As there is no program of record yet, Canada could opt for a government-to-government foreign military sale or a commercial purchase. But to comply with the Missile Technology Control Regime, he says, the Polar Hawks would have to be owned and operated by the Canadian government and flown with a Canadian Forces pilot in command.

The Justas program, meanwhile, is in the options analysis phase, with initial operational capability now planned for 2017, a delay of five years. MacDonald Dettwiler and Associates is proposing a version of Israel Aerospace Industries’ Heron, while General Atomics Aeronautical Systems has teamed with Canada’s CAE to offer the Predator.