Department of National Defence: True North Precision: Low Cost Drones with Laser Ranging

The Department of National Defence (DND) and the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) are seeking innovative solutions for cost-effective range finding and targeting capabilities to be used on small drones. The goal is to increase battlefield awareness and support indirect fire missions through aerial surveillance, intelligence and reconnaissance.

This Call for Proposals (CFP) is supporting the MINERVA initiative, a practical, soldier-focused approach to integrating drones and autonomous systems into operations.

This challenge is being supported by the Bureau of Research, Engineering and Advanced Leadership in Innovation and Science (BOREALIS).

Internal Contacts

• Faculty Research Facilitator
• Industry and Partnership Services

Deadlines

Background and Operational Context

Modern battlefield environments present significant challenges for tactical Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) operations, particularly at the platoon and company levels. While advanced ISR platforms offer exceptional performance, their high cost, export restrictions and sustainment complexity limit their scalability and accessibility for frontline units. Conversely, small commercial drones, though affordable and widely available, lack the geolocation precision required to support sensor-to-shooter integration and effective fire mission coordination.

Canadian and allied forces currently rely on a polarized mix of ISR capabilities: low-cost quadcopters for short-range reconnaissance and high-end Class 2 systems for more complex missions. This polarization has created a capability gap in the mid-tier range, specifically, the absence of affordable, durable ISR drones that can deliver precise rangefinding and target cueing under contested electromagnetic conditions.

To address this gap, there is a need for compact, low-power and ruggedized range-finding or target-designation payloads that can be integrated into small ISR drones.

The initial operational focus is on supporting mortar and artillery observers by providing accurate range and geolocation data to improve calls for fire, enabling observers to operate from protected positions. Once validated, the system could be scaled to support mounted reconnaissance teams, partner force augmentation and networked fires coordination across combined arms teams.

What Innovation for Defence Excellence and Security (IDEaS) Provides

• Development funding: This challenge will offer $2.1 million of development funding (total), with funding focusing on promising concepts that can quickly advance their capabilities.
• Capability assessment: There will be an opportunity to validate your technology (Technology Readiness Level 7 or better) against CAF requirements in a realistic environment.

What Innovators Bring

• Solutions will be compact and lightweight, with the combined weight of the drone and payload not to exceed 25 kilograms.
• Ideal range finding capabilities should be low-power, ruggedized and easily integrated into a small ISR drone.
• Innovators must propose and validate how their project will get to a test-ready state by spring of 2027 in order to participate in the final capability assessment.

Value and Duration

• The maximum individual contract funding available under Component 1a (TRL 1 to 3) is up to $250,000 CAD (excluding applicable taxes) for a maximum performance period of up to six months.
• The maximum individual contract funding available under Component 1b (TRL 4 and 5) is up to $1,500,000 CAD (excluding applicable taxes) for a maximum performance period of 12 months.
• The maximum individual contract funding available under Component 2 (TRL 6 to 9) is up to $5,000,000 CAD (excluding applicable taxes). The period of performance will be determined at the time of contract negotiation.
• The maximum individual contract funding and the maximum performance period offered under Component 3 will be determined by Canada at the time of contract negotiation.

Eligibility

This CFP is open to individuals, academia, not-for-profit organizations, provincial/territorial or municipal government organizations, and all industry. Federal and provincial crown corporations are not eligible for funding.

Submitting Your Application

1. Log in to cuResearch and submit an internal Carleton Approval Form. Review the cuResearch user’s manual.
2. To submit an external application, consult the Solicitation Guide available on CanadaBuys.