Fri 06 Nov 2009 07:33:28 PM EST

This year’s Organizational Award recognized the Canadian Department of National Defence which has been a driving force in the development of unmanned systems technology in Canada.  Beginning in the early 90’s with the deployment of the Canadair CL-227 “Peanut” and growing through a number of littoral trials and man deployable mini-UAV systems. With the advent of our involvement in Afghanistan, DND deployed more sophisticated systems beginning with the Sperwer and latterly the successful deployments of the ScanEagle small UAV and the Heron medium altitude unmanned aircraft.

The Individual Achievement award was this year made to Stephen “Fig” Newton.  LCol. Newton was one of the driving forces behind the Canadian littoral trials of the Eagle and Altair unmanned aircraft systems on our west and east coasts.  After retiring from the Canadian forces, Fig moved into the private sector where he continues his mission to advance the military and civil use of unmanned aircraft systems.