Our guest presenter, Scott Zollner introduced in the President’s Greeting, works with QinetiQ Canada whose parent company is based in the United Kingdom. The company has an interesting history evolving from a program at Defense Research Development Canada at Suffield to a small company based in Medicine Hat focused on aerial drones. After various iterations and acquisitions, the operation was purchased in 2016 by QinetiQ UK Defence. 

Presently the company operates worldwide with 7,500 employees serving 40+customers including 19 NATO customers. To date, over 12,000 targets have been delivered to its customers. 

In Canada, QinetiQ operates in locations across the country including the east and west coasts, CFB Suffield, CFB Cold Lake and Ottawa with the head office here in Medicine Hat. QinetiQ strengthens the local economy, support provincial growth, and contribute to Canada’s national industrial capacity — while improving resilience, responsiveness, and long-term sustainability by using:

• 100 Local suppliers

• 200 Provincial suppliers

• 400 Federal suppliers 

Four primary areas of focus:

• Test and evaluation targets

• Standard Training Targets

• ISAR platforms

• Single Use non target drones for special missions

Naval Target Drones

Ironically most of targets built in Medicine Hat involves boats - small tow targets to 9 meter vessels. 

750^th Hammerhead boat has just been built. 

Boat testing done at Lake Newell, 40 Mile and Elkwater such as autonomous testing with self navigating/drirving boats

Aerial Targets

The company originally started in this area with products including small multi rotor, fixed wing and supersonic jet targets. The target drones are used to simulate aircraft and missiles for training in air to air and ground to air on land and maritime environments. 

For example, the Banshee 80+ jet is re-usable so cost effective. Work is ongoing on hypersonic (above Mach 5) drones as this is the types of missile technology potential adversaries are beginning to deploy.

By accident or design, this company is a local success story flying below the radar (see what I did there?). It is a leading player in a growing local aerospace industry in Alberta and across Canada.