Advancing UK Aerospace, Defence, Security & Space Solutions Worldwide
  • Home
  • /
  • Defence
  • /
  • Canadian Armed Forces’ drones to carry Leonardo E-Scan radar

Defence

Canadian Armed Forces’ drones to carry Leonardo E-Scan radar

Leonardo announced it has signed a contract with prime contractor QinetiQ to provide a number of PicoSAR Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA, also known as ‘E-Scan’) radars for the Canadian Armed Forces’ new unmanned surveillance drones.

The radars will equip the new unmanned Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition and Reconnaissance (ISTAR) aircraft that have been ordered by the Canadian Armed Forces.

Designed and manufactured by Leonardo in Edinburgh, UK, PicoSAR will be employed by Canadian military units at sea and on land, for both domestic and international operations.

Advertisement
DSEI 2025

PicoSAR offers high-performance E-scan surveillance capabilities in an extremely compact package. It is ideally suited for installation aboard the Canadian Armed Forces new system, which is based on the lightweight UMS Skeldar V-200 Unmanned Aerial System (UAS).

With PicoSAR on-board, operators will benefit from a range of modes including high resolution Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) imaging and Ground Moving Target Indication (GMTI). Together, these will deliver an effective all-weather ground mapping and surveillance capability for ISTAR missions.

The contract is an example of Leonardo’s open approach to partnerships. As well as equipping its own platforms, Leonardo offers its advanced airborne electronics directly to end users and also works with a wide range of industrial partners to provide sensor capabilities for third party platforms. In this case, Leonardo has worked closely with QinetiQ to ensure that the PicoSAR radar meets the needs of the Canadian Armed Forces.

PicoSAR is an extremely flexible system and has flown on more than 10 different aircraft. The radar has been flown in Oceania, the Far East, the Middle East, Europe, North Africa, North America and South America and has been acquired by more than 10 customers. PicoSAR is part of a wider portfolio of airborne radars that include best-in-class M-Scan (mechanically-scanning) and E-scan (electronically scanning) systems for both surveillance and fire-control missions.

Advertisement
ODU RT

 

Advertisement
Cranfield University
MoD campaign highlights impact of public interruption to military training

Defence

MoD campaign highlights impact of public interruption to military training

18 July 2025

Soldiers sprinting through a salon, abseiling into gyms and crawling through offices feature in a striking new campaign by the Ministry of Defence (MoD), turning the tables on the issue of public interruptions to military training exercises.

UAS launched munitions set to combat air and ground targets

Defence

UAS launched munitions set to combat air and ground targets

18 July 2025

For the first time, BAE Systems has launched a precision munition from a multi-rotor Uncrewed Air System (UAS) and successfully destroyed both air and ground targets during trials in the US.

UK

Defence

UK's combat air flying demonstrator revealed

17 July 2025

Industry partners, BAE Systems, Rolls-Royce and MBDA UK, together with the Ministry of Defence (MoD), have revealed the design of the UK’s flagship Combat Air Flying Demonstrator, as the aircraft reaches a major milestone, with two thirds of its structural weight now in manufacturing.

Scottish defence dividend investment launched

Defence

Scottish defence dividend investment launched

16 July 2025

Scottish Secretary and Minister for Defence Procurement & Industry have visited HMNB Clyde to launch the multidecade, multibillion-pound Clyde 2070 programme.

Advertisement
Gulfstream RT
Captec to showcase next-gen computing at DSEI

Defence Events

Captec to showcase next-gen computing at DSEI

16 July 2025

As the defence landscape continues to evolve at pace, with technological advances reshaping mission requirements and placing increasing demands on deployed computing systems, computing specialist Captec will be showcasing next-generation computing platforms at DSEI 2025 (9th–12th September 2025, Excel London).

SkyShark takes flight

Defence Security

SkyShark takes flight

16 July 2025

MGI Engineering, a company forged in the fast-paced world of Formula 1, has officially unveiled SkyShark, a next-generation military drone platform designed to transform battlefield operations with speed, precision and UK-built sovereignty.

Advertisement
Gulfstream RT