UCalgary-linked North Vector Dynamics seeks to strengthen Canada’s drone-defence game

In these times of geopolitical unrest, when the military “Goliaths” around the globe increasingly move to expand their spheres of influence by aggressive means, one may think Canada is feeling its status as a “David” nation, as far as our defensive capabilities go. 

So, in a world of wolves, what’s a little dog to do? 

“Become the porcupine,” says Dr. Paul Ziade, PhD, CEO and co-founder of North Vector Dynamics (NVD), a Calgary-based aerospace and defence technology startup company working to develop next-generation counter-drone technology. NVD’s roots are planted firmly in the University of Calgary’s Schulich School of Engineering with Ziade, an associate professor of aerodynamics (currently on leave), joining forces with his fellow aerospace engineers, Dr. Craig Johansen, PhD, also a Schulich professor, and Dr. Colin Hill, BSc (Eng)'17, PhD'22, who completed his doctorate in the field of hybrid rockets.

Formed in 2022 as a research and development consulting company doing business with Defence Research and Development Canada (DRDC) and other organizations, NVD has since expanded to become a full-spectrum air-defence technology company focused on adapting to the new realities of international security. Indeed, in the current geopolitical climate, even the United States, long our closest ally and top trade partner, can no longer be relied upon to have our backs on the world stage. 

“Clearly, for the foreseeable future, Canada is not going to be a military superpower,” says Ziade. “But, from a defence perspective, I like to say we should become a very prickly porcupine. If anyone is thinking about making an aggressive move in the Arctic or along our shores, they might be able to succeed in the long term — hopefully, we would have allies that step up — but at least we can have enough technological capability and volume that we can make it a very painful exercise for an adversary to try.”

Canada’s security concerns are a red flag that’s it’s time to become more self-reliant. “During COVID, we might have woken up and realized that supply chains are a lot more fragile than we once thought,” Ziade says. “There are certain things we ought to be able to produce domestically that we have completely outsourced to other countries. Think of the issues we had with vaccine production and securing the N95 respirator masks. There are certain key capabilities that we should be able to manage on our own.” 

This must include taking charge of our own defence initiatives. “Are we going to be designing sixth-generation fighter jets from scratch in Canada? Likely not. But we’d better be able to provide for our own small caliber munitions and air defense systems,” Ziade says.

Where the latter is concerned, Alberta is uniquely positioned. “It’s a bit under the radar, but we actually have a whole lot of aerospace expertise,” says Ziade. Indeed, in Calgary alone there are more than 150 aerospace and defence-oriented companies in operation, creating the economic bedrock to further build the industry. Then there’s Canadian Forces Base Suffield in southeast Alberta, highly valued for its large footprint of restricted airspace that allows for advanced testing in the field of drone technology. 

“We cannot depend on other countries in a time of need, and we strongly believe we are in one right now,” says Ziade. “We need to be thinking of defence, strategically.”

Ziade notes that, in a world of drone and counter-drone technology, sheer military muscle is no longer the determining factor in wars. Smaller adversaries can now field inexpensive fleets of smart, attack drones that are hard to detect, track and destroy. Military giants are forced to spend millions of dollars repelling said drones with their great arsenals. Such strategy has been a key to the survival of the Ukraine after years of assaults from Russia.

“What we’re seeing is a complete rewriting of the defence-threat landscape,” says Ziade. “When a superpower’s sensitive assets can be taken out with a $500 drone, that represents a huge shift in the threat asymmetry.” 

But these drone capabilities can be employed by both sides. This is why it’s important to develop counter-drone technology, a key goal for NVD. 

“How do we neutralize enemy drones?” says Ziade. “We are focused on building miniaturized, precision-guided missiles to take out drones from small to large, from slower all the way to high-subsonic speed drones. This is where we stand out, from an air-defence perspective.” 

Certainly, growth is on the horizon for NVD. The UCalgary-rooted startup company recently secured a $4.2-million federal contract to develop hypersonic propulsion systems — essentially, sophisticated, air-breathing flight vehicles that can travel at more than five times the speed of sound. 

As autonomous drone and counter-drone systems become increasingly important in next-generation warfare, Canada may be especially poised to step up its defence game. 

“I would argue this is where Canada really has potential,” says Ziade. “Drones can be built fairly easily. Where the unique value proposition comes in is what you do with the technology, how you design the software, the algorithms, and so on, and we’re strong in that respect. We’re excellent in the field of robotics autonomy, for example. We’re world leaders in AI.

“I think this is a real opportunity for us to level the playing field, to a certain extent.”