney said.
At the moment, the Canadian military has only 2,000 drones — of all types — in its inventory.
Canada has awarded contracts worth up to $50 million that will increase the number of drones currently deployed by the Canadian Armed Forces tenfold. This initial wave is intended to procure intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance drones as well as uncrewed ground vehicles (UGVs) and involves six firms in New Brunswick, Quebec, Ontario and Saskatchewan.
The governments also plan to partner Canadian and Ukrainian companies to build drones.
“As a result, Canadian industry will learn from the most battle-tested developers on Earth,” Carney said.
It was revealed on Thursday that General Dynamics Mission Systems-Canada and the Ukrainian company Green Tech Harvest will partner to develop and produce drones and drone-related technologies. That partnership builds on a similar one between Airlogix LLC and Sentinel Research & Development, which was announced in May.
Thirdly, Canada and Ukraine are forging a long-term partnership to jointly produce uncrewed systems, counter-drone technologies, munitions and artificial intelligence technology.
Zelenskyy called it a “very important package” and a decision that could affect the lives of Ukrainians.
“I’m very happy to be here among friends,” the Ukrainian president said prior to the signing of the agreement. “Thank you for your support, supporting Ukraine, Ukrainians, our children, our sovereignty.”
Zelenskyy said Carney has been pushing for the co-production deal to move faster.
“We signed the first step and our teams told us that in 90 days we can have drone deal,” said the Ukrainian president. “Then Mark said, can we have it in nine days? And the teams immediately said, ‘Yes, of course.'”
Zelenskyy also appeared to scoop Carney by revealing Canada was ready to join FREYA, a pan-European anti-ballistic missile defence project initiated and led by the Ukrainian defence company Fire Point. The idea is to produce a cheap alternative to American Patriot missile batteries, which are in short supply.
One of the challenges Canada faces in the race to catch up to Ukraine is the speed at which drone technology evolves. On the battlefield some pieces of uncrewed equipment can be outdated every three to six months. At the front line, the tactics — the way the drones are employed — can change in just four to six weeks as both sides adapt.
That is something the Canadian military has been watching and takes into consideration when deciding how many drones to keep on the shelf.
Carney and Zelenskyy view drones during a visit to the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology in Calgary. (Ahmed Zakot/Pool/Reuters)
“That doesn’t mean that we need to necessarily stockpile millions of drones on our shelves because what is recognized by all players in this space is that the technology rapidly evolves,” said Lt.-Gen. Darcy Molstad, Commander Canadian Joint Forces Command, in an interview with CBC News.
“So if we had two million drones on our shelves, then in a month or two months or six months, they may all be obsolete because the technology is evolving so quickly. But we do have to create an industrial base that is capable of producing at that scale and capable of scaling up at the time of need.”
Ukraine, Molstad said, is a world leader in drone technology and usage.
“We have a lot of operational lessons to learn from them,” he said. “And now, that being said, we have all of the ingredients here in Canada. It’s just a matter of putting it all together.”
Carney also announced a series of investments which he said are intended to bolster Ukraine’s defence and long-term security. There will be $350 million for critical air defence interceptors, purchased through the United States’ Joint Ukraine Multinational Program – Services, Training and Articles Rapid Timeline (JUMPSTART).
And as Ukraine heads into another winter, Carney said the continued Russian strikes on energy infrastructure threaten the essential services in the country. Canada will provide nearly $435 million in new loan guarantees to the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development to support energy security, including winter gas purchases. Another $200 million in concessional loans are planned through Export Development Canada to support Ukraine’s reconstruction.
Canada will also contribute up to $40.1 million toward rehabilitation programs for Ukrainian veterans and their families.
