Ultra has been awarded six contracts through the Innovation for Defence Excellence and Security (IDEaS) program. Through this program, Canada will be investing $1.6 billion in innovations for defence and security over the next 20 years.

IDEaS provides the Department of National Defence (DND) with access to Canadian innovators for potential defence and security innovations. As part of this program, DND seeks innovative solutions to assist acoustic sensor operators to rapidly and accurately detect, classify, locate, and track underwater contacts.

One of Ultra’s strategic technology development areas is Next generation Anti-Submarine Warfare. The six studies will advance a range of key Anti-Submarine Warfare technologies:

  • Vector sensors for towed arrays
  • Directional Active Intercept sensors
  • Sonobuoy deployment from Small Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
  • Towed Array Shape Estimation
  • Next Generation Environmental Sensing
  • Multi-Mode Free Flooded Ring transducer technology

“Our agility, capability and drive to innovate has been a key factor to Ultra winning these contracts,” said Bernard Mills, President of Ultra Sonar Systems. “We look forward to collaborating with Canadian industry partners and delivering solutions that contribute to Canada’s national security.”

Over $176M have been invested in Canada’s science and technology since 2018, when IDEaS first started.