Canada’s Department of National Defence (DND) has successfully concluded drone detection trials over downtown Ottawa, near Parliament Hill, to test urban counter uncrewed aircraft system (C-UAS) capabilities in a controlled, scientific environment. These trials took place from November 24 to 28, 2025, as part of DND’s Innovation for Defence Excellence and Security (IDEaS) programme.
The week-long event brought together defence science experts and innovators, Canadian Armed Forces personnel, police, and other defence and security partners to evaluate how well detection technologies perform in a complex urban environment. The trials were organised in collaboration with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, the City of Ottawa, the Ottawa Police Service, Transport Canada and additional partners. A list of participants can be found here.
“Canada’s defence and security depend on staying ahead in a rapidly changing world. Innovation is the engine that drives progress and resilience,” said Minister of National Defence, David J. McGuinty. “Canada’s future depends on investing in ideas, nurturing talent and transforming knowledge into practical solutions for complex challenges. Now more than ever, we must invest in defence by advancing cutting-edge technologies, strengthening our domestic industrial base and giving the Canadian Armed Forces the tools they need to protect Canadians.”
Since its establishment in 2018, the IDEaS programme has hosted several C-UAS sandbox demonstration events at a Defence Research and Development Canada research centre in Alberta in order to evaluate and advance technologies capable of detecting and defeating micro and mini UAS. The 2025 event was the first time the IDEaS CUAS sandbox event has focused exclusively on detect-only technologies in a realistic urban environment in downtown Ottawa, Ontario.
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Image: National Defence – Canada
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