Politics · Canada · 8 hrs ago
NATO commander urges Canada to combine drones with existing military systems
NATO commander Adm.
Pierre Vandier says Canada should combine drones and AI with existing military systems as it plans billions in new defence spending.
He spoke after NATO exercises in Latvia tested drones, electronic warfare and other technologies in a simulated cross-border invasion.
About 3,000 Canadian Armed Forces personnel are stationed in Latvia as part of Operation Reassurance, with Russia’s war in Ukraine shaping NATO’s planning.
Vandier said drones can help protect troops and make existing equipment, such as attack helicopters, more effective, but they do not make traditional systems obsolete.
The exercises have tested drone swarms, drone-to-drone combat and ways to jam or disable enemy drones.
Since 2022, NATO has run these tests with Latvia, and Canada has also been developing defences against drones.
Canada’s Defence Drone Initiative aims to equip its forces and support domestic industry as the country increases defence spending and meets NATO’s two-per-cent spending target this year.
NATO’s Supreme Allied Commander Transformation, Adm. Pierre Vandier, urged Canada to combine drones and other new technologies with existing military capabilities.
He said drones can extend the effectiveness and survivability of traditional systems rather than replace them.
Vandier spoke after observing NATO exercises in Latvia involving drones, electronic warfare and troops.
About 3,000 Canadian Armed Forces personnel are stationed in Latvia as part of Operation Reassurance.
Canada’s Defence Drone Initiative aims to provide new drone technology to the military and Coast Guard and support domestic industry.
- Who
- Adm. Pierre Vandier, NATO’s Supreme Allied Commander Transformation, gave the advice.
- What
- He urged Canada to combine drones and other new technologies with existing military systems.
- When
- He spoke on Friday, October 30, 2026.
- Where
- Vandier spoke to Global News from Riga, Latvia, after NATO exercises in Latvia.
- Why
- The exercises and recent conflicts have shown how drones and electronic warfare can affect military operations. Vandier said combining new technology with existing capabilities can improve a force’s effectiveness and survivability.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
NATO has run exercises with Latvia’s Ministry of Defence to test electronic warfare, drone and AI technologies in field-like conditions.
Canada’s Department of National Defence launched the Defence Drone Initiative.
The government said recent conflicts had underscored how rapidly drone technologies were transforming modern warfare.
Vandier spoke after observing NATO exercises in Latvia that included drones, electronic warfare and troops.
- NATO commander
- Adm. Pierre Vandier, Supreme Allied Commander Transformation
- Canadian personnel in Latvia
- Roughly 3,000
- Canadian deployment
- Operation Reassurance
- Defence Drone Initiative
- Aims to provide drone technology to the Canadian Armed Forces and Canadian Coast Guard
- Canada’s defence spending
- Canada was set to meet NATO’s 2 per cent of GDP target in 2026
What people are saying
A force that is not protected against drones and (drone) swarms is a force at risk
What we demonstrated was we can extend lethality and extend survivability of existing capabilities … if we bring them with a good mix of new technology
What robots are bringing is a risk management system, where you can open the tactical portfolio … and have better use of what you have
Canada must be prepared to do the same.