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Federal government researchers will be testing a small Canadian-made drone in the Ottawa area to see if such unmanned aircraft could eventually be used to hunt for submarines and ships.

It is the first time that an unmanned air vehicle built in Canada will be tested in this role.

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The first tests will take place at a facility in Bourget, Ont., in the summer as sensors onboard the unmanned air vehicle, or drone, are calibrated by researchers with the National Research Council.

But the plan would see the Brican TD100 eventually being flown off a Canadian navy ship on the West Coast later in the year.

“We’ve got an all-Canadian product that is quite frankly significantly more capable than what they have,” said Brian McLuckie, president of Brican, which is based Brampton, Ont.

The Canadian military has previously used or tested a number of such smaller drones for operations over land and sea.

The Brican TD100 and its sensors will be assessed for their ability to detect submarines and other metal objects such as ships or mines beneath or on the water, said McLuckie.