KANDAHAR, Afghanistan - Canada's newest eyes in Afghan skies are ready for takeoff. The military announced Thursday the Heron pilotless spy drones that arrived last month at Kandahar Airfield are now set to fly.
The drones will help coalition forces ferret out Taliban fighters planting roadside bombs or planning ambushes, said Col. Christopher Coates, the commander of Canada's air wing.
"What we're going to is use the Heron to the best of our capability to help see what's going on the ground, spotting the IEDs (improvised explosive devices)," he said.
"Of course, we're never going to be able to with the helicopters keep the soldiers off the roads. We're not going to be able to spot every IED with the Heron. We're quite certain we're going to be able to make a difference."
Last year, a panel headed by former Liberal deputy prime minister John Manley deemed acquiring the pilotless spy planes -- also known as unmanned aerial vehicles, or UAVs -- as a key condition for keeping soldiers in Afghanistan until 2011.
The Herons were needed to replace the Sperwer tactical drones, which have been used in Afghanistan since 2003 but are rapidly becoming outdated and short of spare parts.
The Conservative government had dithered about replacing the Sperwers. Cabinet rejected a proposal in 2007 to buy U.S.-made Predator drones because the contract would have been awarded to a single firm.
The federal government is spending $95 million to lease the Herons for at least two years from B.C.-based MacDonald Dettwiler and Associates.
Some drones will be kept at Kandahar Airfield while others will remain at military bases in Canada for training.
Besides the Herons, Canada has also leased the smaller Scan Eagle drones from Boeing at a cost of $14 million.
