Drone manufacturer Hamilton is undeterred by Russian threats after the Ukraine deal put the company on the back burner
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The chief executive of aerospace company Hamilton says threats from Russian officials will not stop the company from building Ukrainian drones under a new partnership backed by the Canadian government.
“We take all threats to our security very seriously,” said Katheron Intson, co-founder of Sentinel Research and Development. “But it really doesn’t change our plans at this point.”
The company entered the international spotlight after Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova on Wednesday criticized the arrangement, accusing Canada of acting as a “warmer” and threatening to publish the company’s Ontario address.
Intson said the Sentinel had expected criticism from Russia, but was surprised by the comments.
“I think that any country that is a rogue, that attacks the sovereignty of another nation, calling our nation a fanatic is an interesting, head-scratching thought,” he said.
Although Russia has threatened to reveal the company’s location, Intson said Sentinel already operates under security requirements established by Canada’s Controlled Substances Program.
“It is true that Russia has published the addresses of drone factories around the world that supply Ukraine,” he said. “This is definitely possible.”
At the same time, he said, a production facility tied to Ukrainian relations has not yet been established.
So if they find our address before we do, that will make them very happy.
Canada supports Ukraine forward
Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022, began Europe’s biggest conflict since World War II.
Russia annexed Crimea in 2014 and the 2022 invasion has caused a rapid evolution in drone technology, which now accounts for most of the casualties in this ongoing conflict. Ukraine has used drones to strike targets inside Russian territory and beyond in the previous war. But Russia has also used its drones to strike inside Ukraine.
Last month, Ottawa announced that Sentinel would partner with Ukrainian defense technology company Airlogix to build drone systems in Canada for the Ukrainian military.
The agreement is designed to “accelerate the delivery of equipment urgently needed by the Ukrainian military to defend itself against Russian aggression,” according to a May 29 government news release.
“This partnership demonstrates our commitment to supporting Ukraine while promoting economic growth and stability here at home,” Defense Minister David McGuinty said in a release.
It said that as of February 2022, Canada has committed more than $25.5 billion in aid to Ukraine, including $8.5 billion in military support.
Intson said the company was contacted by the Department of National Defense earlier this year and officially introduced to Airlogix shortly thereafter.
Within a few months, the two companies had reached an agreement.
While refusing to provide details of the operation, Intson confirmed that the drones produced under this program will be used for the front lines of Ukraine.
“Our main goal is to do everything we promised on time,” he said. “Success would be hearing that Canadian-made drones have been used successfully on the front lines.”
‘Freedom is a flash in the pan’
Intson described Sentinel as “a manufacturing technology company with an aerospace angle.”
He said it operates in a “winged airframe space” and builds fixed-wing drones, aircraft that are smaller than quadcopter-style drones that are often used for photography and video.
The company’s unique aircraft, the ReKam, can travel more than 500 kilometers and is configured for a variety of uses, Intson said.
“Everything from manipulation to surveillance to carrying weapons.”
As a family-owned company, Intson said, Sentinel is based on a vision he says many Canadians share – the importance of fighting for freedom.
“Freedom is a flash in the pan and I wish it wasn’t.”
It is very close to his heart for his Estonian heritage.
He said anyone with an Eastern European background would understand the importance of helping Ukraine in its efforts to fight Russia.
“It’s a really bad thing to lose your home.”
Intson said that with the advancement of drone technology fundamentally changing the battlefield, it is important for Canada to improve its technology.
“Other nations will treat us well as we have the ability,” he said. “I hope that raising the power of industry and being the developers of this type of technology means that we don’t have to use it.
“But if we have to, we’ll be ready.”
