Oleg Koval, CEO and president of Web4You, at his office in Toronto, on May 4.EDUARDO LIMA/The Globe and Mail
Oleg Koval swings open the door to his Mississauga, Ont., business, a small software and web design firm, and several staff glance up from their computers. Mr. Koval makes a quick introduction to a man standing in front of large computer monitors and explains that he is an aircraft engineer, hired after his company got into the business of designing drones.
Mr. Koval’s company, Web4You, has signed a contract with the RCMP to develop a drone that can stay aloft for as long as eight hours, making it useful for patrolling the Canada-U.S. border and remote regions of the country.
His company started partnering with drone operators in Ukraine a couple of years ago, which has allowed him and his team to test-fly battery-powered drones there and get quick feedback. (Over the course of Russia’s full-scale invasion, Ukraine has become known for its groundbreaking innovations when it comes to producing battle-tested drones.)
Mr. Koval said his company has an office there and, back in Mississauga, has undertaken research and development on a prototype of a hydrogen-powered drone, which can stay in the air much longer than battery-powered drones because hydrogen stores much more energy for the same weight as batteries.
Nearly two years ago, the RCMP issued a call for applications for the development of an “extended range remotely piloted aircraft.” According to the posting, the RCMP was looking for a drone that could “travel at effective airspeeds and be deployed over large distances to provide an initial view of a given location for responding RCMP members, applicable to both border protection and remote policing response. This will provide real-time situational awareness.”
Mr. Koval, a Ukrainian-Canadian scientist, has signed a contract with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police to develop a drone capable of flying for up to eight hours that may be used to patrol the Canada–U.S. border.EDUARDO LIMA/The Globe and Mail
The challenge was open for proposals for the first phase – proof of feasibility − which Mr. Koval said primarily involves research and development. The next phase involves building prototypes, and if all goes well, it could be flown at an RCMP testing field.
It’s a personal triumph for Mr. Koval, 58, who moved to Canada from Ukraine in 1996. Even though he had a PhD in astrophysics, like many immigrants he had to start over. He delivered newspapers in the morning, took high-school courses during the day and delivered pizza at night.
He fast-tracked his way into university and studied software engineering at the University of Toronto. He worked for CGI, a major information technology firm, and then in the IT department of an Ontario school board, before deciding to quit and start up Web4You in 2005.
“Sometimes you have a feeling you’re in this box. And you can do a little bit more,” he says.
Hans Parmar, a media relations officer at Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada, said that, as of last month, four companies were awarded a total of $1.33-million under the Innovative Solutions Canada (ISC) program, with Web4You receiving $338,401.10. ISC is a government program that connects federal departments with Canadian businesses.
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Camille Boily-Lavoie, a media relations officer with the RCMP, said Web4You applied to the ISC challenge and received a research and development contract with the RCMP for a proof-of-concept project.
“At this stage, the focus is on learning from industry proposals and assessing feasibility, rather than defining or committing to a specific operational solution. Hydrogen-based propulsion is one area of interest, but it is not the only technology being explored under this initiative,” Ms. Boily-Lavoie said in a statement.
She said the RCMP have a range of remotely piloted aircraft systems − some 1,200 RPAS and more than 800 trained pilots − adding that enhanced range is crucial in rural and border regions. She said the RCMP deploys RPAS to support border, search-and-rescue and disaster response operations.
Mr. Koval said that a few weeks ago, officials with the RCMP, the Department of National Defence and the federal government came to his office to learn about his work.
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DND spokesperson Andrée-Anne Poulin said the challenge is distinct from the department’s core defence budget and procurement programs. She said that while the RCMP is leading this challenge, DND and the Canadian Armed Forces may choose to collaborate “where there are shared capability interests.”
“Platforms such as long-endurance, remotely piloted aircraft systems have potential applications across a range of missions, particularly in remote environments, such as the Arctic,” she said.
“In this instance, DND/CAF has identified a shared interest with the RCMP in the early exploration of this type of capability through this specific ISC challenge. By collaborating at the prototype stage, both organizations can leverage common requirements, reduce duplication of effort and support the efficient development of innovative solutions within Canada.”
Mr. Koval says he’s looking forward to the next phase, building the prototype, which if successful will be tested at an RCMP flying field, where he will compete with other companies for the final contract.
“It’s just the beginning of an era of drones,” he said. “Let’s say, the RCMP, they have helicopters. Maybe in three years, they don’t need helicopters.”