About Defence R&D Canada

History of Defence R&D Canada

Milestones in Defence Science

The present-day achievements of Defence R&D Canada have as their foundation a legacy of scientific excellence undertaken through the years. These accomplishments have involved many disciplines and exemplary science.

Franks Flying Suit Mark III - the first anti-G suit to go into war service

Early in World War II, a research team led by Sir Fredrick Banting discovered that fighter pilots frequently crashed as they pulled out of steep turns because acceleration forces blood away from the brain and heart causing blackouts. The researchers learned this by building a man-sized centrifuge "Accelerator," in which they observed hundreds of aircrew volunteers as they whirled to fainting point.

A team led by Dr. Wilbur Franks developed overalls made of two layers of rubber with water in between, which laced tight to the pilot's body. This was the Franks Flying Suit Mark II (FFS Mk II), the world's first "G" (gravity) suit. Franks team later developed the FFS Mk III, an air inflated, zippered version that led directly to the first production model. Modern G-suits use the same physiological principle applied by Dr. Franks.

Operational Variable Depth Sonar

Early post-war trials proved that a sonar set lowered into the water depths gave generally improved detection ranges over a hull-mounted set, against submerged targets. This prompted an intensive effort involving underwater sound propagation, hydrodynamic towing studies and sonar design, which culminated in 1958 in a successful Variable Depth Sonar system. Such systems have since become a major component in sonar equipment in the destroyers of most navies.

Black Brant high altitude research rocket

The Black Brant high altitude research rocket was developed in the early 1960s to study the ionosphere and aurora borealis and is still sold worldwide by Bristol Aerospace of Winnipeg, Manitoba. NASA uses the Black Brant to check atmospheric conditions before launching its space shuttles.

Alouette I research satellite

With the launch of the research satellite Alouette I in September 1962, Canada became the third nation in space. Alouette I, Alouette II, and their successors ISIS I and ISIS II were designed and built to gather ionospheric data for radio research. These satellites became the foundation of the Canadian space program and modern communications technology, in which Canada is a world leader.

DCIEM Diving Tables

Years of hyperbaric (diving) research paid off in the 1960s with the development of a method for calculating decompression times for deep-sea divers. The DCIEM Diving Tables are now used all over the world to reduce the risk of decompression sickness, more commonly called "the bends".

Quick-Don Immersion Suit

Canadian Forces aircraft patrol our dangerously cold coastal waters all year, regardless of weather. Since the mid-1960s, the Quick-Don Anti-Exposure Flying Coverall has saved many lives, but its maximum survival time is 1.6 hours and it is almost useless if it leaks. Under contract, META Research of Vancouver, B.C. (formerly Mustang Industries) now supplies the Canadian Forces with a new, improved immersion suit. The Mustang suit costs $100 less than the previous suit, has a maximum estimated survival time of 4.1 hours, and tolerates moderate leakage without losing its effectiveness.

CRV7 70-mm air-to-ground rocket weapon system

The CRV7 is a 70-mm air-to-ground rocket weapon system developed in the early 1970s for the CFP104 Starfighter. Arms technology often has a short shelf life, but not the CRV7 - decades after its initial development, many nations still use it, including Canada, Britian, New Zealand, Norway, Denmark, and Portugal.

ARPANET - Canada's first connection to the Internet

In the spring of 1985, Defence R&D Canada and the Communications Research Centre (CRC) made Canada's first connection to what would eventually be known as the Internet. Defence R&D Canada and CRC opened the Canada/ARPANET gateway, becoming the first terrestrial network connection to the existing ARPANET (Advanced Research Projects Agency Network) from outside the United States. The gateway was one of the key research building blocks for the future of IP networking in Canada.

Helicopter Deck-Landing Simulator

The Helicopter Deck-Landing Simulator uses virtual reality and head-mounted displays for both the helicopter pilot and the ship's landing safety officer to simulate the dangerous task of landing a helicopter on the moving deck of a ship. The simulator provides a low-cost, risk-free solution to the interactive training of participants prior to undertaking actual flights.

Pyrophoric Decoy Flare

Pyrophoric Decoy Flare provides improved aircraft protection against sophisticated seeker discrimination capabilities. The decoy flares vaporize a pyrophoric liquid fuel that combusts spontaneously on contact with air, producing a thermal signature very similar to that of an aircraft engine. Unique in the world, it provides unequalled protection against some of the most advanced infrared missiles.

Remote Mining System

The Remote Mining System, a semi-submersible system, can detect and classify sea bottom mines in water depths of 200m at survey speeds of up to five metres/second (10 knots). The remotely-controlled system is compact and portable and operates at a radius of up to eight kilometres for any ship capable of transporting its 20-foot remote command and control system. In 2005, the Canadian Navy began integrating and using the Remote Minehunting System.

FERRET

Recently deployed in Afghanistan, the FERRET provides the Canadian Forces with better protection against snipers. The FERRET is a passive acoustic system for the detection and localization of small-arms fire at long ranges. The system is composed of a three-dimensional microphone array mounted on the rear of the turret of the Coyote light armoured reconnaissance vehicle. The system processes the sound signals and shows the results on a hand-held terminal by means of a graphical and numerical display.