In Canada's drone-killing 'Sandbox,' companies compete for a $1M prize

The Suffield Research Centre is in the heart of Alberta's Big Sky country, and is also blessed with Canada's sunniest skies, making it the perfect testing ground for one of Canada's most critical areas of innovation: drone and counter-drone technology.

Once the main training ground for the tank crews of the British Army, the British gradually withdrew and left entirely by 2024.

But today, the base is buzzing with activity as militaries urgently rearm with new technologies.

Even the British are back, in smaller numbers for now, and not to drive tanks but fly drones — and shoot them down.

Canada's Department of National Defence this month used Suffield to hold its fourth Counter-Uncrewed Aircraft Sandbox , a drone-killing contest with a million-dollar prize for the most promising innovation.

Companies from Canada, Australia, Finland and the U.S. showcased new methods of detecting and intercepting drones, closely watched by members of the Canadian, Dutch, German, British, American and Ukrainian militaries.

All of the armies are there to learn and observe. But the Ukrainians, as the only military at the Sandbox with real-world experience in drone warfare, are also there to teach.

"They're creating the environment that we want to emulate," said Col. Gabriel Doré of the Royal Canadian Air Force. "They're on the battlefield. They're the ones who are innovating the fastest. And they can tell us immediately if something's going to work or not just by looking at it, because they're living it."

The conflict in Ukraine has turbocharged the pace of scientific innovation in all forms of drone warfare: aerial, ground-based, marine surface and underwater.

There are now even drones that can transition from underwater to aerial flight .

"We need to be the number one in drones to fight against Russia," said Ukrainian Army Maj. Sergiy Kuzyara.

Kuzyara said those drones include cheap, simple first-person view (FPV) quadcopter drones used on the front lines to marine drones to "deep-strike drones which are reaching Russian refineries or military production plants."

A sign at the Suffield Research Centre, about five kilometres north of Suffield, Alta. (Evan Dyer/CBC)

Kuzyara says his mission in Canada is not only to check out the latest designs, but also "help your producers to understand what's needed at the front line, what direction they need to go to be successful."