Canada and Sweden deepen cooperation in the field of aerospace technology and defense

Canada and Sweden have officially announced their intention to deepen cooperation in the field of aerospace engineering, defense and advanced technologies. The joint statement was made on August 20, 2025, at a meeting of high—level representatives of the two countries - Canadian Minister of Industry Melanie Joly and Secretary of State for Defense Procurement Stephen Fur, as well as Deputy Prime Minister of Sweden, Minister of Energy, Business and Industry Ebba Bush and Minister of Defense Paul Johnson.

The Ministers described the new partnership as a strategic association that is important in the context of the changing geopolitical situation in Europe and the Arctic region. Special attention was paid to cooperation in the defense industry, where the aerospace sector was named one of the key priorities.

This cooperation involves the exchange of technologies, joint research and development of new solutions to enhance the defense capabilities of both countries, as well as strengthening their positions in the international arena. The view of the Arctic as a strategic region reinforces the need for such interaction.

The partnership between Canada and Sweden demonstrates the growing importance of joining the efforts of small and medium-sized countries to ensure security and technological development in the face of global challenges.

The US Army is abandoning the MQ-1C Gray Eagle drones in favor of advanced technology

 MQ-1C Gray Eagle

The US Army has announced the termination of purchases of MQ-1C Gray Eagle unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), calling them "outdated, redundant and ineffective" in the context of modern warfare. This decision was part of a massive overhaul of the army's equipping program aimed at introducing more advanced technologies to meet the demands of future conflicts.

Reasons for abandoning the MQ-1C Gray Eagle

The MQ-1C Gray Eagle was one of the US Army's key UAVs used for reconnaissance, surveillance, and strikes. However, with the development of technology, this drone has become inferior to modern systems, especially in the face of confrontation with high-tech opponents such as China or Russia. The main reasons for failure include:

- Outdated technology: Gray Eagle no longer meets the requirements of modern warfare, where speed, stealth, and autonomy are important.

 - Redundancy: The Army seeks to optimize its resources by eliminating platforms that duplicate the functions of other systems.

- Inefficiency: The drone is poorly adapted to modern threats such as enemy air defense systems and electronic warfare.

New direction: advanced technology

The termination of purchases of the MQ-1C coincides with the efforts of the US Army to introduce new, more advanced UAVs. These systems will have improved autonomy, artificial intelligence capabilities, and increased resistance to interference. In particular, the army is focusing on developing drones capable of performing tasks in difficult conditions of confrontation in the air and on the ground.

By the way, this announcement coincided with the recent PC-C5 exercises, where the MQ-1C Gray Eagle still played an important role. However, his participation was a kind of farewell chord, emphasizing the need to move to more modern solutions.

What do the experts say?

The US Army's decision has sparked widespread discussion among military analysts. Some experts support the move to abandon outdated systems, considering it logical in the context of a technology race. Others, however, point out that the Gray Eagle can still be useful in less complex missions, such as fighting terrorism or supporting operations in regions with limited enemy capabilities.

Nevertheless, most agree that the transition to new technologies is an inevitable step to maintain U.S. superiority on the battlefield.

The future of unmanned systems in the US Army

The abandonment of the MQ-1C Gray Eagle marks the beginning of a new era in the development of unmanned systems. The US Army is actively investing in projects related to autonomous UAVs capable of interacting with manned aircraft and ground forces. These systems will play a key role in network-centric warfare, providing real-time data collection, targeting and destruction of targets.

The termination of purchases of the MQ-1C Gray Eagle demonstrates the determination of the US Army to modernize its forces and focus on advanced technologies. Although this drone has played an important role in past operations, its time is coming to an end. The future belongs to more advanced unmanned systems that can operate effectively in high-intensity conflict situations.