Airlogix‑Sentinel partnership will help ensure Canada is better attuned to the rapidly changing nature of warfare.
Canada and Ukraine have signed a deal on drone production, creating the Airlogix-Sentinel partnership:
It establishes a new partnership, Airlogix‑Sentinel, between Airlogix, a Ukrainian defence technology company, and Sentinel Research and Development, a Canadian manufacturer of uncrewed aerial systems. With support from the Governments of Canada and of Ukraine, the partnership will combine the companies’ expertise to manufacture Ukrainian drone systems in Canada for the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
The deal provides benefits for both countries, with Ukraine boosting drone production far away from the front line (and thus safe from Russian strikes), and Canada gaining important expertise on how to produce the drones that have helped Ukraine hold off Russian forces at a time when drones are changing the nature of warfare.
Canada’s support for Ukraine
Canada’s aid to Ukraine is among the highest in the G7 on a per capita basis, and Canada has welcomed roughly 300,000 refugees from Ukraine since Russia’s invasion began. This support has generally been supported by the majority of Canadians. However, since 2022, there have been some in Canada who have expressed a fear-based, scarcity-based, and short-term mindset regarding Canada’s aid to Ukraine. That mindset is based on the idea that Canada could not afford to aid Ukraine, that Canada should not ‘pick a side,’ and that Canada would receive no benefits from supporting Ukraine. The Canada-Ukraine drone deal is an important refutation of that mindset.
How ethical actions lead to long-term strength
Supporting Ukraine, whether through helping to welcome refugees, providing military aid, or providing financial aid to keep Ukraine’s struggling wartime economy going, were all ethical actions. If Canada were facing the kind of assault Ukraine is facing, we would want others to help our country survive. And Ukraine’s fight is a just one, as the country is clearly engaged in a defensive war following an unjustified and unprovoked invasion from Russia – a ruthless authoritarian state led by a dictator.
Even without a direct benefit to Canada, supporting Ukraine is the right thing to do from an ethical perspective. Yet, the drone deal shows that there are indeed real benefits as well. Canada will be stronger in the long-term by learning from Ukraine’s innovations in drone production and drone warfare. Knowledge of effective drone production and effective drone utilization will spread, strengthening Canada’s defence industry and military capabilities. Tangibly, this means Canadian military personnel will be better equipped and better protected in the event of a future conflict. It also means more jobs and opportunities in the defence sector. Those enhanced capabilities, enhanced protection, and expanded economic opportunities will exist as a direct result of Canada’s aid to Ukraine.
Compassion and long-term thinking
Had Canada chosen the scarcity-based, short-term thinking mindset, we would have been deprived of the strength that a drone partnership with Ukraine will bring. By taking a more compassionate approach (imagining ourselves in the position of Ukrainians under assault from Russia and recognizing that helping was the right thing to do), we will end up a stronger country as a result. From this perspective, we can see that making decisions from a compassionate and long-term mindset is far from naive, but is rather a way to advance our own well-being while also helping others.
Spencer Fernando
Image – Ukrainian Defence Ministry
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