Roshel has introduced a new mobile counter-uncrewed aerial system (C-UAS) platform at CANSEC 2025 in Ottawa, marking its first demonstration of an integrated battlefield-proven solution for detecting, tracking, and neutralizing drone threats. Developed in partnership with Leonardo, the Senator Counter-UAS Vehicle combines Roshel’s Senator Pickup MRAP chassis with Leonardo’s Falcon Shield system, offering both Canadian and allied forces a ready-to-deploy capability against a spectrum of uncrewed aerial systems. Roshel plans to begin production later this year, with initial deliveries to Canadian and select allied customers scheduled for 2026.
The Senator family has seen extensive operational use in Ukraine, where more than 1,800 vehicles have been supplied to Ukrainian forces since 2022. Roshel’s Ontario facility, which conducts design, engineering, and final assembly, adapted the Senator MRAP to host Leonardo’s Falcon Shield Mobile configuration, enabling on-the-move protection against reconnaissance drones, swarming threats, and weaponized UAS. The platform retains its baseline protection levels—STANAG 4569 Level 2 against ballistic threats and Level 3 blast resistance—while adding a bolted, maintainable armor capsule and mine-protected seating.
Falcon Shield Mobile integrates a multi-spectrum radar array with electro-optical sensors, AI-based classification algorithms, and electronic-attack capabilities. The system’s automated command-and-control suite supports both kinetic defeat options and non-kinetic techniques such as protocol manipulation. Leonardo reports that Falcon Shield has already been proven under operational conditions with the Royal Air Force and Canadian Armed Forces in static and convoy-protection roles; its adaptation to a wheeled platform allows for rapid redeployment and remote emplacement when necessary.
“By integrating Leonardo’s Falcon Shield into the Senator chassis, we can offer a mobile C-UAS capability that meets evolving threat profiles without extensive additional training or infrastructure,” said Roman Shimonov, CEO of Roshel. He emphasized that the vehicle is fully interoperable with NATO command-and-control systems and supports sensor fusion and autonomous meshing with other assets.
Chris Axcell, Senior Vice President of Leonardo UK’s Integrated Sensing and Protection business, highlighted the collaborative nature of the project: “Falcon Shield has demonstrated its effectiveness in multiple environments. Onboard Roshel’s Senator platform, Falcon Shield Mobile extends that protection to move at convoy pace, detecting and defeating UAS before they can deliver their payloads or gather tactical intelligence.”
The Roshel-Leonardo partnership underscores a growing trend toward multinational industrial cooperation in the C-UAS domain. The Senator Counter-UAS Vehicle features an open-architecture design that facilitates the integration of future sensors or countermeasures and can function as part of a wider C-UAS network, linking fixed installations, manned units, and autonomous nodes. This flexibility aims to accommodate shifting operational requirements and rapid technological advances in aerial threats.
