Canada’s government-to-government contracting agency has awarded L3Harris Technologies a contract to supply 16 units of the WESCAM MX-20 surveillance and targeting system for the Royal Canadian Air Force’s P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft fleet.
WESCAM MX-20 will equip the multimission aircraft with the “most advanced” intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance platform, Tom Kirkland, vice president and general manager of targeting and sensor systems at L3Harris, said Monday. “Maritime and national security, including missions in the Arctic, require extremely reliable systems like the WESCAM MX-20 to enhance critical security coast-to-coast,” he added.
Delivery is expected to start in 2026 as part of a $3.4 billion manufacturing contract Boeing secured from the U.S. Navy.
Enhanced ISR Operations
Besides its P-8A integration, WESCAM MX-20 will also enhance the ISR operations of Canada’s new MQ-9B SkyGuardian remotely piloted aircraft systems. In January 2024, L3Harris announced that it would supply the systems to General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc., the SkyGuardian manufacturer.
According to L3Harris, the latest contract from Canada brings its global customer deliveries for the system to 8,000 units in over 260 different platforms in more than 87 countries. Earlier, L3Harris said it will also install the system in the new H145M helicopters Airbus is building for Germany.