General Dynamics Mission Systems–Canada announced the establishment of a Centre of Excellence in Sherbrooke for remotely piloted aircraft systems (RPAS) technologies, leveraging the $9 million contribution of the Government of Quebec, through Investissement Quebec.

In addition to Investissement Quebec's contribution, this $9.7 million investment by General Dynamics Mission Systems merges the world-class engineering, commercialisation and export expertise of General Dynamics, together with the imagination and technological prowess of Laflamme Aero Inc., one of Quebec's emerging aerospace innovators. Leveraging forward-thinking academia, and the critical support of government, these investments will all serve to further develop the aerospace industry.

General Dynamics has also made a strategic investment in Laflamme Aero to support the development and maturation of its LX300 tandem rotor RPAS platform. Investissement Quebec, also a shareholder of Laflamme Aero, is contributing a further close to $1.9 million to industrialise and commercialise the LX300, demonstrating a firm commitment to further position Quebec at the forefront of aerospace technology and innovation.

"The Centre of Excellence will position the province of Quebec at the leading edge of emerging RPAS technology and advanced autonomous airborne mission systems integration," said David Ibbetson, vice president and general manager of General Dynamics Mission Systems–International. "Remotely Piloted Aircrafts are the future of aerospace and our investment will generate Quebec and Canadian intellectual property, create and enhance domestic capacity, and Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics jobs – while developing world-leading RPAS technologies to address the growing needs of Canada and countries across the globe."

The Centre's initial focus is to mature Laflamme's LX300 for new markets. For its part, General Dynamics has developed a mission-ready Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (C4ISR) suite to meet the requirements of both domestic and international RPAS opportunities.

"This support positions Laflamme for the future. What began as a passion for aviation from my father has become something much larger. With the support of Investissement Quebec and General Dynamics, we now have the opportunity to leverage our success and compete on a larger scale – both at home and abroad," said Enrick Laflamme, president of Laflamme Aero.

"This remotely piloted aircraft system is the first of its kind to be fully developed and manufactured in Quebec. This is a testament to the growth of our aerospace industry and our expertise in security and defence. With the creation of the Centre of Excellence in Sherbrooke and the commercialisation of this innovative project, Quebec will continue to stand out as a leader," said Eric Girard, Minister of Finance and Minister of Economy and Innovation.

Through the Centre of Excellence, General Dynamics Mission Systems will be expanding its investment in Canada to include a presence in Quebec, while generating opportunities for small and medium-sized businesses and strengthening the domestic RPAS ecosystem through the design, development, manufacturing, and sustainment of world-leading systems.

The Centre will create and sustain up to 45 highly skilled jobs in Quebec.