Could MQ-9B drones draw Canada and Denmark closer in Arctic surveillance?

There’s good news & bad news.

Yes, Canada signed a sole source contract to buy armed reaper drones to patrol the Arctic with first deliveries scheduled for 2025, that was good.

Unfortunately, before the ink was dry the RCAF decided to Canadianize them & delivery is now heavily delayed (mid 2030’s) & the reapers will still require a complete overhaul within 5 years of delivery…let me explain.

The RCAF decided that they needed a CDN IR (infrared) sensor installed, fortunately the one they selected had already been used on other reapers so no problem right?

Of course, the RCAF decided to use a variant that could talk to our new maritime patrol aircraft that will arrive (thanks to another US sole source contract, sorry team Elbows Up) in the mid 2030’s which all sounds very smart forward thinking but & here’s the crazy part all of this tech relies on US military satellites but since Canada now wants to have dual satellite systems (USM system for NORAD) they have given a sole source contract to Telesat (whose CEO is besties with Carney) who is hoping to get enough satellites into orbit by 2040 to allow the CAF to use both CDN & USM satellites for their communications needs depending on whether the drone, F35 or maritime patrol aircraft are on NORAD or non NORAD missions.

Of course this has never been done before & will require more tech be added to the reapers hence the complex overhaul, all based on a satellite company who despite massive subsidies from the CDN gov over the last 10 years has barely managed (thanks to SpaceX) to get a few test satellites into low earth orbit for their satellite internet service & have never built, launched or managed secure military grade satellites.

Only the @liberal_party gov could turn a simple $2.5 billion dollar contract with quick delivery of a proven armed drone system into a never ending boondoggle that will end up costing at least 400% more than the original purchase price & delay full operational capability for a decade plus!