Tender: MINERVA Initiative – Arctic Uncrewed Aircraft System for ISR (Department of National Defence)

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The Department of National Defence and the Canadian Army are seeking a supplier to develop a domestically produced uncrewed aircraft system (UAS) for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) in Arctic operational conditions as part of the MINERVA Initiative Phase 2 prototype development under Innovative Solutions Canada Call for Proposals 004. The required solution must include an air vehicle, sensor payload, ground control station (GCS), radio, battery with charger and a remote antenna deployed 30 m from the GCS; operate between -40°C and +40°C, in winds up to 55 km/h, light rain or snow and moderate icing; provide a minimum 20 km operational radius and 90 minutes continuous endurance; meet sensor recognition ranges (day: person 0.5 km, vehicle 1 km; night: person 0.25 km, vehicle 0.5 km); be stowable in a 240-litre container, have a maximum takeoff weight ≤25 kg, operate to a minimum of 1,000 ft AGL and allow GCS operability while wearing winter gloves. Additional desirable outcomes include deployment from stowed to ready in ≤30 minutes, VTOL in ≤2 m², noise ≤5 dB SPL at 500 m, capability for fibre-optic or non-EM links, automated return/hover on loss of link, an aggregated projected production cost ≤ $60,000 CAD per system, a GCS with training simulation, ≥50 m remote antenna cable, GNSS waypoint navigation and specific display and TAK interface requirements, consideration of alternate non-electric or hybrid power systems, and documentation of critical components (radio, GCS, on-board computer, software) with manufacturer and country-of-origin details. Phase 2 maximum funding is $500,000 CAD per project for up to 15 months, with an estimated five contracts; the competition opens 13 August 2026 and closes 24 September 2026 at 14:00 Eastern, travel to Suffield, Alberta for prototype demonstration is required, and meetings will occur by telephone or videoconference.