Coastal Defence Systems Inc. Strengthens Leadership Team with Appointment of Military Drone Expert David MacDonald and AI Technology Advisor Ryan Groom

Two decorated experts join Atlantic Canada's only Indigenous-owned defence drone company to advance its proprietary UAV, AI autonomy and sensor-fusion programs

Windsor, Nova Scotia--(Newsfile Corp. - July 14, 2026) - Coastal Defence Systems Inc. (CDSI), Atlantic Canada's only Indigenous-owned defence drone company, today announced two significant additions to its leadership team. David L. MacDonald, CD2, a retired senior Canadian Armed Forces officer with 25 years of operational and RPAS (drone) experience, joins CDSI as Drone Expert and Business & Military Liaison. Ryan Groom, a veteran software developer, cybersecurity specialist, and mixed-reality entrepreneur, joins as Technology Advisor - Artificial Intelligence. The appointments deepen CDSI's operational and technical bench as the company advances its family of proprietary UAV platforms and AI-enabled autonomy and sensor-fusion systems in support of Canada's sovereign defence capability.

"David and Ryan bring exactly the kind of real-world credibility our platforms are built on — decades of frontline military and RPAS operations on one side, and deep technical experience in AI, cybersecurity, and secure systems on the other," said William Fleming, Chief Executive Officer of CDSI. "As we bring our UAV platforms from development into fielded capability, their combined expertise will be central to how we design, test, and deploy technology that Canada's defence and security partners can rely on."

David MacDonald Joins as Drone Expert and Business & Military Liaison

MacDonald retired from the Canadian Armed Forces after 25 years of service in demanding operational environments at home and abroad, including deployments to Afghanistan, Latvia, the Persian Gulf, and Sierra Leone, and duty with NATO and United Nations missions across more than 80 countries. He commanded an Air Space Coordination Centre during Operation ATHENA in Kandahar, Afghanistan, served as a NATO Tactical Evaluator, and was part of a Readiness Training Flight recognized with a NATO Commendation for the highest training standards ever achieved in Force Protection. His UAV expertise spans both military and civilian operations, including roles as Manager of Operations at ING Robotic Aviation and Drone Delivery Canada, an Authorized Flight Reviewer for Transport Canada, and an instructor for Transport Canada-sanctioned Advanced RPAS licensing.

Schreibe Deinen Kommentar