Canada establishes drone marketplace, selects six systems for military and coast guard

Canada has set up a dedicated marketplace to buy drones for its military and coast guard. Prime Minister Mark Carney announced the measure in Calgary on September 10, 2026, during a visit by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

The Defence Drone Initiative Marketplace will handle purchases under the Defence Drone Initiative, which began in July. Nearly 400 suppliers have qualified so far, according to the Prime Minister's Office. Ottawa says the marketplace is based on Ukraine's Brave1 defence technology cluster.

Initial contracts worth up to C$50 million could expand the Canadian Armed Forces' drone inventory tenfold. The current size of the inventory was not disclosed. A background document indicates the awards are not yet final, saying Canada intends to proceed after evaluations that include foreign ownership and control reviews.

The first planned batch includes four uncrewed aircraft: the AVSS Drone D1, Volatus Aerospace Huntsman X6, Draganfly Astiia and Objexis AI MAQ-C. Two uncrewed ground vehicles are also included, the Twenty20 Insight XRC RHINO and Beonyx VTSE-TC.

Not all are Canadian in origin. The Huntsman X6 and XRC RHINO are made in the United Kingdom with Canadian involvement. The Astiia is based on Australian technology and produced in Canada under licence.

Carney and Zelenskyy also signed a joint declaration on defence and security cooperation covering joint development and production of defence equipment.